British Market Research Bureau News

Consumer Confidence Tracker June 2009

2009-06-24T09:19+00:00

The June consumer confidence findings from market research agency, British Market Research Bureau reveals:

Financial security

The June results indicate that just 1 in 10 adults aged 16-64 feel financially secure. 42% say they do to a degree and just under half (47%) feel that they do not really/definitely do not feel secure. This is consistent with previous months.

Job security

Job security also remains consistent with previous month. A fifth of employees feel insecure in their employment; they will either definitely not or probably not have the same job in a year�s time.

Housing Market

A quarter of adults aged 16-64 are likely to either move home or start the process of moving home/buying home in the next 3 years. This figure remains the same as last month. Just under two-fifths of respondents aged 16-34 expect to move.

Expectation of house value has increased dramatically this month. Just under a half of respondents (47%) expect their house to rise in value over the next 12 months. This is a big rise from 31% of adults in May. In October 2008 just over half (53%) of respondents expected their house value to drop over the next year. This has dropped to under a fifth (17%) expecting their house value to decrease.

Recent cutbacks

The May results show that 75% of adults have cut back on purchases recently due to the current economic climate. As with last month, women (79%) are more likely to have made cut backs than men (72%). Respondents in London are more likely than respondents living in other regions to have made cut backs this month, with 87% of them saying they have cut back recently.

Expenditure on basic necessities

Three-fifths of adults said they expenditure on basic necessities has increased over the past 3 months.

Likely future expenditure

39% of all respondents will �definitely not� be spending �3000 or more on a single item of expenditure in the next 12 months.

Likelihood of �3000+ expenditure in the next 12 months has remained consistent to last month, with a fifth expecting to make such a purchase. In October just under two-fifths (38%) expected this level of expenditure.

First thing to cut back on if the financial situation worsened

30% of all respondents would cut back on holidays if the economic climate deteriorates further and a further 30% said they would cut back on eating/going out.

Source: BMRB Omnibus Confidence Tracker.

Walking and cycling need a woman’s touch

2009-06-12T09:19+00:00

Women are currently under-represented in cycling. A BMRB survey commissioned by Sustrans this spring revealed that 79 per cent of women in Britain never get on a bike despite 49 per cent having access to a bike. Sustrans is hoping to change that in 2009, with a year of activities to get more women cycling, including a brand new website www.bikebelles.org.uk

Consumer Confidence Tracker May 2009

2009-05-20T14:03+00:00

The May consumer confidence findings from market research agency, British Market Research Bureau reveals:

Financial security
At present just over 1 in 10 (11%) adults aged 16-64 feel financially secure. 42% say they do to a degree and just under half (46%) feel that they do not really/definitely do not feel secure. Respondents living in Wales feel less secure than respondents living in England and Scotland. Only 38% of adults living in Wales say they feel secure (definitely or to a degree) compared to 53% in England and 57% in Scotland.

Job security
Job security has remained consistent over the last 3 months.18% of employees feel insecure in their employment; they will either definitely not or probably not have the same job in a year�s time.

Housing Market
A quarter of adults aged 16-64 are likely to either move home or start the process of moving home/buying home in the next 3 years. This figure remains at a similar level to last month. 46% of respondents aged 16-24 are hopefully they will be able to make such a move.

Expectation of house value remains the same as April, with just under a third (31%) expecting a rise over the next year. This compares to just over a fifth (21%) in March. Respondents living in Scotland are much more optimistic than respondents in England about the expectation of a rise in their house value. More than three in five respondents (61%) in Scotland expect a rise compared to just over a quarter (28%) of respondents living in England.

Recent cutbacks
The May results show that 72% of adults have cut back on purchases recently due to the current economic climate. This month, women (75%) are more likely to have made cut backs than men (69%). Respondents aged 16-24 are the least likely age group to have made cut backs, with just 62% in this group saying they had made any cut backs.

Expenditure on basic necessities
Expenditure on basic necessities has decreased this month, with only 57% saying their expenditure had increased compared to over two-thirds (67%) last month. 64% of respondents in Scotland said their expenditure had increased compared to only 45% of respondents living in Wales.

Likely future expenditure
37% of all respondents will �definitely not� be spending �3000 or more on a single item of expenditure in the next 12 months.

Perhaps not surprisingly, social grade ABC1s (26%) are more likely than social grade C2DEs (14%) to think such a purchase might be likely.

First thing to cut back on if the financial situation worsened
31% of all respondents would cut back on holidays if the economic climate deteriorates further and a further 29% said they would cut back on eating/going out.

Source: BMRB Omnibus Confidence Tracker.

Latest Education Policy Group newsletter

2009-05-04T09:30+00:00

This edition of the of the Education Policy Group newsletter focuses on the Children�s Plan one year on, in particular parenting policy and the work that BMRB do in this area. �You can find articles on two of the major research projects BMRB have been commissioned to carry out in this area, the Parents� Panel and Parents of Disabled Children.

If you would like to find out more about what the Education Policy Group do and the other research that BMRB do in this policy area please visit the web area dedicated to our Education specialism.

Consumer Confidence Tracker April 2009

2009-04-30T10:39+00:00

The April consumer confidence findings from market research agency, British Market Research Bureau reveals:

Financial security

At present just under 1 in 10 (9%) adults aged 16-64 feel financially secure. 41% say they do to a degree and just under half (49%) feel that they do not really/definitely do not feel secure. Those not working (59%) and those who are self-employed (63%) are more likely to feel insecure than those employed (45%) or retired (29%).

Job security

Job security has remained consistent over the last 3 months.19% of employees feel insecure in their employment; they will either definitely not or probably not have the same job in a year�s time.

Housing Market

Just under a quarter (23%) of adults aged 16-64 are likely to either move home or start the process of moving home/buying home in the next 3 years. This figure remains at a similar level to last month. 41% of respondents aged 16-24 are hopefully they will be able to make such a move.

This month, expectation of house value has increased significantly, with just under a third (31%) expecting a rise over the next year. This compares to just over a fifth (21%) in March. A quarter of respondents expect their house value to rise between 1-5% over the next year.

Recent cutbacks

April results show just under 4 in 5 respondents (79%) have cut back on purchases recently due to the current economic climate. This month, more than 9 in 10 part-time workers said they have made cut backs recently. In particular, this group said they have been more prudent with the domestic budget.

Expenditure on basic necessities

Expenditure on basic necessities remains at a similar level to last month with just over two-thirds (67%) saying their expenditure has increased.

Likely future expenditure

43% of all respondents will �definitely not� be spending �3000 or more on a single item of expenditure in the next 12 months.

Likelihood of �3000+ expenditure in the next 12 months has remained consistent to last month, with just under a fifth (17%) expecting to make such a purchase. In October just under two-fifths (38%) expected this level of expenditure.

Men are more optimistic than women about making such a large purchase. Over a fifth (21%) of men think such a purchase might be likely compared to just 12% of women.

First thing to cut back on if the financial situation worsened

31% of all respondents would cut back on eating/going out if the economic climate deteriorates further and a further 30% said they would cut back on holidays.

Source: BMRB Omnibus Confidence Tracker.

Results from the Government Equalities Office survey about Flexible Working

2009-04-06T09:00+00:00

The Government Equalities Office (GEO) commissioned BMRB Omnibus to undertake an online survey amongst working parents to measure their awareness of the right to request flexible working. The research also examined perceived barriers and benefits to flexible working.

Please click here to view the results tables.

Consumer Confidence Tracker March 2009

2009-03-31T13:58+00:00

The March consumer confidence findings from market research agency, British Market Research Bureau reveals:

Financial security

At present just 1 in 10 adults aged 16-64 feel financially secure. 43% say they do to a degree and just under half (46%) feel that they do not really/definitely do not feel secure. 63% of 45-49 say don�t feel secure compared to 38% of 55-64 year olds.

Job security

19% of employees feel insecure in their employment; they will either definitely not or probably not have the same job in a year�s time. Those aged 16-24 feel the least secure, with 37% of them saying this.

Housing Market

A quarter of adults aged 16-64 are likely to either move home or start the process of moving home/buying home in the next 3 years. This has contracted since October, when just under a third thought a move might be likely. Younger age groups are more likely to move home than older age groups.

Expectation of house value in March has remained at a similar level to February and also remained at October levels, after a dip in November, December and January. More than a fifth of respondents now expect their house to rise in value over the next year, compared to only 12% of respondents thinking this in December.

Recent cutbacks

March results show just over three-quarters (77%) of adults 16-64 have cut back on purchases recently due to the current economic climate. Respondents aged 45-49 are the most likely to have made cut-backs. Just under 9 in 10 (89%) said they had cut-back on purchases. This is the age group who are feeling the most insecure financially.

Expenditure on basic necessities

As with cut-backs, the 45-49 age group has reduced their expenditure on basic necessities over the past 3 months. Just under a quarter (24%) have done so in this age group, compared to just 11% of 55-64 year olds.

Likely future expenditure

39% of all respondents will �definitely not� be spending �3000 or more on a single item of expenditure in the next 12 months.

Likelihood of �3000+ expenditure in the next 12 months has remained consistent to last month, with just under a fifth (18%) expecting to make such a purchase. In October just under two-fifths (38%) expected this level of expenditure.

Respondents in East Anglia are least likely region to expect to make sure a large purchase over the next year. More than four-fifths (82%) said they would be unlikely to compared to just over a half (53%) of respondents living in London.

First thing to cut back on if the financial situation worsened

31% of all respondents would cut back on holidays if the economic climate deteriorates further and a further 31% said they would cut back on eating/going out.

Source: BMRB Omnibus Confidence Tracker.

Latest Omnipresence newsletter

2009-03-18T13:17+00:00

Please click on the link below to view the latest edition of the BMRB Omnibus newsletter, Omnipresence. In this edition you can find the January-July ratecard, along with articles including:

an introduction to our Consumer Confidence Tracker
details of OmniViewer, a new tool which allows instant charting and tabs for Online surveys

Click here to view the latest Omnibus newsletter and ratecard

Consumer Confidence Tracker - February 2009

2009-03-10T14:15+00:00

The February consumer confidence findings from market research agency, British Market Research Bureau reveals:

Financial security

At present just 9% of adults aged 16-64 feel financially secure. 41% say they do to a degree and just under half (48%) feel that they do not really/definitely do not feel secure. Perhaps not surprisingly, social grade ABC1s (57%) are more likely to feel secure than C2DEs (40%).

Job security

18% of employees feel insecure in their employment; they will either definitely not or probably not have a job in a year�s time.

Housing Market

23% of adults aged 16-64 are likely to either move home or start the process of moving home/buying home in the next 3 years. This has contracted since October, when just under a third thought a move might be likely. Younger age groups are more likely to move home than older age groups.

However, there are some signs of optimism in the housing market. Just under half of all homeowners (47%) expect the value of their house to decrease in value over the next year compared to 57% in January. Expectation of house value has returned to similar levels as in October, after a dip in November, December and January. More than a fifth of respondents now expect their house to rise in value over the next year, compared to only 12% of respondents thinking this in December.

Recent cutbacks

February�s results show just under four-fifths (79%) of adults 16-64 have cut back on purchases recently due to the current economic climate. Respondents in Yorkshire/Humberside (87%) are most likely to have made cutbacks. Also, parents (85%) are more likely to have made cutbacks than those without kids (78%).

The percentage of the population making cutbacks is now at just under four-fifths compared to just under three-quarters (74%) back in October.

Expenditure on basic necessities

Feeding into cutbacks, just under a fifth (17%) of respondents have decreased their expenditure on basic necessities in the past 3 months. Back in October only 1 in 10 had taken such steps.

Likely future expenditure

43% of all respondents will �definitely not� be spending �3000 or more on a single item of expenditure in the next 12 months.

Likelihood of �3000+ expenditure in the next 12 months has decreased dramatically since October. In October just under two-fifths (38%) expected this level of expenditure. This has dropped to just under a fifth (18%) in February.

First thing to cut back on if the financial situation worsened

33% of all respondents would cut back on holidays if the economic climate deteriorates further. This is followed by eating/going out (32%).

Source: BMRB Omnibus Confidence Tracker.

Help find the answers to society�s big questions - opportunities at BMRB Social Research

2009-02-11T16:31+00:00

BMRB Social Research conducts some of the Government�s most stimulating and challenging research, addressing the biggest issues facing society today. We are a pre-eminent brand in our field and have a number of opportunities available in the following areas:

Large scale quantitative research and policy evaluation
Campaign Evaluation (quantitative)
Customer Insight and Public Service Transformation (quantitative)
Qualitative Research, public policy
Deliberative Research and public consultation

To succeed in one of the these roles, you will need to be a strong researcher with a passion for social and public policy, an aptitude for interpreting and communicating research findings, and excellent client service skills. For the senior roles, we are looking for people with a track record in business development, a talent for managing projects and a focus on developing people.

Director, Social Surveys Team

Specialising in large-scale, high profile social surveys, these teams undertake a number of the Government�s flagship surveys, as well as a wide range of ad hoc studies across the policy spectrum. We are seeking to appoint a Director who will be responsible for developing business and leading project teams. We particularly welcome applications from individuals with a strong background in the field of personal finance, but above all, we are looking for a really high calibre researcher with a reputation in a policy field.

We are also looking for Associate Directors and Senior Research Executives, with excellent quantitative research skills, to join this team.

Associate or Senior Associate Director, Customer Insight Team

Our customer insight team is at the cutting edge of the delivery of research and insight to support the Government�s service transformation agenda. With sister company The Futures Company, we are a founding partner in the Institute for Insight in the Public Services (www.theiips.com) and work closely with senior insight and policy colleagues in Whitehall. We are now looking for a quantitative researcher to join the team.

Associate or Senior Associate Director, Campaign Evaluation Team

Our campaign evaluation team specialises in evaluating Government campaigns and behaviour change programmes in areas such as childhood obesity, climate change and smoking. We are looking for a quantitative researcher with the ability to deliver insight and recommendations that clients can use to develop communication strategies.

Senior Research Executive, Qualitative Policy Research

We are looking for Senior Research Executives to join our highly successful qualitative team, working on high profile projects at the heart of government. You will be a confident communicator with a solid grounding in qualitative research, with excellent client liaison skills and project management experience.

Senior Appointment, Deliberative Research

Following the huge success of our deliberative research, we are currently looking for a senior appointment. Please contact us if you have a wealth of experience in using deliberative methods and an entrepreneurial outlook.

BMRB has offices in Ealing and Central London (London Bridge).

To apply, please send your CV to with a cover letter stating why you are suitable for the role you are applying for. Those considering applying for the role of Director are welcome to contact Dr Michelle Harrison on +44 (0)20 8433 4401 for an informal chat.