TV-Buying Intentions Down Sharply in January, Says Conference Board Report

Consumer intentions to buy TV sets declined sharply in January from December, according to preliminary data in the Conference Board’s monthly survey. Nielsen canvassed 5,000 consumers for the Conference Board through Jan. 19, and found 11.9 percent said they plan to buy a TV set in the next six months, down from 13.6 percent in December, 12.7 percent in November and 13.5 percent in January 2016, the board said Tuesday. Consumer confidence declined slightly in January after reaching a 15-year high in December, it said: “The decline in confidence was driven solely by a less optimistic outlook for business conditions, jobs, and especially consumers’ income prospects. Consumers’ assessment of current conditions, on the other hand, improved in January. Despite the retreat in confidence, consumers remain confident that the economy will continue to expand in the coming months.”