This free tool will let users download customised data and market-specific information in order to help understand how individuals use the internet. Google describe it as a tool that will deliver "consumer insights to support planning and decision-making in a fast changing digital landscape".

They break it down into three areas;
  • The Multiscreen world - Aims to quantify and understand Internet usage and attitudes across various devices. The base of this section is the entire population, both on and offline.
  • The Smart Shopper - Focuses on the consumer purchase journey and the role of the Internet in making purchase decisions.
  • The Smart Viewer - Provides insight into people's recent online video use across different devices.
Data in the Consumer Barometer is collected from two sources; the core Consumer Barometer questionnaire, which focuses on the adult online population and the Connected Consumer Study, which seeks to enumerate the total adult population and is used to weight the Consumer Barometer results. Data has been sourced from 50 different countries, involving over 150,000 respondents.

Snapshot of Multiscreen World in Consumer Barometer
Vertical sectors currently profiled within the Barometer include: clothing and footwear, home appliances, flights, hotels, cosmetics and groceries. New vertical sectors will be added on an ongoing basis as Google extends the insights. 

Verdict: Although the data presented is very basic, its great to have in a handy go-to place. If you're needing a quick answer to some online behaviour or trends, the Consumer Barometer is a way of finding information quickly in an easy to manage way.

Make up your own mind at: http://www.consumerbarometer.com/