TV-Buying Intentions Up Slightly in November, Says Conference Board Report

Consumer intentions to buy TV sets jumped slightly in November from October for the third straight month, according to preliminary data in the Conference Board’s monthly survey. Nielsen canvassed 5,000 consumers for the board through Nov. 15, and found 13.3 percent said they plan to buy a TV set in the next six months, up from 13.1 percent in October and 12.7 percent in September, but down from 14.2 percent in November 2015, the board said Tuesday. Consumer confidence improved in November after a moderate decline in October, “and is once again at pre-recession levels,” the board said. “A more favorable assessment of current conditions coupled with a more optimistic short-term outlook helped boost confidence.” Though Nielsen canvassed most of the consumers for its November survey before the Nov. 8 presidential election, “it appears from the small sample of post-election responses that consumers’ optimism was not impacted by the outcome,” it said. “With the holiday season upon us, a more confident consumer should be welcome news for retailers.”