Projected amount that Americans are expected to spend on food for cookouts and picnics as they celebrate the Fourth of July this year, according to the annual survey by the National Retail Federation: $7.1 billion
Percentage of consumers who already own a U.S. flag: 65
Percentage who have patriotic-themed apparel, such as T-shirts, bathing suits or shoes: 53
Source: NRF.
Year of the first color television broadcast, according to the U.S. Census Bureau: 1951
By the end of 1957, number of U.S. households that had TV sets, of which only 150,000 were color units: 39 million
Year that sales of color sets caught up with black-and-white sets: 1970
Source: U.S. Census Bureau.
Percentage of the gasoline purchased in the United States that is sold by convenience stores, according to a survey conducted by the National Association of Convenience Stores: 80
Percentage of beer sales accounted for by convenience stores (factoring in all sales from convenience stores, grocers, drugstores and mass merchandisers, according to Nielsen): 59
Source: National Association of Convenience Stores.
Percentage of business executives who say they would let a client beat them in golf if they thought it would get them more business, according to a survey conducted by Guideline Research & Consulting Inc.: 20
Percentage who gamble while golfing: 87
Percentage of respondents who admit to cheating on the golf course: 82
Source: Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide.
Percentage of CFOs who said their offices maintain a somewhat or very casual dress code, according to a survey by Robert Half Finance & Accounting: 74
Percentage of CFOs who said business attire guidelines have relaxed over the last five years, compared to 16 percent who reported a more formal dress environment: 23
Source: Robert Half Finance & Accounting.
Percentage of Fourth of July shoppers who will pay for their expenses with their credit card, according to WalletHub's 4th of July Survey: 31
Percentage who will use a debit card: 43
Percentage who will pay with cash: 26
Source: WalletHub.
Ranks of Jillian Michaels, Stacy Keibler, Maria Sharapova and Serena Williams, on the list of the hottest celebrity women's summer beach bodies for 2017, according to E-Score: 1, 2, 3, 4
Ranks of Jason Momoa, Shemat Moore, Dwayne Johnson and Channing Tatum on the list of the hottest celebrity men's summer beach bodies: 1, 2, 3 (tie)
Source: Epoll.
Percentage of Americans who would travel to a destination because of its cuisine, according to a survey by Open Table: 66
Percentage who have traveled to the country of origin of their favorite dish: 52
Percentage of travelers who "significantly" associate a destination's culture with its culinary scene and dining customs: 58
Source: OpenTable Inc.
Ranks of spicy, savory, sweet and fruity on the list of favorite flavors of salsa, according to a Garden Fresh Gourmet survey: 1, 2, 3, 4
Percentage of Americans who are on "team chunky," versus 33 percent on "team blended": 67
Source: Garden Fresh Gourmet.
Percentage of mayors who agreed that pets can have a positive impact on people's mental and physical health, according to a survey of 73 respondents, representing 30 states, by Mars Petcare: 100
Percentage who agree that providing pet-friendly amenities can have an overall positive economic impact on their community: 82
Percentage who say they do not have, or aren't aware of, pet-friendly policies for public spaces such as restaurants and stores: 66
Source: Mars Petcare.
Idle Thought
"All the time a person is a child he is both a child and learning to be a parent. After he becomes a parent he becomes predominantly a parent reliving childhood." -- Benjamin Spock, pediatrician and author
(Readers can contact John MacIntyre at johnmacintyre@bwr.eastlink.ca.)