With $836 Billion in Total Earning Power, only $321 Million Spent on Books while $7.4 Billion Spent on Hair and Personal Care Products and Services
New ‘Buying Power’ report shows black consumers spend as economy improves
New 16th edition shows expenditures rise to $507 billion
(November 1, 2010) African-American consumers are cautiously increasing their spending in some key product categories, even as they continue to make adjustments in a slowly growing economy. The finding comes from the soon to be issued 16th annual edition of “The Buying Power of Black America” report.
In 2009, black households spent an estimated $507 billion in 27 product and services categories. That’s an increase of 16.6% over the $435 billion spent in 2008. African-Americans’ total earned income for 2009 is estimated at $836 billion.
The report, which is published annually by Target Market News, also contains data that reflect the economic hardships all consumers are facing. There were significant declines in categories — like food and apparel — that have routinely shown growth in black consumers’ spending from year-to-year.
“These latest shifts in spending habits are vital for marketers to understand,” said Ken Smikle, president of Target Market News and editor of the report, “because they represent both opportunities and challenges in the competition for the billions of dollars spent by African-American households. Expenditures between 2007 and 2008 were statistically flat, so black consumers are now making purchases they have long delayed. At the same time, they re-prioritizing their budgets, and spending more on things that add value to their homes and add to the quality of life.”
The median household income for African-Americans dropped by 1.4% in 2009, but because of students going out on their own, and couples that started their lives together, the number of black households grew 4.2%. This increase meant that many household items showed big gains. For example, purchases of appliances rose by 33%, consumer electronics increased 33%, household furnishings climbed 28%, and housewares went up by 37%.
Estimated Expenditures by Black Households – 2009
Apparel Products and Services | $29.3 billion |
Appliances | 2.0 billion |
Beverages (Alcoholic) | 3.0 billion |
Beverages (Non-Alcoholic) | 2.8 billion |
Books | 321 million |
Cars and Trucks – New & Used | 29.1 billion |
Computers | 3.6 billion |
Consumer Electronics | 6.1 billion |
Contributions | 17.3 billion |
Education | 7.5 billion |
Entertainment and Leisure | 3.1 billion |
Food | 65.2 billion |
Gifts | 9.6 billion |
Health Care | 23.6 billion |
Households Furnishings & Equipment | 16.5 billion |
Housewares | 1.1 billion |
Housing and Related Charges | 203.8 billion |
Insurance | 21.3 billion |
Media | 8.8 billion |
Miscellaneous | 8.3 billion |
Personal and Professional Services | 4.1 billion |
Personal Care Products and Services | 7.4 billion |
Sports and Recreational Equipment | 995 million |
Telephone Services | 18.6 billion |
Tobacco Products | 3.3 billion |
Toys, Games and Pets | 3.5 billion |
Travel, Transportation and Lodging | 6.0 billion |
Source: Target Market News,
“The Buying Power of Black American – 2010″
“The Buying Power of Black America” is one of the nation’s most quoted sources of information on African-American consumer spending. It is used by hundreds of Fortune 1000 corporations, leading advertising agencies, major media companies and research firms.
The report is an analysis of consumer expenditure (CE) data compiled annually by the U.S. Department of Commerce. The CE data is compiled from more than 3,000 black households nationally through dairies and interviews. This information is also used for, among things, computing the Consumer Price Index.
The report provides updated information in five sections:
– Black Income Data – Purchases in the Top 30 Black Cities – Expenditure Trends in 26 Product & Services Categories – The 100-Plus Index of Black vs. White Expenditures – Demographic Data on the Black Population
The 16th annual report on “The Buying Power of Black America” also includes a preview of findings from the forthcoming 2010 Census report.