About the Casual Consumer

All information comes from Home Accents Today's, Consumer Buying Trends survey. This exclusive consumer data originates from the responses of 31,505 households to a survey conducted in December 2002 and January 2003. Home Accents Today had National Family Opinion poll 50,000 U.S. households to find out about home furnishings shopping and purchasing patterns in 2002 and buying plans for 2003. Because of the large sample size, combined with a response rate of 63%, and a respondent profile closely matching the demographics of all U.S. households, survey data can be projected nationally with a margin of error of plus or minus less than 1%.

In September and October 2003, Home Accents Today sent a follow-up survey to those households that purchased in 2002 or planned to purchase in 2003 home accents including garden and patio accessories. The 1,004 households that responded to the survey (a 59% response rate) closely match the demographics of all home furnishings buying households in the United States. This means results can be projected nationally with a margin of error of plus or minus 3%.

The research was analyzed by Home Accent Today's research department, led by Director of Market Research Kay Anderson and Senior Research Specialist Dana French.