A recent article in Newsweek magazine poses the question: is the mall dead? The article notes that last year was the first year in half a century where a new indoor mall did not open somewhere in the country. Another recent article notes the high retail vacancy rate in regional malls. Others write that fast-growing “lifestyle centers” – open-air developments that contain some mix of shopping, office space, entertainment, outdoor parks, recreational facilities and housing – are replacing regional and local malls as the new shopping destination of choice.

However, the Newsweek article lays some of the blame for traditional malls’ decline on anti-consumption and pro-environment and fair labor sentiments held by the public. They report that 40% of First Globals prefer to purchase items that are “socially conscious” – ie, environmentally safe and produced through fair labor – and that traditional malls have little to offer that fits this description.

What do you think? Is the rise in the anti-consumption and pro-environment attitudes detailed by Newsweek responsible for the waning fortunes of shopping malls, or are factors like the growth of lifestyle centers and Internet shopping more responsible? Does the economic uncertainty of consumers mean that all shopping centers (and not just malls) are likely to close or have economic difficulties of their own? Where do you plan to do most of your shopping – in a mall, or elsewhere?

Katy Uncategorized consumption, economics, entertainment, environment, first globals, internet, leisure, lifestyle, recreation, shopping

For decades, the U.S. has moved away from being a nation that manufactured products to one that buys things that are made somewhere else.  Given that model, our economy is very dependent on consumption through retail sales to spur growth and profit.
Surveys we have conducted at Zogby International continue to show American society moving away from that model. We are experiencing a paradigm shift that rejects the necessity of owning the next great new thing, and instead embraces satisfaction through relationships, leisure activities, volunteerism, self-expression and spiritual fulfillment. The latest evidence of this came in a series of questions we asked to more than 40,000 U.S. adults in a July interactive survey.

Read all of John Zogby’s article on how Americans are choosing to live with less at Forbes.com.

Paul consumption, culture, economics charity, consumption, economy, international, John Zogby, leisure, race, zogby

A few weeks ago, we at Zogby surveyed consumers on the quality of customer service given by a number of major companies or brands. You can read a summary of the results of the ten best companies here  and the ten worst companies here. We also blogged about the fact that four of the companies on the ten worst list are in telecommunications and enjoyed reading your ideas of why this might be.

Another interesting pattern turns up on our list of the ten best companies. Four of these ten companies are grocery stores – Costco, ranked 9th, Whole Foods (7th), Publix (6th) and Trader Joe’s (2nd). Both Costco and Trader Joe’s are known for their low prices, while Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s are known for their wide selection – including plenty of organic fare, particularly at Whole Foods. Meanwhile, grocery chain Publix gives all employees the opportunity to buy company stock after working a selected length of time. An MSN article on Publix quotes Publix spokeswoman Maria Brous as attributing their high ranking to being partially employee-owned, and Brous notes that because of this, “our associates have an investment in providing good customer service.”

Do you generally feel that you receive good customer service in your grocery store? Are prices and availability of organic food major factors in where you choose to shop for groceries, or are other factors, such as location or being locally owned, more important to you? If you shop at any of the stores we ranked, how would you rate their customer service?

Katy culture, lifestyles communication, consumption, lifestyle, work, zogby

In a recent article about dollar stores and the recession,  the New York Times reports that dollar stores seem to be thriving. According to the Times,  “the nation’s dollar stores, those once-dowdy chains that lured shoppers by selling some or all of their merchandise for $1, are suddenly hot. They are busily opening new stores, outfitting existing stores with refrigerators and freezers, and sprucing up their aisles with better lighting, fresh paint and new signs.”  The article goes on to note that Dollar General, Family Dollar and Dollar Tree have all opened new stores and have plans to open more stores in the next year.  In addition, these dollar stores are now offering more grocery items (some stores even have frozen food sections) and household necessities in an attempt to attract new customers and poach business from traditional grocery stores and larger retailers.

Shoppers interviewed in the article mention both the low prices and the appeals of a smaller store – less crowded, easier to find what they want, better customer service – as reasons for shopping at the dollar store.

Has the current economy impacted where you shop? Do you find yourself shopping for any items at a dollar store? Why or why not?

Katy consumption, culture, economics, lifestyles, shopping consumption, economy, recession, shopping

A recent article in Newsweek magazine poses the question:  is the mall dead? The article notes that last year was the first year in half a century where a new indoor mall did not open somewhere in the country.  Others write that fast-growing “lifestyle centers” – open-air developments that contain some mix of shopping, office space, entertainment,  outdoor parks, recreational facilities and housing – are replacing  regional and local malls as the new shopping destination of choice. And another recent article in New York Times article  implies that the waning fortunes of shopping malls are the fault of worried consumers unwilling to spend money.

However, the Newsweek article lays some of the blame for traditional malls’ decline on anti-consumption, pro-environment, and fair labor sentiments held by the public. They report that 40% of young shoppers prefer to purchase items that are “socially conscious” –  ie, environmentally safe and produced through fair labor – and that traditional malls have little to offer that fits this description.

Do you think the rise in the anti-consumption and pro-environment attitudes detailed by Newsweek is responsible for the decline of shopping malls, or are factors like the growth of lifestyle centers and internet shopping more responsible? Does consumers’ economic uncertainties mean that all shopping centers (and not just malls) are likely to close or have economic difficulties soon?

Katy consumption, lifestyles, recreation, shopping consumption, entertainment, environment, internet, lifestyle, recreation, shopping

Most people think they are better than average in most things. For example, surveys have found that most students believe that they are more popular than the average student and one survey of high-school seniors found that less than 1% thought of themselves as being below average in their ability to “get along with others.” Our fall 2008 interactive survey data show that something similar might be going on when in people’s perception of how well they are managing their own finances.

We found that most Americans believe that they live within their means. For example, 78% of First Globals™ say they live within their means and 89% of those over 65 say so as well. Is there anybody that doesn’t? Yes: Most other Americans. In the same survey, 88% of First Globals™ disagreed with the statement that “most Americans live within their means.” And, remarkably, just 4% are “not sure” about this issue.

Are Americans too easy on themselves, conveniently redefining frugal livings to fit their own behavior? Or are they too harsh on others because consumption is more conspicuous than saving? Perhaps, when answering questions about themselves, people rely on their own experiences, while when answering questions about others they draw on old clichés about waste and over-spending. Will the nation’s current economic woes change these perceptions?

Zeljka psychology consumption, economy, first globals, lifestyle

Quick, name a product appealing enough that both Wal-Mart and Starbucks introduced it after being “inundated” with customer requests for this allegedly  more environmental and healthy alternative  to a staple of the American diet.  And here’s another hint: despite the preferences of these stores’ consumers, some doubt that this alternative is a substantive improvement over the original product.

The correct answer is hormone-free milk, or milk that is certified to be free of recombinant bovine growth hormone (rBGH).   An article in the Christian Science Monitor notes that rBGH, which mimics a naturally occurring hormone found in dairy cows, is “linked by some to health problems in humans when ingested.” Concern over these effects is presumably what lead consumers to lobby Wal-Mart to change their store brand of milk to rGBH-free and for Starbucks to only serve rBGH free milk in stores. While hormone-free milk differs from organic milk (organic milk must meet additional production standards),  it can still cost up to $1.50 more, per gallon, than conventional milk.   But not everyone is convinced that rGBH is dangerous or that hormone-free milk is a major improvement – here is one CNN writer casting doubt on the scientific evidence against rGBH being harmful.

When we asked Americans in an interactive poll last summer whether they cared if the milk they drank was hormone free,  about 21.5% of those surveyed  said they always drank hormone-free milk and 41.1% answered that “milk is milk.” The remaining respondents said they tried to drink hormone-free milk but will drink conventional milk as well.

Our survey results show that over half of those surveyed make some kind of effort to drink hormone-free milk instead of regular milk. Do you agree with those who feel hormone-free milk is a major improvement, environmental or otherwise, over conventional milk? Or do you think that “milk is milk”?

Katy consumption, environment, lifestyles consumption, environment, health, summer, Wal-Mart