According to Nielsen, discretionary shopping trips continued to decline dramatically in November, as consumers shifted purchases online and to value-oriented retailers.
Overall in November, trips to retailers declined by 2.9% from the previous year.
Retail Channel Trends
Toy stores, electronics stores, and department stores saw the most dramatic declines in the number of shopping trips last month vs. a year ago.  Trips to toy stores dropped by 23%, trips to electronics stores were down by 21%, and trips to department stores fell by 17%, Nielsen reported.
Retail channels offering low prices and strong value …

In October, as global financial markets plunged amid multiple bank bailouts, U.S. consumers showed marked caution at the cash register, focusing their purchases at food, drug, and mass merchandiser stores on basic necessities: food, medicines, and other household items.
Edible essentials, like bread, milk, cheese, and fresh produce, were among the top retail categories for October, according to Nielsen. 
Discretionary items like carbonated beverages, candy, and snacks were also among the top sellers in October — but most of these categories showed year-over-year unit and dollar sales declines.
Top Categories: October 2008 (Dollar Sales: Food/Drug/Mass Merchandiser Sales)

Rank
(by 2008 Dollar Sales)
Top Food/Drug/Mass Merchandiser Sales Categories
(October 2008)
Dollar Sales:
4 …

Oprah Winfrey’s influence — sometimes referred to as the “Oprah Effect” — has propelled countless individuals, products, and ideas into the public sphere.
That influence may even extend to her personal trainer, Bob Greene, whose “Best Life” program endorses consumer products that promote healthy living.
According to a recent Nielsen report, products featuring Greene’s “Best Life” seal of approval on their packaging easily outsold traditional food and beverage products. 
In 2008, brands endorsed by “Best Life” generated a 9.2% dollar sales increase, year-over-year, while all food and beverage products increased by just 4.6% …

The troubled U.S. economy may be taking a toll on the growth of organic product sales, according to new data from Nielsen.
After several years of 20% to 30% sales growth, U.S. sales of organic products are showing the first signs of slowing.
While 52-week dollar sales of UPC-coded organics are up 21% vs. last year, the most recent four-week period ending October 4, 2008, shows growth of only 11.2%.  Last year, organics saw 27.1% sales growth during the comparable four-week period ending October 6, 2007.
Meanwhile, in Great Britain, organics sales growth has also slowed — to …

This year, U.S. consumers are expected to spend more than $98 billion during the November-December holiday retail season, Nielsen reported Thursday.
Nielsen’s holiday retail forecast predicts a 4.7% gain in dollar sales over 2007.  Unit sales, however, are expected to be virtually flat (-0.8%) versus a year ago.
The forecast includes projected sales at food stores, drug stores, mass merchandisers, and convenience stores, across 125 product categories tracked by Nielsen.
With the economy in turmoil, the 2008 holiday season will be closely watched for indications of declining consumer spending.  Declines in consumer spending were …

Although this year’s holiday season comes on the heels of exceptional economic turmoil, U.S. consumers are expected to spend $98 billion during November and December — a 4.7% gain in dollar sales over the 2007 holiday retail season, according to Nielsen.
NielsenWire recently spoke with the co-author of Nielsen’s holiday retail forecast, James Russo, Vice President of Food Sector Marketing, Nielsen.
NielsenWire: What is the forecast for 2008 holiday shopping season*?
James Russo:
All consumer, economic, and trade indications point to a flat-to-declining holiday selling season across the core consumer packaged goods (CPG) categories …

In the past four years, organic products have been one of the fastest growing market segments within the food industry, logging growth rates between 13% and 33%.
That trend may now be changing, according to Nielsen, which recently released data showing a slowdown in organic dollar sales and unit sales growth in the four weeks ending Sept. 6.
Dollar sales of organics grew by just 13%, while unit sales grew by 8% in the four weeks between August 9 and Sept. 6, according to Nielsen.  In contrast, dollar sales of organic products grew by …