TV-Buying Intentions Up Sharply in December, Says Conference Board Report

Consumer intentions to buy TV sets jumped sharply in December from November, according to preliminary data in the Conference Board’s monthly survey. Nielsen canvassed 5,000 consumers for the Conference Board through Dec. 15, and found 13.8 percent said they plan to buy a TV set in the next six months, up from 12.7 percent in November, 13.1 percent in October and 13.1 percent in December 2015, the Conference Board said Tuesday. Consumer confidence improved in December for the second straight month, it said. There was a “post-election surge in optimism” for the economy, jobs and income prospects that “was most pronounced among older consumers,” it said. “Looking ahead to 2017, consumers’ continued optimism will depend on whether or not their expectations are realized.” CTA in its own survey report Tuesday, also said consumer confidence toward tech spending and the overall economy “both saw significant increases” in December. “We’ve seen a healthy appetite for tech over the course of the 2016 holiday season thanks to a strong performance for perennial strongholds,” CTA said. As for consumer optimism toward the overall economy, December “saw another month of steady gains,” CTA said.