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What is consumer research?

Consumer research refers to the collection and analysis of data about consumer behaviors, attitudes, demographics, and market trends. It helps you understand who buys a product or service and why. It explores how people think, feel, and act as consumers so businesses can meet their needs.

Researchers often look at four perspectives:

Demographic: who they are (age, income, education)
Psychographic: why they buy (values, interests, lifestyle)
Behavioral: what they do (usage, brand loyalty)
Geographic: where they live (region, city, country)

Finding Consumer Research

Step 1: Define your topic and keywords.

Start with a clear research question. Identify key ideas and create a list of synonyms or related concepts. What do you want to know about your consumers? Who are they and where do they live? What are their habits, values, or spending patterns?

Tip: To widen your search results, try broader or related terms (e.g., gender instead of women, retail spending instead of shopping habits). See the Drafting Your Search page on the Develop a Search Strategy guide for more tips.

Example: How do consumers choose sustainable fashion brands?

Try:

"consumer behavior" AND sustainability AND fashion

Or:

consumers AND behavior AND sustainability AND fashion

Other useful terms: consumer attitudes · consumer preferences · customer loyalty · market segmentation · target marketing

Step 2: Find background information.

Background sources help you understand your topic and identify consumer trends before you collect data. Market research articles, industry profiles, and company reports are a good place to start.

Tip: Use the Advanced Search options in databases to narrow by date, geography, or subject.

Library Resources

ProQuest One Business
Use ProQuest One Business to find market research reports, industry analyses, case studies, and consumer-focused articles that help you understand how consumers behave within specific markets and industries.
Business Source Complete
Use Business Source Complete to find peer-reviewed studies, trade-journal insights, and market reports that explore consumer attitudes, buying behaviors, and trends across a wide range of business sectors.
Gale Business: Insights
Use Gale Business: Insights to find company and industry intelligence that helps you analyze competitive environments, identify consumer trends, and explore how businesses respond to changing consumer needs.
Mergent Intellect
Use Mergent Intellect to find detailed company data, demographic profiles, and consumer-segment insights that support market sizing, target-market identification, and competitive research.
IBISWorld
Use IBISWorld to find industry reports that highlight consumer demand patterns, purchasing drivers, market risks, and spending trends that influence business strategies in specific sectors.

Free, Credible Resources

Pew Research Center
Use the Pew Research Center to find high-quality survey research and trend data on public attitudes, technology use, demographics, and social behaviors that shape consumer preferences and decision-making.
Gallup Poll
Use the Gallup Poll to find polling data on consumer confidence, lifestyle attitudes, and public opinion trends that help explain how consumers think, spend, and respond to economic conditions.
Nielsen Insights
Use Nielsen Insights to find media-use data, audience analytics, and consumer-purchase trends that reveal how people discover products, make buying decisions, and engage with brands.

Step 3: Find data and statistics.

Use data to support your findings with evidence. The data you need is most likely not all in one report. You may need to combine data from different sources to complete the picture.

Tip: Market research firms, trade groups, and government agencies each collect consumer information for different reasons. Beware of any bias that might influence the data.

Library Resources

Sage Data
Use Sage Data to find datasets on demographics, economics, social behavior, and public surveys that allow you to analyze consumer groups, model trends, and perform data-driven consumer research.

Free, Credible Resources

United States Census Bureau
Use the United States Census to find authoritative demographic, economic, housing, and population data at the national, state, county, and local levels
Census Business Builder
Use the Census Business Builder to quickly access demographic and economic data tailored for business- and market-research needs, with customizable reports and interactive maps for geographies of interest.
United States Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics
Use the Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics to find detailed estimates of employment levels and wage data for hundreds of occupations.
United States Bureau of Labor Statistics: Consumer Expenditure Surveys
Use the Consumer Expenditure Surveys from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics to find data on expenditures, income, and demographic characteristics of consumers in the United States.
Surveys of Consumers
Use the University of Michigan's Surveys of Consumers to track broad U.S. consumer sentiment and expectations about personal finances and the economy. It's useful for gauging likely trends in spending, saving, and economic confidence.
American Time Use Survey
Use the American Time Use Surveys to discover how Americans allocate time for work, leisure, caregiving, household tasks, and other activities, helping to understand lifestyles, work-life balance, and non-market contributions.

National Center for Health Statistics
Use this source to find nationally representative health, mortality, and behavioral-health statistics that help you understand consumers’ health behaviors, wellness trends, and factors that influence health-related consumption.
National Center for Education Statistics
Use this source to find data on educational attainment, school enrollment, and demographic characteristics, which can inform research on consumer segments defined by education and inform how education levels relate to consumer behavior.

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Additional Reading

Smith, K. (2023, October 31). Complete guide on how to conduct an effective customer and segmentation analysis. Brandwatch.