Middle Tennessee Consumer Outlook Index Reports are published five times per year.
Results are disseminated to local news media. (Reports previous to spring 2012 were
named "Consumer Confidence Reports."
The overall purpose of a consumer outlook index is to gauge the "pulse,"; or "mood";
of consumers. It reflects prevailing business conditions and likely developments in
the future. It measures consumers' perceptions of current business and economic conditions,
as well as their expectations for the future. Because consumer expectations and confidence
can have dramatic effects on business and the economy, a measure of expectations and
confidence can prove extremely valuable to business planners.
Note: Reports are available as Microsoft Word documents and require Microsoft Word
or a compatible word processing program for viewing and printing.