Americans Show Resilience, Stand Together in Times of Terror

People Won’t Avoid Crowded Public Places Because of Recent Events

Worthington, OH May 8, 2013

Shortly after 9/11 many polls were conducted to gauge American sentiment. Fast forward to 2013 and similar surveys were collected in the aftermath of the Boston bombings. The analytics unit at Prosper Insights & Analytics™ examined data from several sources and identified an emerging trend—Americans are resilient and won’t let terrorism keep them from their life.

Not surprisingly, Continue reading →

Though Android Continues to Climb, Millennials Are Looking to Apple

While Apple mildly beat analysts’ expectations, looking forward into Q2 it appears that the tech giant’s road won’t be getting much easier to travel.

Among consumers planning to purchase a mobile phone in the next three months (April, May, or June), more than half (54.6%) are considering an Android device, while fewer (41.5%) are mulling over an Apple iPhone. Further, the disparity between the two brands has grown from 4% in April 2012 to a current 32% gap – bully for Android.

Continue reading →

Majority of Mobile Users Can’t Live without their Smartphone or Disconnect While on Vacation

Smartphones are Growing More Intertwined with People’s Lives

Worthington, OH—April 24, 2013

Three in five (60.9%) mobile users say that they use their smartphones for all functions of their daily life, according to Prosper Insights & Analytics™, up 34% from a year ago. Meanwhile, the percentage of users who say they use their smartphone only for basic functions is down a whopping 85%, indicating Continue reading →

If Lowe’s Wants to Get Serious About Home Depot, It’ll Have to Man Up

Forgive me if this sounds archaic: home improvement is still a man’s world. Despite the fact that many “Honey-Do” lists are evolving into “Honey-I-Can-Do” mantras thanks to the increasing influence of Pinterest, blogs, and an age of “look what I did” D-I-Y social sharing, the female segment in the home improvement category is still trailing her male counterparts.

Case in point: the Home Depot upswing. The retailer’s 7% comp store sales increases in Q4 2012 eclipsed the 1.9% increase posted by rival Lowe’s. Home Depot’s stock has also become a star performer as of late, recently reaching a 52 week high, once again outpacing Lowe’s. With the housing market and our Happiness Score – a leading indicator of key economic markers, including housing starts – perking up, it seems that Home Depot is better positioned to take advantage of the possible housing spoils to come this spring.

So what’s wrong with Lowe’s? Continue reading →

Silent Generation is the Happiest in the U.S., According to Prosper Insights & Analytics

Overall Happiness Increases with Age; Surprises Among Who’s Happiest With their Health, Love Life and Government 

Worthington, OH April 11, 2013 — As the number of candles increase on a birthday cake, it appears so does Happiness, according to a Prosper Insights & Analytics™ analysis of the latest American Pulse™ data. Members of the Silent Generation rank as the happiest in America followed in succession by Continue reading →

Target, Best Buy and Walmart Receive High Marks for Mobile Experience Among Mobile Users, But Net Promoter Scores* Lackluster

Satisfactory Mobile Shopping Experience Doesn’t Guarantee Repeat Sales

Worthington, OH—April 1, 2013

As retailers address the challenges of omni-channel retailing in today’s increasingly mobile  environment, it seems that some of the biggest names in brick and mortar retailing are perhaps doing something right, according to Prosper Insights & Analytics™. Continue reading →

Happy People Buy Cars, According to New Discovery by Prosper Insights & Analytics

Strong Correlation Exists between Happiness & Light Vehicle Sales

WORTHINGTON, OH – 3/20/13 – U.S. auto sales rose 3.7% in February likely due to consumers who have deferred purchasing and new models. However, the health of the auto industry remains shaky and automakers appear to be riding the coattails of the housing industry; hedging their bets on increased demand for construction vehicles to help boost sales this spring. But analysts and automakers alike may be missing a key indicator in Consumer Happiness. Prosper Insights & Analytics™ has discovered a strong correlation between the overall Happiness of Americans and Light Vehicle Sales. These findings are similar to previously released correlations identified between Happiness and Housing. Continue reading →