The first quarter of 2010 shows a positive trend in nominal value growth rates in most countries, which was driven primarily through volume growth improvement… However, the economic turmoil reached Eastern Europe with a 12-month lag.

On average, global web users across 10 countries spent roughly five and a half hours on social networks in February 2010, up more than two hours from the same time last year.

Based on the widest possible basket of product categories in Europe, the fourth quarter 2009 showed nominal growth, which has remained stable since the prior quarter, and around 3% for four consecutive quarters.

Global consumers are increasingly feeling confident about the economy and their finances. While Asia is leading the rebound, signs point to improved consumer behavior in other parts of the world.

Europe experienced a modest volume growth of 1% in the third quarter, down 0.9% compared to the prior quarter. However, this growth is still ahead of the United States.

The notion that the global economy may be on the verge of recovery has not yet translated into improved consumer spending or confidence, although consumers in the emerging countries – Brazil, India and China – seem to be more optimistic than others and are loosening their purse strings ever so slightly, according to the new edition of the Nielsen Economic Current.  Of the 12 countries Nielsen now tracks, all but Taiwan (which declined) showed no significant change in measures of spending.  Canadian, Western European and American spending was, at best, …

Consumers in 10 of the world’s top economies continued to be wary of spending their money in May, according to the latest edition of the Nielsen Economic Current, which provides a snapshot of global consumer and retail trends across 10 countries which represent nearly 65 percent of global GDP.  Tracking key performance indicators, Brazil and the U.K. led the pack with solid improvements in their scores, while the U.S. and Canada showed declines.  The rest of the countries tracked (China, France, Germany, India, Italy and Spain) showed no movement from …

Chinese are more likely to travel this week for the National Day Golden Week holiday than they were earlier this year during the Chinese New Year holiday, Nielsen reported Tuesday.
According to a survey conducted by Nielsen, six in 10 Chinese plan to travel between September 29 and October 5 for Golden Week, while just 42% of Chinese reported making plans to travel this past February for Chinese New Year celebrations. 

With food and gasoline costs surging, household budgets worldwide are feeling the pinch.  But how people feel about the economy — and how they are coping financially — varies by country and region, The Economist recently reported.
Consumers in the Asia-Pacific region, for example, are more inclined to save than to splurge if they have spare money, while Russian consumers pump their extra cash into expanding their wardrobe, according to Nielsen.
Meanwhile, people in Nordic countries continue to spend money on travel and vacations, while Brazilians are happy to stay home.
Discretionary income …

The average European mobile consumer uses 1.4 SIM cards, according to a new report by Nielsen, released Wednesday. 
Mobile users who own multiple SIM cards are likely to spend more money on their mobile service, the findings also show. 
A French consumer who owns 3 SIM cards, for example, will spend 28% more, on average, than a consumer with a single SIM card.  Elsewhere in Europe, the numbers are even higher: +51% in Italy, +52% in the UK, +79% in Spain, and + 89% in Germany.
“The additional revenue brought to the operators by …