Demographics and Consumer Analysis
Understanding your consumers helps you learn who your potential customers are and what they care about. This kind of research is important to writing business communication that connects with your audience.
Who Are Your Consumers?
Before you can reach your audience, you need to know who they are. Look for information about their age, income, education, location, lifestyle, and buying habits.
Use these sources to find demographic data:
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Census QuickFactsFind national, state, county, and local profiles on population, income, housing, and more.
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Census.govExplore additional demographic and economic data sets.
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Delaware Population ConsortiumProvides detailed projections and data for Delaware counties and cities.
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UD Facts & FiguresLearn more about the University of Delaware’s community and demographics.
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Mergent Intellect This link opens in a new windowDemographic reports on a geographic area of your choice. Data includes statistics on the area's population, including age, race, gender, income and more.
Consumer Behavior and Analysis
Consumer analysis involves gathering information about people’s needs, motivations, and purchasing behavior. It helps explain why people buy certain products or services and how businesses can meet those needs.
When analyzing consumers, look for:
- Who buys your product or service (age, gender, location, income, etc.)
- What motivates them to buy (price, convenience, quality, values)
- When and how they make purchasing decisions (online, in-store, seasonal)
- How your business could better serve or reach them
Recommended Databases:
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ABI/INFORM This link opens in a new windowFull text of business and financial journals, including scholarly and trade publications. Use this database to find articles on consumer trends, marketing strategies, and audience communication.
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Business Source Premier This link opens in a new windowCovers all areas of business and management. Search for topics like consumer behavior, target market, or customer satisfaction to find professional and scholarly articles.
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Passport This link opens in a new windowGlobal market research database with statistics, reports, and surveys about industries, countries, and consumers. Excellent for understanding consumer behavior across regions.
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Statista This link opens in a new windowProvides easy-to-use charts, statistics, and reports on consumer behavior, industries, and markets. Great for finding quick data and visuals to include in your reports or presentations.
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Nexis Uni This link opens in a new windowIncludes news, company information, and market reports. Search for news about consumer trends or recent shifts in buyer preferences.
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IBISWorld Industry Reports This link opens in a new window
U.S. industry market research and industry risk ratings. Contains trends, statistics and analysis on market size, market share of competitors, and industry growth rates. Includes emerging industry trends as well as recent production performance.
For all other library databases, see the Library Databases page. To view business and economics databases only, filter by subject or go here.