SmallBusinessNewz

An interesting survey was conducted by Market Force Information recently, which found that consumer spending appears to be brightening. That's a good thing for businesses of all sizes.

The survey was conducted in early December with about 3,000 respondents ranging in age from 19 to 72. It reflected a broad spectrum of income levels; approximately half have incomes of more than $50,000 a year. Approximately 75% were women, which the firm deems primary household consumer purchasers. Half have children at home.

When asked if they plan on splurging on an item in the next three months, 65% said yes. Most intend to "splurge" on electronics, travel, and apparel. Here are the top ranked splurged items in order of popularity:

- TV/Blu-ray/DVD/Accessories 14.74%
- Travel/Vacation 13.89%
- Computer/Accessories 11.49%
- Apparel/Shoes/Purse/Jewelry 9.60%
- Entertainment/Video Games/Music 6.20%
- Car/Accessories 5.30%
- Furniture 5.25%
- Home Improvement 5.15%

"Equally heartening was their response to the question, 'Will you watch every penny in 2010, relax the purse strings a bit, or spend more freely on the things you want?' While 1 in 4 consumers responded that they would relax the purse strings a bit more and/or spend more freely, that figure jumped to one-third of consumers when asked to guess what their friends and neighbors will do (as shown in the graph)," says Market Force.

"This disparity is often an early sign of an attitude shift," the firm says. "In today’s climate when being frugal is considered an important personal attribute, consumers are not inclined to tell strangers that they plan to splurge or increase their spending. But, if consumers are asked what they think their friends or neighbors will do, they have no such restraint. This question can often indicate likely behavior as attitudes begin to shift."

The survey did find that there is still plenty of caution. 2/3 said they would spulge, but the same amount said they were planning on cutting back in one or more areas—focusing their spending on things that they really want.