Mass Merchants Figure to Prosper in 2009, Survey Finds

The primary beneficiaries of consumers' retreat from spending will be heavy discount, big-box retailers such as Wal-Mart and Target. This was a key finding in the 2009 Consumer Shopping Intentions Study from the private equity and consulting firm Cavallino LLC.

Cavallino polled 815 consumers nationwide in the weeks preceding Christmas. Here's a look at some more of the study's findings:

• 63 percent of the respondents said they expect the economy to improve by this year's fourth fiscal quarter;
• 69 percent of the respondents plan to spend less in 2009;
• 58 percent of the 18-24 demographic plan to spend the same or more this year;
• nearly 80 percent of consumers in the 35-54 demographic said they plan to spend less; and
• 12 percent of respondents expect to be worse off financially in 2009, with 88 percent expecting their situations to remain static or get better.

For more on this survey, see The Editor's Take in the February print issue of Catalog Success. For more on the survey, go to www.cavallinollc.com.