Women, Minorities & Teens Among Groups Rapidly Emerging As Consumer Technology Fans.

Reflecting an expansion from the industry’s traditional consumer base, women, African-Americans, Hispanics, teens and seniors are rapidly adopting consumer electronics products, according to a comprehensive study released today by the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA).

The study, Five Consumers to Watch: An In-Depth Look at Emerging Consumer Groups in the CE Marketplace, provides detailed information about the attitudes, purchase considerations, decision influences, purchase channels, current product ownership and future purchase intent of these five influential consumer segments.

“Not only does this mark the first time CEA has published a research study with such depth and scope, but the results provide hard proof of what many of us have known for years – that consumer electronics products are for everyone,” said Gary Shapiro, president and CEO of CEA. “Plain and simple, when manufacturers know about their customers, they can make better products. The results from this study provide consumer electronics manufacturers and retailers with the kind of details they need to be more effective – from the research and development process to new marketing strategies – by creating products and services that will meet the needs of the industry’s expanding consumer base.”

The CEA study provides public opinions on consumer technology, as well as current and potential ownership rates of various products. Using these findings as a backdrop, comparisons between the general population and five key consumer segments – women, African-Americans, Hispanics, teens and seniors – are made.

Study Highlights

Women
* Women are involved in 89 percent of all consumer electronics purchase decisions.
* Eighty-four (84) percent of women believe that new technologies can help improve their lives.
* Forty-eight (48) percent of women age 18-34 own a digital camera.

African-Americans

* Forty (40) percent of African-American adult consumers plan to purchase a wireless phone within the next 12 months, compared to just 31 percent of the general population.
* Seventy-three (73) percent of African-American consumers believe technology has the potential to help people overcome economic and social disadvantages.
* Twenty-three (23) percent of African-American men own a laptop computer, compared to 21 percent of all consumers.

Hispanics

* Currently, 12 percent of U.S. Hispanic households have satellite radio service, compared to four (4) percent of general households in the survey.
* Seventy-six (76) percent of Hispanic consumers in the U.S. believe products that incorporate the newest technologies are much more convenient to use.
* Forty-six (46) percent of Hispanic households in the U.S. have a camcorder, compared to 38 percent of general households.

Teens

* Some 91 percent of teens age 13-17 have purchased a consumer electronics product within the past 12 months – significantly higher than all adults (82 percent).
* Teens are particularly tech-savvy – 79 percent of all teens age 13-17 say they can usually figure out new high-tech products without help from others.
* Thirty-eight (38) percent of teens plan to purchase a wireless phone within the next 12 months; 26 percent plan to purchase a digital camera.

Seniors

* More than three-fourths (76 percent) of all seniors age 55 and up have made a consumer electronics purchase in the past 12 months.
* Seventy-nine (79) percent of seniors age 75 and up say new security technologies like alarms and integrated surveillance systems make them feel safer.
* Seventeen (17) percent of senior households (age 55 and up) own a high-definition television (HDTV).

For more information at http://www.CE.org