ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Wednesday, November 13, 1996 TAG: 9611130076
SECTION: BUSINESS PAGE: B-6 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: NEW YORK
Consumers are stocking up on more items of convenience - microwaves, VCRs, home computers and car phones - that help make their busy lives a little easier, The Conference Board said Tuesday.
Despite times of weakness in the economy over the past six years, more Americans bought practical electronic goods during that period, the New York-based business-research group found in a nationwide survey of 5,000 homes.
``The proliferation of electronic products strongly suggests that the American dream house continues to be designed for convenience,'' said Lynn Franco, associate director of The Conference Board's Consumer Research Center.
Eighty-five percent of those surveyed had microwave ovens, compared to 75 percent in 1990. VCRs were found in 85 percent of the homes surveyed, up from 68 percent in 1990. Forty percent have at least two VCRs.
The percentage of families owning computers climbed to 40 percent, from 22 percent six years ago, and 27 percent own car phones, compared to 3 percent in 1990.
Fifty-two percent of the surveyed families have CD players, compared to 15 percent in 1990, and 70 percent have answering machines, up from 38 percent six years ago.
The survey was done for The Conference Board by NFO Inc. of Greenwich, Conn.
- Associated Press
LENGTH: Short : 37 linesby CNB