While beleaguered shoppers will be looking for ways to make the season bright, retailers can do their part by bringing some much needed holiday cheer to the shopping experience.

Although economic recovery finally seems to be taking root in the U.S., consumers remain cautious when it comes to spending their money. And many analysts believe that shopping behavior that has changed during the recession is permanent. One factor backing up that premise is the continued upswing in coupon use after years of declines.

How low will prices go? 2009 might become known as the year of the price cuts, rollbacks, coupon redemptions and strong store brand sales. This is good for shoppers, but will the value strategy backfire on retailers?

Online grocery shopping is beginning to show resurgence and is poised for substantial growth. From convenience to selection to pricing, discover what consumers want and which strategies work best to keep them engaged.

Old-fashioned paper coupons have enjoyed a resurgence of interest in these difficult economic times, with manufacturer coupon redemption surging nearly 10 percent in the fourth quarter of 2008, according to Nielsen.  More than one-third of dollar sales at food, drug and mass merchandiser stores – or $133 billion not including coupons – were sold on promotion.
At the same time, technology is having a measurable impact on retail sales.  In a recent U.S. study, Nielsen measured more than 200 digital ad campaigns and found the following:

Average …

While the economic downturn is affecting everyone, not all consumers respond in the same ways. Finding opportunities are not impossible—but knowing where to look is key to success.

Ken Cassar, Nielsen Online
For our March 11 webinar, “Retail Recession Realities,” I’ll be recommending coping strategies for retailers dealing with the ongoing economic crisis. The news has gone from bad to worse in the past six months, but there are approaches retailers can take to survive the lean times and even come out ahead when (dare I say it?) the economy recovers.
The Web offers opportunities for growth like no other channel. Quick case in point – readership of traditional offline newspapers has declined significantly of late, and with it, the …

Alex Burmaster
This article was originally featured in New Media Age Magazine.
The downturn in the economy has effectively rebooted the growth of the internet in terms of the time people spend online and the number of sites they visit. Over the first nine months of the year, people weren’t spending more time online than they did in the corresponding nine months the previous year. The average year-on-year growth each month, in terms of average time online per person, was just 1%.
Between March and June 2008, people actually averaged less time online …

Poor people need low prices. Rich people love low prices. Either way, these are happy days for the promotion industry, as manufacturers and retailers update time-proven promotional techniques and unleash a new arsenal of Internet and wireless-based delivery systems.

Tightened belts and shrinking household budgets are the new norm, and American consumers have adjusted their shopping strategies accordingly.
With the holiday shopping season about to begin, Nielsen offers U.S. retailers and marketers five key insights to aid in attracting and retaining the loyalty of increasingly value-conscious American consumers.