Library Guides: Business: Consumer &amp; Market Research

Getting Started with Consumer & Market Research

This page lists databases and reputable news sources for finding information about consumer behavior, demographics, and market research resources. The resources below include UD's subscription databases as well as recommended online sources of data where you can find information about

Consumers & Consumer Behavior
Economic & Demographic Data
Market Research
Articles & Case Studies
and more

Preparing for Your Search

Demographics or psychographics? Determining what type of consumer data you are seeking helps in selecting a database. Demographics are statistical data about a population (age, gender, and income, to name a few), while psychographics consider attitudes and opinions. Resources in the Consumer Research section are useful for psychographic research.

Data, information, or both? Consumer and market researchers use raw data, such as statistical tables provided by the U.S. Census, market reports, scholarly journal articles, news, and more. Defining what format and type of information you need can help you to select the right databases and sources.

Start with a report. Reports provide overviews and high-level statistics that can help you define and refine your search. Mintel is a great place to begin.

Get help from a librarian. Consumer and market research can be complex and nuanced - your librarian is here to help! Send an email or book an appointment for assistance in locating the best resources for your search.

Databases and Sources of Information for Consumer and Market Research

Consumer Research

Consumer information is gathered through quantitative and qualitative research about who consumers are, what they buy, and their market behaviors. The resources in this section include subscription databases available through the UD library and reputable sources of data on the open web.

UD's Subscription Databases

Mintel Academic Access This link opens in a new window
Analyzes market drivers, sizes & trends, market segmentation, and consumer attitudes & purchasing habits for the US and European marketplaces.

SEARCH TIP: On the Insights tab, hover over Demographics to filter reports by consumer group. Click on the Consumer Data tab to search consumer databooks by industry and region.

Statista This link opens in a new window
Providing statistical data for over 170 industries in 50 countries.

SEARCH TIP: Search by company or industry keyword or filter all consumer and brand reports by location and industry by hovering over Reports and selecting Consumer & Brand Reports

SageData This link opens in a new window
A dynamic tool to scan and search the contents of billions of datasets from the United States pre-dating January 2022
Previously Sage Stats.

Resources on the Open Web

American Consumer Satisfaction Index (ACSI)
An index of American consumer satisfaction by industry, company, and sector.
American Time Use Survey
The American Time Use Survey (ATUS) measures the amount of time people spend doing various activities, such as paid work, childcare, volunteering, and socializing.
Consumer Confidence Survey
A resource maintained by the University of Michigan which measure consumer sentiment and provides charts and data that can be filtered by demographic.
Consumer Expenditure Surveys
The Consumer Expenditure Surveys (CE) program provides data on expenditures, income, and demographic characteristics of consumers in the United States.
National Retail Federation (NRF) Consumer Research
NRF conducts consumer research throughout the year, staying on the pulse of the retail industry and behaviors of consumers as a whole.
Pew Research
Founded by the Pew Research Center, this website provides various demographic and report data on specific groups in the United States.

Economic and Demographic Data

Demographic data is a statistical expression of socioeconomic information. It is useful in consumer and economic research, and is collected by an array of government, economic, and market entities. The resources provided below include data collected by national governments in a variety of contexts.

United States

Social Explorer This link opens in a new window
Generates maps, data visuallizations, and spreadsheets of Census data from 1790-2010. Additional data available up to the 2020 census.
Updated regularly. Provides easy access to historical census data for the United States. Allows users to visually analyze and understand the demography of any part of the United States with access to the following:

* Interactive thematic maps of historical census data
* Customized reports for any chosen area or areas (including aggregates)
* Complete coverage of the United States, down to neighborhoods and streets
* Simple navigation buttons and a find tool make it easy and efficient to study neighborhoods

Users can examine geographic areas while selecting the type of data to be shown, such as population density or income level. The corresponding data tables are also available.

SEARCH TIP: Search by by zip code, county, city, or state in the Demographic Profiles section to find market-specific demographic reports

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Find data on income, employment, productivity, spending, and prices.
U.S. Census Data
View, download, and analyze data collected by the U.S. Census Bureau. Includes statistics about population, housing, industry, business, and employment.
U.S. Economy at a Glance: BEA
BEA produces some of the most closely watched economic statistics that influence decisions of government officials, business people, and individuals. These statistics provide a comprehensive, up-to-date picture of the U.S. economy.
U.S. Economy at a Glance: BLS
National and state-level data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, including unemployment, payroll and earnings information, and price indices.

International

Statistics Canada This link opens in a new window
Provides access to Statistics Canada's Census of Population and socioeconomic data.

Federal Reserve Economic Data (FRED)
Trusted source for economic data. Download, graph, and track 817,000 US and international time series from 108 sources.
globalEDGE
View economic, political, and demographic information by country or industry.
World Bank Open Data
Statistical profiles of 200 countries and economies

Market Research

Market research typically uses consumer and market information as well as industry information, and so there is overlap in the databases listed here and in other sections of the Business research guide. The resource in this section provide market data and reporting functions appropriate for scholarly and professional research.

UD Subscription Databases

Business Source Complete This link opens in a new window
Full-text articles from thousands of scholarly business journals, magazines, and trade journals from the fields of marketing, management, accounting, finance, and economics. Plus company and industry profiles, SWOT analyses, country economic reports, financial data, and investment reports.

SEARCH TIP: Locate market share data by searching for a company or industry and then selecting Market Research Reports from the Source Types filter.

IBISWorld This link opens in a new window
Provides in-depth analysis of over 700 U.S. industries at the national and state level. Global industry reports are particularly strong in the manufacturing sector.

SEARCH TIP: Search by industry keyword or NAICS code to view key market information and players.

Mintel Academic Access This link opens in a new window
Analyzes market drivers, sizes & trends, market segmentation, and consumer attitudes & purchasing habits for the US and European marketplaces.
Mintel Market Sizes This link opens in a new window
Market size, market share, market segmentation, and forecast data for thousands of consumer goods categories searchable by product, world region, and/or country.
Statista This link opens in a new window
Access downloadable statistics and studies from market researchers, trade organizations, and government sources.

Resources on the Open Web

Beige Book
The Summary of Commentary on Current Economic Conditions by Federal Reserve District, also known as the Beige Book, is a report published 8 times a year providing information on current economic conditions by District. Information includes summaries of anecdotal reports of consumer spending and labor market.
Consumer Price Index (CPI)
Consumer Price Index resources from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, including data, charts, news, and publications.
Federal Reserve Economic Data (FRED)
Trusted source for economic data. Download, graph, and track 817,000 US and international time series from 108 sources.
globalEDGE
View economic, political, and demographic information by country or industry.
IMF Consumer Price Indices
The International Monetary Fund collects and disseminates national CPI data for all reporting countries.

Market News and Journal Articles

News and scholarly articles can provide additional details on market data and consumer information that you discover elsewhere, as well as case studies and market analyses to deepen your research.

Academic Search Complete This link opens in a new window
Multidisciplinary resource that includes journals, magazines, books, reports and proceedings. Contains over 10,000 titles, some coverage from 1880s to the present.
Access World News Research Collection This link opens in a new window
Research diverse perspectives, topics and trends that align with curricular areas such as Political Science, English, Sociology, Humanities, Business, International Studies and more. Features reliable, credible information from a wide variety of international, national, and local news sources. Also available remotely 24/7 on any device.
Business Source Complete This link opens in a new window
Full-text articles from thousands of scholarly business journals, magazines, and trade journals from the fields of marketing, management, accounting, finance, and economics. Plus company and industry profiles, SWOT analyses, country economic reports, financial data, and investment reports.

SEARCH TIP: Use Advanced Search to limit your search to the type of publication you need. Business Source Complete includes Market Research Reports, Newspaper Articles, SWOT Analyses, Trade Publications, and Journal Articles.

EconLit This link opens in a new window
EconLit is an academic literature abstracting database service published by the American Economic Association. The service focuses on literature in the field of economics. EconLit covers articles and other materials dating back to 1969.
New York Times Online This link opens in a new window
Current access to the digital edition of the New York Times. Requires individual login and password set up. Access for UD faculty, staff, and students only.
Wall Street Journal Online This link opens in a new window
Requires individual login and password set up. Access for UD faculty, staff, and students only. Business-focused, international daily newspaper based in New York City.