Consumer/Target Market Demographics, Behavior, and Trends
Start here:
- Statista
Easy to use statistics search engine with access to more than a million statistics and facts. - Data.census.gov
Data.census.gov is the new platform to access data and digital content from the U.S. Census Bureau. It replaces the American FactFinder website, which was retired in 2020. - Sage Data
A repository of standardized and structured statistical data. This tool allows users to scan and search contents of billions of datasets, compare and contrast variables of interest, and create customized views in tables, maps, rankings, and charts.
- Claritas: My Best SegmentsThis web site groups consumers into general categories, with brief descriptions and demographic information. Use the Zip Code Look-Up to get information about consumers in a particular area in both descriptions and graphs. There are three categories of information for consumers; PRIZM, P$YCLE, which describes the financial status of consumers, and ConneXions, which describes the level of technology use and connectivity of consumers. Use Segment Details to view descriptions of all of the consumer segments on the web site. Use the Narrow Segments button in the middle of the screen to search for consumer groups by age, income, and other categories.
Then try these:
- Pew Research CenterA non-partisan research group that collects and presents data, opinions, and reports on American attitudes, activities, and trends. Browse by topic, or type in your search.
- American Time Use SurveyData on how American consumers use their time. Scroll down to view topics and tables of data.
- Consumer Expenditure Survey (U. S.)Statistics and reports on consumer expenditures, unemployment rates, and much more.
- US Census Bureau International Database (IDB)Just choose your country from the drop down menu, then choose your year. Click submit. You'll get birth rate, population, and more!
Articles on Consumers, Industries, and Markets
- ProQuest One Business
A comprehensive business database containing millions of full-text items across scholarly and popular periodicals, newspapers, market research reports, dissertations, books, videos and more. Includes the full text of the Wall Street Journal. Formerly called ABI/INFORM Collection - Business Source Complete
This is the world's definitive scholarly business database, providing the leading collection of bibliographic and full text content. As part of the comprehensive coverage offered by this database, indexing and abstracts for the most important scholarly business journals back as far as 1886 are included.
Statistics/Market Share
- StatistaEasy to use statistics search engine with access to more than a million statistics and facts.
Market Share ReporterProvides the market share for many companies within an industry, shown with pie charts and graphs. Each entry features a descriptive title; data and market description; a list of producers/products along with their market share. To search: Use the search box on the right that says, "Search within publication." You can search products, companies, brands, industries.
Finding Other Businesses in your Industry
- Data Axle Reference Solutions
Directory information for publicly and privately owned companies in the United States, as well as information about individual consumers. Formerly called Reference Solutions / ReferenceUSA.
Citing Your Sources
Whenever you do research, you will need to cite the information sources that you use. Most business scholars use APA style. Here are some tools that can help you with this task:
Gleeson Library's guide to citations: How? Why? When?
- APA 7th Edition Citations for Business SourcesAn excellent guide to using APA 7th edition style for popular business sources. Scroll through the guide to find an example for the business source you are using in your research. Compiled by librarians Naomi Schemm, Marcia Dellenbach, Zachary Grisham, Marianne Hageman, Natalia Tingle, Matt Trowbridge, and Amanda Wheatley
- Citing Business Databases in APA: Michigan State University GuideThis guide was created to help with citing some common business databases
- Citing Business Databases from the University of North Carolina at GreensboroThis guide has some additional business database examples in APA style.
- MLA Business Citations: Youngstown State UniversityScroll down the page to see citations for specific business web sites, reports, and databases cited in MLA style.
- Purdue OWLOur favorite style guide web site is the OWL from Purdue University.
- RefWorks
RefWorks allows users to create personal databases to manage, store, and share the information citations/references. Users can automatically insert references from their database into their papers and generate formatted bibliographies and manuscripts in seconds. See our RefWorks Guide for information about creating accounts, adding references, and using add-ons.
Getting Help!
There are several ways to obtain assistance with your research. Read on!
The School of Management has a library liaison named Penny Scott, and you can contact her for help.
Her contact information is: email: plscott@usfca.edu * phone: 415-422-5389
It is best to call or email ahead, or make an appointment, to make sure she is available!
If Penny is not available, or any time you need help, you can always get help, just Ask a Librarian!