Consumer Data

There are numerous sources for consumer/customer data on the Web; however, many of them are quite expensive to use! Here are some of the more important sources for consumer data, many of which are free:

• ICPSR - Inter-University Consortium for Political and Social Research
• Global Market Information Database* - International socieconomic data, including industry statistics.
• Statistical Abstract of the United States - Statistical handbook for the US; also available in print at Ref. HA 202 .S7 (latest ed. at the reference desk)
• US Census 2000 - Includes links to state quick facts, American FactFinder, and Street Address Finder.
• American Community Survey - National annual survey of population and housing characteristics.
• Consumer Expenditure Survey - Average annual expenditures by consumer characteristics (age, income, ethnicity, etc.)
• American Marketplace* - Searchable publication of data "collected mainly from the federal government." Topics include: education, health, income, labor force, living arrangements, population, spending, and wealth. 1992-present.
• Statistical Resources on the Web - Consumers (UM) - Guide to online statistical sources on consumer behavior and other topics.
• FedStats - An online directory to statistical data from 70 government agencies
  
  

Consult the Marketing resource guide for other sources.

Competitor Information

• Dun's Regional Business Directory
  • Michigan Metro (excl. Detroit): Ref. HF 5069 .M5 D86
  • Detroit: Ref. HF 5068 .D48 D8
• Ward's Business Directory of US Private & Public Companies - Provides rankings within 4-digit SIC & NAICS industry codes by state.
  Ref. HF 5035 .W38
  - Also available online in Business & Company Resource Center
• Hoover's Company Reports* (via LexisNexis) - More than 15,000 public and private companies worldwide.
• Mergent* - Financial data on US and international publicly traded firms; includes annual reports, SEC filings, news and other information. Please log off after using!
  
  

See the Companies resource page for more information. And don't forget to try the Yellow Pages! Phone books can be an excellent source of information on competitors.

Contact Information

Library Contact: Shawn Lombardo

Deparment Contact: James Tedder

Industry Resources

• Economic Census - 2002 data is available online, and 2007 data has been collected but not yet published. Provides information on number of establishmensts, sales, payroll, employees, and product line sales. Be sure to identify your industry's NAICS code first.
• County Business Patterns - Industry data for state, county, zip code and metropolitan areas.
• Current Industrial Reports - For manufacturing, mining and construction data.
• Encyclopedia of American Industries (2 vols)
  Ref. HC 102 .E53
• Business & Company Resource Center - Contains Datamonitor industry reports, business rankings and market share information, and articles about companies and industries.
• Standard & Poor's Industry Surveys
  Ref. HC 101 .S72 (Index at Reference Desk; latest surveys at Circulation Desk
• Global Market Information Database - International socieconomic data, including industry statistics.
  
  

Consult the Industry resource guide for additional research tools.

Article Databases*

• ABI/Inform
• Business Source Premier - Use the Enhanced Search to identify relevant market research reports and industry profiles
• Michigan Newspapers - Full-text of the Detroit News, Grand Rapids Press and Lansing State Journal. Also try searching the Detroit Free Press from 1996-present.
• InfoTrac General Business ASAP
• Lexis Nexis Academic Universe

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