comScore Study Reveals All Consumer Income Segments Cutting Back as Inflation Fears...

comScore Study Reveals All Consumer Income Segments Cutting Back as Inflation
Fears and Housing Concerns Intensify
Majority of U.S. Consumers Using the Internet to Find Better Pricing
Information for Purchases

RESTON, Va., Sept. 2 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- comScore, Inc.
(Nasdaq: SCOR), a leader in measuring the digital world, today released the
results of a study examining recent changes in consumer attitudes and
perceptions about the state of the U.S. economy. The study showed that
consumers in all income segments are cutting back on spending due to concerns
about the economy, and that they were doing so to an even greater extent in
July 2008 than in April 2008. While spending cutbacks are being reported by a
greater percentage of people in the lower income brackets, concern is also
catching up with the highest income bracket -- which showed the greatest
increase in cutback over the time period analyzed. (Logo:
http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20080115/COMSCORELOGO)

Percent of Consumers Cutting Back Spending by Income Segment
Date: April and July 2008
Source: comScore Survey on the State of the U.S. Retail Economy

Percent of Respondents
Household Income Segment Apr-08 Jul-08 Point
Change
$100K or more 66 % 72 % +6
$50K - $99,999 77 % 81 % +4
Under $50K 84 % 86 % +2

"These findings illustrate how this economic downturn has eroded consumer
confidence among all consumer income groups," said comScore chairman Gian
Fulgoni. "Even those consumers with the highest income are increasingly
feeling the negative impact of economic factors and are changing their buying
behavior accordingly."
Inflation More Concerning to Middle- and Lower-Income Households
Study findings also showed that while inflation continues to be the top
economic concern for the majority of Americans, it is becoming an
ever-increasing concern among middle- and lower-income households. The
percentage of respondents indicating that inflation was their biggest concern
increased by 5 points to 67 percent among households earning between $50,000
and $99,999 and to 70 percent among households earning less than $50,000 per
year.
While the percentage of households earning $100,000 or more who indicated
that inflation was their biggest concern actually declined 11 points during
the same time period, it appears that their inflation concerns have been
displaced to some degree by increasing concerns about real estate and home
values, which more than doubled from April to July.

Top Economic Concern by Household Income Segment
Date: April and July 2008
Source: comScore Survey on the State of the U.S. Retail Economy

Household Income Segment Percent of Respondents
Rising Prices Apr-08 Jul-08 Point
Change
Total 64 % 67 % +3
$100K or more 67 % 56 % -11
$50K - $99,999 62 % 67 % +5
Under $50K 65 % 70 % +5

Real Estate/Home Apr-08 Jul-08 Point
Value Change
Total 6 % 5 % -1
$100K or more 6 % 14 % +8
$50K - $99,999 10 % 7 % -3
Under $50K 4 % 2 % -2

"While all U.S. consumer income segments have been showing strain from
rising prices for some time, it's particularly troubling that the upper-income
segment, which represents fully 30 percent of all consumer spending, is now
also showing a rapidly increasing concern about the downturned housing
market," added Mr. Fulgoni. "This raises the specter that this important group
will further cut back their discretionary spending and cause overall consumer
spending growth rates to slow even further."
Consumers Say the Internet is Helpful in Finding Pricing Information in
Tight Economy
With consumers increasingly cost conscious, many are turning to the
Internet for pricing information. The survey findings revealed that nearly
three out of four consumers believe the Internet has made it 'a lot easier' or
'somewhat easier' to find better, more useful pricing information.

Question: To what extent has the Internet allowed you to find better,
more useful pricing information?
Date: July 2008
Source: comScore Survey on the State of the Current U.S. Retail Economy

Percent of
Response Respondents
Internet has made it a lot easier 35 %
Internet has made it somewhat easier 39 %
Internet has not made it easier nor has it made it harder 24 %
Internet has made it somewhat harder 1 %
Internet has made it a lot harder 1 %

Additionally, 75 percent of respondents said they believe the Internet
will become an even more important channel for pricing information, with 41
percent of respondents saying it will be 'a lot more important' and 34 percent
of respondents saying it will be 'somewhat more important' in the future.

Question: How important do you think the Internet will become for
providing information about pricing?
Date: July 2008
Source: comScore Survey on the State of the
Current U.S. Retail Economy
Percent of
Response Respondents
A lot more important 41 %
Somewhat more important 34 %
About the same 24 %
Somewhat less important <1 %
A lot less important <1 %

About comScore
comScore, Inc. (NASDAQ: SCOR) is a global leader in measuring the digital
world and preferred source of digital marketing intelligence. For more
information, please visit http://www.comscore.com/boilerplate.
SOURCE comScore, Inc.

Andrea Vollman of comScore, Inc., +1-312-775-6646, press@comscore.com