Like most people in countries around the world, Taiwanese are experiencing record low consumer confidence.  And just as consumers in the U.S., U.K. and elsewhere have become more value-driven, so too have the Taiwanese, according to the latest Nielsen ShopperTrends report.
62 percent of Taiwan’s grocery shoppers claim to have become more price-sensitive, while among females over 35 and low income households, that number rises to 75 percent.  One store, Post Exchange, has capitalized on this trend with its low price strategy. As a result, 17 percent of all Taiwanese shoppers …

From 1947 to 1969, nearly 20 percent of the American population moved every year, as they relocated to new areas offering economic growth and opportunity.  Since then, mobility has steadily declined, to 15 percent in 2000, and to 11.9 percent in 2007 — a forty percent decline versus the average year between 1947 and 1969.  What has changed that has led to this decline?
First, the population of the country is getting older – and older people are less likely to move.  Second, the growing incidence of two worker couples impedes …

The Canadian economy showed signs of improvement in January, while the economies of Germany, Italy and Spain showed signs of weakening economies, according to the latest edition of Nielsen’s Economic Current, which consolidates key consumer data from the company’s global research resources.  The U.S. economy continued to be weak, but showed no signs of worsening.
Other key findings from the survey include:

U.S. consumers reversed a six month trend of declining number of shopping trips and spending per trip.
Consumers in the U.S. and Canada spent more per trip across fast moving consumer …

The early predictions were gloomy: the recession gripping the U.S. would make for a dismal holiday shopping season for retailers.  And while many retailers certainly felt the effects of the economic downturn, holiday dollar sales in 2008 actually increased 5.8 percent or $99.5 billion across grocery and drug stores, mass merchandisers and convenience stores, according to Nielsen.
Categories that drove the highest sales spikes were musical instruments and accessories, with more than half of the purchases for the year made in the last eight weeks of 2008.  Women’s and children’s fragrances, baking …

James Russo, Vice President, Marketing, Nielsen
With unemployment reaching 25-year highs, it is no surprise that Americans are nervous about their futures.  Over the last twelve months, confidence has nosedived as consumers worry about keeping their jobs, paying their mortgages and other bills, and their retirements.
We are on the verge of a potential fundamental shift in how consumers shop and buy that could have ramifications long past economic recovery.  They are shopping less and changing the types of products they purchase, such as shifting …

In a further sign that the economic downturn is more widespread than any before, Russian consumer confidence dropped 6 points in February 2009 from November 2008, when it dropped 16 points from September 2008, according to Nielsen’s Consumer Confidence Index.  The issues causing Russians nervousness mirror those found in other countries: growing unemployment, high inflation, devaluation of national currency and the burden of easy credit obtained during the “optimistic” years.  Maintaining employment is the key concern, with only 20 percent saying their job prospects were good, while 75 percent were …

While uncertain economic conditions have forced most marketers to cut back their budgets, they can take a number of steps to compensate for fewer available dollars and maintain the effectiveness of their campaign.  By moving beyond the use of traditional media age/sex demographics and having a clearer understanding of what networks and programs best reach actual brand targets, marketers have an opportunity to change their mix.  These new schedules can diminish the impact lower marketing budgets could have on a brand’s in-market presence.
Nielsen conducted a recession analysis that replicated the …

Grocery sales in the U.K. are holding their ground despite the continued economic difficulties, according to a new survey from Nielsen. Overall, sales grew 5.7 percent in the twelve-week period ended February 21 versus the same period last year, with all of the top 4 grocers attracting new customers.
Asda and Sainsbury showed solid growth during the quarter (7.6% and 5.5%, respectively), while Morrisons grew a strong 8.2 percent, driven by increased spending from its shoppers and Waitrose re-energized its business with 3.2 percent growth.
Discount retailers continued to make gains …

Mitch Barns, President, Greater China, The Nielsen Company
China is one of our fastest growing markets globally. We use our broad range of market research and analytical capabilities to bring our clients the clarity and insight they need to make good business decisions.  One of our priorities is to continuously invest in innovation to improve our capabilities in China.  One example of this is our new R&D center in Beijing.
Innovation is the engine of growth so it is important to continuously invest.  But during challenging economic times, we face a difficult …

Unlike past recessions, few countries have been spared from the economic downturn.  Nielsen’s top industry thought leaders recently discussed how shopping patterns around the world have been affected by economic conditions, how consumer packaged goods manufacturers and retailers are adapting to the new marketplace realities and what lies ahead.
The participants were Todd Hale, Senior Vice President, Consumer & Shopper Insights, Nielsen U.S.; Jonathan Banks, Director, Retail Insights, Nielsen Europe; James Russo, Vice President of Marketing, Nielsen U.S., and; Jean-Jacques Vandenheede, Director, Retail Insights, Nielsen Europe.  Key themes were:
Consumers: It does …