1. www.ProsperDiscovery.com
Consumer Snapshot
march 2014

2. © 2014, Prosper®www.ProsperDiscovery.com
sentiment strategy
march 2014
Disclaimer: Prosper Business Development and its affiliated companies (“Prosper”) make 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.
shopper services

3. © 2014, Prosper®www.ProsperDiscovery.com
sentiment
Source: Monthly Consumer Survey
consumer confidence
up-down pattern of sentiment continues with 40.7%
confident in chances for a strong economy, up slightly
from February’s 38.2%
very confident/confident in chances for a strong economy
{adults 18+}
13 month summary
confidence appears to have bounced back from the 13
month low seen in October (thanks to the government
shutdown), but consumers aren’t optimistic enough to
push this indicator beyond their 40% “comfort zone”
37.5%
28.3%
40.7%
20%
25%
30%
35%
40%
45%

4. © 2014, Prosper®www.ProsperDiscovery.com
sentiment
Source: Monthly Consumer Survey
very confident/confident in chances for a strong economy
{adults 18+}
glass half full
confidence recorded this month is the highest reading for
March since the recession, but remains 13% below pre-
recession Mar-07 (46.9%)
consumer confidence
up-down pattern of sentiment continues with 40.7%
confident in chances for a strong economy, up slightly
from February’s 38.2%
13 month summary
confidence appears to have bounced back from the 13
month low seen in October (thanks to the government
shutdown), but consumers aren’t optimistic enough to
push this indicator beyond their 40% “comfort zone”
46.9%
37.5%
40.7%
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
40%
45%
50%
Mar-07 Mar-08 Mar-09 Mar-10 Mar-11 Mar-12 Mar-13 Mar-14

5. © 2014, Prosper®www.ProsperDiscovery.com
strategy
Source: Monthly Consumer Survey
practicality & focus on needs
{adults 18+}
spring in consumer spending?
practicality toward purchasing (42.7%) decreases
slightly from February (44.4%)
year-over-year, pragmatic purchase intentions are down 10%
fewer than half (46.2%) indicate they are zeroing in on
just what they need when at the store, down 5+ points
from February and the lowest reading since Q3 2007
focus necessities drops in March
47.6%
42.7%
54.2%
46.2%
30%
35%
40%
45%
50%
55%
60%
I have become more practical and realistic in my purchases
I focus more on what I NEED rather than what I WANT
with increasing confidence and decreasing practicality,
consumers seem poised to spend as we approach Q2
so what does this mean?
however, look for smart shopping strategies to remain intact

6. © 2014, Prosper®www.ProsperDiscovery.com
shopper services
Source: Monthly Consumer Survey
how important are the following services when shopping online?
{“very important” or “important”}
low prices trump free shipping when
shopping online
eight in ten look for flexible return policies and easy to use
website when shopping online
90.4%
87.1%
81.3%
79.5%
63.7%
56.2%
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
Low Prices
Free Shipping
Flexible Return Policy
Website Easy to Use
Pick up or return at store
Toll Free "Live"Customer
Service Person
Adults 18+

7. © 2014, Prosper®www.ProsperDiscovery.com
shopper services
Source: Monthly Consumer Survey
how important are the following services when shopping online?
{“very important” or “important”}
low prices trump free shipping when
shopping online
eight in ten look for flexible return policies and easy to use
website when shopping online
75% 80% 85% 90% 95%
Adults 18+
Millennials
Gen X
Boomers
Silent
Low Prices Free Shipping
Gen X-ers, Boomers look for low prices
while Millennials are less likely to place importance on low
prices and free shipping compared to average, the vast
majority still find value in these services
Key: Millennials (1983 – 1996), Gen X (1965 – 1982), Boomers (1946 – 1964), Silent (born pre-1946)

8. © 2014, Prosper®www.ProsperDiscovery.com
shopper services
Source: Monthly Consumer Survey
how often do you research products online before purchasing them in person or in a store?
{Millennials}
low prices trump free shipping when
shopping online
eight in ten look for flexible return policies and easy to use
website when shopping online
Gen X-ers, Boomers look for low prices
while Millennials are less likely to place importance on low
prices and free shipping compared to average, the vast
majority still find value in these services
Key: Millennials (1983 – 1996), Gen X (1965 – 1982), Boomers (1946 – 1964), Silent (born pre-1946)
9 out of 10 Millennials research online
as age increases, likelihood to research online decreases,
perhaps explaining why older generations place more value
on services to motivate them to buy online
Regularly,
52.8%
Occasionally,
38.2%
Never, 9.1%

9. © 2014, Prosper®www.ProsperDiscovery.com
thanks
visit ______________________to access:
Consumer Snapshot InsightCenter™
PowerPoint Slides
…and more
Pam Goodfellow
Consumer Insights Director
Prosper Insights & Analytics™
pam@goProsper.com
ProsperDiscovery.com
ConsumerSnapshot.com
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