Check out a quick sneak peek of the March 2012 BIG Call from BIGinsight!

1. The BIG Call
March 2012
PA M E L A G O O D F E L L O W
CONSUMER INSIGHTS DIRECTOR, BIGINSIGHT™
MARIANNE BICKLE, PH.D.
D I R E C T O R , C E N T E R F O R R E TA I L I N G
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA
400 W. Wilson Bridge Road, Suite 200, Worthington, OH, 43085 614-846-0146 info@BIGinsight.com

2. Marianne Bickle, Ph.D.
 Chair and Director for the Center for Retailing, University of South Carolina
 Author:
• Fashion Marketing (published by Fairchild Books)
• The Changing American Consumer (in cooperation with the Prosper Foundation)
 Regular contributor on the Forbes Prosper Now Blog
 Has published and presented in excess of 90 peer referred
papers in relation to cross-channel shopping, e-commerce,
and student learning paradigms of retailing.
 On the Board of Directors on a privately owned fashion
company and is a regular retail contributing expert for
news corporations.
 Fostered international relationships in France, Italy, Korea, and
the United Kingdom.
 Earned a Ph.D. in Family Ecology, a master’s degree in clothing
and textiles and holds a B.S. in retailing of clothing and textiles.
© 2012, Prosper®

3. March 2012 Consumer Survey
 March 2012 Results
• Consumer Confidence
• Practical Purchasing
• Financial Forecast
• Pain at the Pump
• 90 Day Outlook: Future Purchase Plans
 The Changing American Consumer
• A Special Look at Fast Food Trends
This report is derived from the following studies:
• BIGinsight™ Monthly Consumer Survey, March 2012 (N = 9242, respondents surveyed 3/6 – 3/13/12)
• BIGinsight™ Monthly Consumer Survey Trends, March 2007 – March 2012
Disclaimer: BIGinsight™ is a trademark of Prosper Business Development Corp. Services are delivered by Prosper and/or a Prosper affiliated company (“Prosper”).
Prosper makes no warranties, either expressed or implied, concerning: data gathered or obtained from any source; the present or future methodology employed in
producing the statistics; or the data and estimates represent only the opinion of Prosper and reliance thereon and use thereof shall be at the user’s own risk.
© 2012, Prosper®

4. Consumer Confidence
Confident/Very Confident in Chances for a Strong Economy
Adults 18+
40%
 Highlights:
34.8% • Confidence rises for fifth
35%
consecutive month
30%
29.1% • Up nearly 20% from Mar-11
• Highest reading since the very
25% beginning of the recession
 Dec-07 = 37.0%
20%
20.6%
15%
© 2012, Prosper® Source: BIGinsight™ Monthly Consumer Survey, MAR 11-12

5. Consumer Confidence
Confident/Very Confident in Chances for a Strong Economy
25%
Adults 18+
decline
40% 50% from
45%
Mar-07
34.8%
35% 40%
35%
29.1%
30% 30%
25%
25% 20%
15%
20% 10%
20.6%
46.9%
34.8%
5%
15% 0%
© 2012, Prosper® Source: BIGinsight™ Monthly Consumer Survey, MAR 07-12

6. Practical Purchasing
In the last 6 months, have you made any of the following changes?
Adults 18+
60%
 Highlights:
58% • Spending fizzles as Spring
56% heats up
54%
52%
• Practicality increases 10
50% points from February
48%  Highest March reading since
46% the heart of the recession
44% (Mar-09 = 52.7%)
42%
• Focus on necessities
40%
increases six points from
February
 Also trending slightly ahead
I have become more practical and realistic in my purchases of March reading for the past
I focus more on what I NEED rather than what I WANT two years
© 2012, Prosper® Source: BIGinsight™ Monthly Consumer Survey, MAR 11-12

7. Thank you
Thank you for your interest in our
March 2012 BIG Call data.
CLICK HERE
to view the full deck of BIG Call
slides for March 2012
© 2012, Prosper®