Around the fire

Staff -- Casual Living, 3/1/2005

3% of the accessory-buying households bought either fireplace tools or a fireplace screen.

35–44 the age of almost half, 49%, of clock, fireplace tools/screen and floor screen buyers.

$46 the median amount spent on the purchase of fireplace tools or a fireplace screen.

72% of those buying fireplace tools or a fireplace screen planned for their purchase.

88% of fireplace tools or screen purchases were for their own home, not as a gift.

72% of clock, fireplace tool/screen and floor screen buyers use their friends, relatives and neighbors or magazines as their top source for decorating inspiration.

54% spent less than $50 on the purchase of fireplace tools.

6% spent $200 or more on their fireplace tools purchase.

9% bought fireplace tools or a screen at a gift or accessory store.

79% of households using magazines as a source of inspiration cited Better Homes & Gardens as their top choice among the consumer magazines. About a third also mentioned Southern Living or Martha Stewart Living.

21% bought their fireplace tools or screen at a home improvement store such as Lowe's or Home Depot.

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.