“Despite the chaos and anarchy in today’s retailing world, there is opportunity in the home sector,” said Shilpa Rosenberry, Senior Consultant of WSL Strategic Retail on the release of the NYC-based company's 11th biannual study, How America Shops 2008-Anarchy. Rosenberry advises home retailers to take note of the unique opportunity offered by a growing spending demographic: African-American women, whose spending on home decor has increased by 6% compared to a 21% decrease for Caucasian women and a 30% decrease for Hispanic women.

“Retailers—especially mass merchandisers, the number one choice for African- American women shoppers—should recognize this unique opportunity and offer new and fresh home décor items that appeal to this demographic,” Rosenberry said. “Home retailers and manufacturers should not make the mistake the beauty and fashion industry did by overlooking the preferences of African-American women shoppers. African-American women will not settle--they head to the retailer who has the beauty care that suits their hair and skin; clothing stores that capture the styles they wear; and the home retailers who provide home fashion they prefer."  

How America Shops-2008 was conducted last October among 1600 consumers drawn from a representative sample. WSL Strategic Retail, a global consulting business founded by Wendy Liebmann, launched its How America Shops studies in 1989 to chart the evolution of American consumer shopping habits and attitudes.