American consumers will continue to shift their gift buying online this holiday season, citing convenience, time saving, and price according to Nielsen Online. Amid the current economic downturn, 53% of consumers cite price as a reason to buy online, compared with 46% last year. However, convenience continues to trump price as 76% of consumers cite the ability to shop 24 hours a day and 74% cite time saving as key factors for choosing online shopping.
The results are based on a Nielsen Online survey, conducted November 6-11, intended to gauge online …

According to a new report by Nielsen PreView, Entertainment-hungry Americans are rapidly embracing new devices and technology. The report, sourced from Nielsen’s quarterly Home Technology Report, analyzed device and subscription patterns from 2004 through 2007 and discovered that consumers are quickly adopting many new technologies and swapping out their old technology for the new.
Among the findings in the report, new technologies like Video-On-Demand (VOD) usage rose by more than 150%. Meanwhile many consumers have begun to switch out their old basic cable for more advanced digital cable. …

Asian-American households spent more than twice as much (+135%) more on dried vegetables and grains than average American households during the 52 weeks ending June 28, 2008, according to Nielsen.
These households also outspent average households by 90% and 78%, respectively, on purchases of family planning products and photographic supplies.
Asian-American households account for just 2.8% of all U.S. households.  In 2007 and 2008, these households represented 6.7% of dried vegetables and grains product dollar sales, 5.4% of family planning product dollar sales, and 5.1% of photographic supplies product dollar sales.

Despite a fragile economy, consumers will continue to see alcoholic beverages as an affordable indulgence according to Richard Hurst, senior vice president, Beverage Alcohol, The Nielsen Company. “Historical, as well as more recent consumer trends, indicate that alcoholic beverages are much more recession-resistant than many other product categories,” Hurst notes.
In its alcoholic beverage trends outlook for the 2008 holiday season, Nielsen notes a number of factors impacting consumer choices.

As Washington considers a multi-billion dollar bailout package for the American auto industry, a look at this year’s ad spending by car manufacturers provides even more evidence that Detroit is struggling.
Through July 2008, the Big Three American car manufacturers (GM, Ford, and Chrysler) all showed negative advertising growth over 2007, according to Nielsen Monitor-Plus. Ford and Chrysler each spent 22% less on advertising, while GM dropped its spending by 6%.
Compare that with the relative success of foreign automakers. Honda added the most spending in dollars over 2007 (an extra $71.5 …

RANK
Program
Network
Viewers (P2+)

1
60 MINUTES
CBS
25,104,000

2
DANCING WITH THE STARS
ABC
18,693,000

3
CSI
CBS
19,050,000

4
NBC SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL
NBC
19,272,000

5
NCIS
CBS
18,745,000

6
DANCING W/STARS RESULTS
ABC
16,521,000

7
DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES
ABC
16,842,000

8
THE MENTALIST
CBS
16,516,000

9
GREY’S ANATOMY-THU 9PM
ABC
14,902,000

10
CMA AWARDS(S)
ABC
15,905,000

Source: The Nielsen Company (November 10-16, 2008).

Whether you voted for Barack Obama or John McCain, a recent Nielsen Homescan analysis shows notable differences in the shopping habits and holiday spending expectations of the American voter. The panel’s voting intent (55% Obama / 45% McCain) was similar to the actual nationwide election results (53% / 47%) and mirrored the state-by-state victories in all but three of the 48 contiguous states.
Travel And Spend
Nielsen Homescan panelists who favored Obama, tended to make more frequent trips across all outlets combined and in traditional retail channels, outmatched only by McCain voters …

“Quantum of Solace” acheived the best opening weekend ever for a James Bond film in North America, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The film took in an estimated $70.4 million in domestic grosses over the weekend, which  exceeded even the most optimistic prerelease projections.
The family comedy “Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa,” from DreamWorks Animation and Paramount, registered $36.1 million to land in second place over the weekend.
Overall, the weekend’s $154 million in collective boxoffice across the industry marked a 48% improvement over the same weekend last year, according to Nielsen EDI.
Below are Box …

Once considered a lower-price, lower-quality substitute for name brands, private label products, or store brands, are viewed positively by the majority of U.S. consumers. Nearly three-quarters (72%) of American consumers believe that private label products are good alternatives to name brands according to a new survey by The Nielsen Company. The survey indicates that an improved sense of quality is likely a driving factor for consumers’ positive attitude toward private label products. Sixty-three percent of consumers believe that the quality of the private label brand is as good as name …

It’s time for that lesser-known American holiday tradition: the holiday food advertising bonanza — when ads for Thanksgiving staples, like stuffing mixes, pie crusts, gravy mixes, and cranberry sauces, crowd onto the media landscape.
In 2007, ad spending for stuffing mixes increased 10,800% from the late summer months (Q3 2007: $45,180) to the fall (Q4 2007: $4.9 million).
During the same time frame, ad spending on products within the Pie Crust category grew from literally nothing (Q3 2007: $0) to $3.3 million.
Meanwhile, ad spending within the Gravy Mix category grew from nothing …