Study shows college students to be big spenders

According to results from the 360 Youth/Harris Interactive College Explorer Study, college students are an under-appreciated market in the United States, spending nearly $200 billion a year. The national study, which was conducted online during the Spring 2002 semester, measured spending among college students ages 18 to 30, a group that amasses 72 percent of all college students. The study covered buying trends in areas including technology, entertainment, travel, transportation, telecommunications, personal care products, financial services, snack foods and beverages. "The college consumer is easily overlooked since most information sources that marketers rely on for tracking consumer behavior tend to under-represent college students," says John Geraci, vice president of youth research at Harris Interactive. "However, it is a consumer group that marketers should recognize as offering substantial opportunity. Connecting with consumers during the college years can pay great dividends, both now and well into the future."