Nielsen is forecasting sales of more than $98 billion for the November-December 2008 holiday retail season.  But amid worsening economic conditions, U.S. consumers are likely to be more cautious than ever with their spending. 
A recent Nielsen survey of 21,000 U.S. households found that 35% plan to spend less this year than they did in 2007.  Just 6% will spend more this year, while 50% say they’ll maintain the same level of spending from 2007.
Lower-income households reported large reductions in their holiday spending — but so did high income households.  In all, 37% …

U.S. consumers are buying more wine in the $9 to $12 price bracket — with sales in this range up more than 12% from last year, according to Nielsen.
Noting that trend, the Chicago Tribune recently offered tips for selecting good but inexpensive wines. 
“With the economy nose-diving and costs rising, what we all really need is a good, cheap, drink,” Bill Daley, the Tribune’s food and wine critic, wrote Wednesday.

New research from The Nielsen Company and Bevinco reveals that bars and restaurants are feeling the effects of the current economic downturn.
More than 40% of bar managers, bar owners, and bartenders surveyed in May report they have seen a decrease in consumer traffic, while 25% note a decrease in the number of drinks ordered and 22% say that customers are ordering less expensive drinks. 
Establishments on the East and West coasts report the greatest declines, with owners and operators in California and Florida citing significant decreases in consumer traffic — 55% …

Despite the current downturn in the U.S. economy, sales of wine and spirits remain strong, BusinessWeek reported Tuesday.
The story noted that sales of other consumer-discretionary products have been hurt by the poor economic conditions, but alcohol sales are proving to be resilient.  “Beverage alcohol continues to be pretty recession-resistant,” Richard Hurst, of AC Nielsen, told BusinessWeek.
In May, spirit sales rose by 5.4% on a dollar basis and 3.6% on a volume basis, according to Nielsen. 
A recent Nielsen study provides in-depth analysis of current trends in alcoholic beverage purchases.