• by Jack Loechner , Staff Writer @mp_research, November 19, 2004

Consumers Worrying Less, Dining Out More, But Practical on Most Other Fronts

The November Consumer Intentions Study by BIGresearch, finds that, after peaking for the year in the months leading up to the election, worry about political and national security issues has lowered three points in November to 24.6%, and those who say they are very confident/confident in the chances for a strong economy in the next 6 months rose slightly in November to 45.4%.

McDonald's still king of the fast food industry, with 21.4% saying they eat there most often. Wendy's had an 11.3% share in November, Burger King 9.5%, Taco Bell 5.8%, and Subway 5.1%.

Women's 6 month purchase intentions are up for the jewelry/watch category, but practical consumers are anticipating a decrease in spending over the next 90 days, as most categories are down in November, according to the BIGresearch Diffusion Index (those who say they'll spend less subtracted from those who'll spend more.)

Retail Merchandise Categories - 90 Day Outlook (November 04 compared to October 04 and November 03)

Category	October 04	November 03
Children's	DOWN	DOWN
Toys and Games	DOWN	DOWN
Women's Dress	DOWN	FLAT
CDs/DVDs/Videos/Books	UP	DOWN
Women's Casual	DOWN	DOWN
Electronics	DOWN	DOWN
Men's Dress	DOWN	DOWN
Groceries	FLAT	DOWN
Men's Casual	DOWN	DOWN
Home Improvement	DOWN	DOWN
Shoes	DOWN	DOWN
Lawn & Garden	DOWN	DOWN
HBA	DOWN	DOWN
Home Furniture	DOWN	DOWN
Dining Out	UP	UP
Decorative Home Furnishings	UP	DOWN
Sporting Goods	UP	UP
Linens/Bedding/Draperies	DOWN	DOWN

And, in the BIG "What's Hot and What's Not " categories for the month:

Among those 18-34,

• 59.4% say handmade gifts are hot
• 48.3% say (Desperate HouseWives
• 46.4% say scrapbooking

The 35+ crowd says

• Wives... 52.5%
• Scrapbooking... 46.9%
• Cosmetic surgery... 37.5%

Source: BIGresearch.com