The analysis coincides with the release of Nielsen’s Fourth Screen Network Audience Report for Q2 2011, which measures the impact of advertising in places like malls, movie theaters, gas stations, bars and more. The report included audience measurement for three U.S. mall advertising video networks and found that malls attract a younger, predominantly female audience than other place-based ad networks. In fact, among consumers 18+, mall video networks attract the highest percentage of female viewers (57%) of any tracked location-based network genre, and the majority of mall viewers (55%) fall within the 18-34 demographic. Incidentally, more than one-fifth of tracked mall goers are aged 12 to 17.

“Malls represent a shopper’s dream come true, and they might offer the same for advertisers,” said Paul Lindstrom, SVP for Nielsen’s On Location service. “Not only is their audience unique from other location-based networks but also they are more likely to spend and engage across the board outside of the mall.”

Highlights of Nielsen’s “State of the Media: The Social Media Report”

• Social networks and blogs continue to dominate Americans’ time online, now accounting for nearly a quarter of total time spent on the Internet
• At over 53 billion total minutes during May 2011, Americans spend more time on Facebook than they do on any other website
• Tumblr is an emerging player in social media, nearly tripling its audience from a year ago
• Nearly 40 percent of social media users access social media content from their mobile phone
• Internet users over the age of 55 are driving the growth of social networking through the Mobile Internet
• 70 percent of active online adult social networkers shop online, 12 percent more likely than the average adult Internet user
• Across a sample of 10 global markets, social networks and blogs are the top online destination in each country, accounting for the majority of time spent online and reaching at least 60 percent of active Internet users

For a more in-depth look at the social media landscape and audience, view the complete State of the Media: The Social Media Report. 

Matthew Dodd, Senior VP of Research and analytics EMEA

E-commerce in the U.K. is booming. More than eight out of 10 of the active online population – 31.6 million people – visited at least one of the U.K.’s top 200 e-commerce sites in August 2010, according to Nielsen’s latest E-commerce Landscape Report.

What’s more, 16 percent of shopping visits ended in a purchase, with 89 million transactions resulting from the month’s 546 million shopping visits.

Conversion rates for the top 200 e-commerce sites showed strong performances – all above 15 percent – from Domino’s Pizza, Amazon, Interflora and QVC. Cut by category, we found decent conversion rates for ‘catalogue-clothing’ sites – Next, Freemans, Kaleidoscope and Bon Prix – all between 9-15 percent; whereas supermarkets – Tesco, Asda, Sainsbury and Marks & Spencer – grouped somewhat lower.

When it comes to spending, the most lucrative e-commerce category is electronic equipment. On average, respondents from our sample of 8,500 Britons spent more on electronic goods – £156 each – than on any other category in August. Amazon, visited by 36% of people shopping for electronic equipment, was the leading retailer in the category. FMCG shopping was the next-biggest spending category, with people purchasing an average £129 of groceries online in the month.

Around a quarter of the U.K.’s 50 most-popular sites are e-commerce sites – a ratio that has been maintained for the last three years. The most popular is eBay, with 17.7m unique U.K. visitors in August, putting it ahead of Amazon, Apple, Tesco and Argos.

Finally, looking at attitudes, the main reason for shopping online was ‘cheaper prices,’, given by 57 percent of respondents, and the ‘ability to shop at any time’ (32%), but an uncompromising 29 percent said ‘not having to deal with sales staff’ was one of their three biggest motivators.

In an age where shopping trips are increasingly being replaced with mouse clicks, it’s become vital for brand managers to fully understand the evolving world of eCommerce. In this podcast, Brian Wiegand, CEO of Alice.com, speaks with Jeff Cail, SVP, CPG Market Leader, The Nielsen Company, to provide fresh insight into the future of online groceries.

Wiegand and Cail discuss what it takes for online groceries to be successful, why other companies have struggled in the space and how Alice.com is building a captivating digital brand. Click below to learn how Alice.com is changing the way consumers shop for the goods that keep their homes running.

The Nielsen Company conducted a survey in March 2010 and polled more than 27,000 Internet users in 55 markets from Asia Pacific, Europe, Middle East, North America and South America to look at how consumers shop online: what they intend to buy, how they use various sites, the impact of social media and other factors that come into play when they are trying to decide how to spend their money. What we found was that there are some products bought online that are universal, and others that still have yet to build a significant share of trade. Further, while checking online reviews are popular for some products—particularly consumer electronics and cars—shoppers still trust the recommendations of friends and family most.

Opinions Count
One of the great benefits of online shopping is the ability read others’ reviews of a product, be they experts or simply fellow shoppers. These opinions are most important when it comes to purchasing consumer electronics: 57 percent of online respondents consider reviews prior to buying. Reviews on cars (45%) and software (37%) rounded out the top three most important online influences when making a purchase.

Online reviews and peer recommendations also played a key role for shoppers researching future purchases of consumer electronics, cars and travel, and 40 percent of online shoppers indicate they would not even buy electronics without consulting online reviews first.

Pity the product or retailer that consumers don’t like: while most online consumers (59%) said that they are not more likely to share a negative product experience online via Twitter or writing a review, 41 percent would.

For more insights, download the complete report: Global Trends in Online Shopping.

Ken Cassar, VP Industry Insights,  Online Division and
Maya Swedowsky, Associate Director, Industry Insights, Online Division

SUMMARY: Expect to see flat holiday sales this season. Retailers have an opportunity to boost revenues by taking advantage of online activities and social media outlets, which have changed the way consumers seek and share online and offline holiday deals.

Economic conditions in the U.S. may be stabilizing, but the grim reality is that jobless claims are still high, unemployment is in the double digits, foreclosures for August 2009 were 18% higher than a year ago, and credit markets are still tight. This, of course, translates to weak holiday sales. Nielsen reports that 42% of U.S. consumers plan to spend less on holiday gifts in 2009—up from 35% last year.

In consumable categories, Nielsen projects that holiday sales will be flat with a dollar sales gain of 0.03% and a unit sales decline of -0.11%. The National Retail Federation predicts sales will fall 1% this year compared to 2008.

Deals, deals and more deals
Consumers plan to use a wide array of tactics to save money this year—deal seeking is the predominant course of action:

• 53% of consumers will wait for sales
• 46% will buy lower priced gifts
• 42% will bargain hunt more extensively this year
• 39% plan to use coupons
• 37% plan to shop at less expensive retailers and more online
• 23% will give homemade gifts
• 22% will make fewer shopping trips

Online decline
For the first time since 1999, when the U.S. Commerce Department started tracking online sales, 2008 and 2009 reported quarter-to-quarter and year-to-year retail e-commerce sales decline. Additionally, a Nielsen survey reports that the online shopping population may shrink this year. In 2008, 71% people of people planned to do holiday shopping online. This year, that number drops to 63%.

Those determined to shop online expect to spend significantly less this holiday season.  In 2008, 42% of shoppers planned to spend more than $300 on their online holiday purchases, but this year only 31% intend to spend that amount. Not only are consumers spending less money online, but they are planning to spend a smaller amount of their total holiday budget online compared to brick and mortar stores.

Changed perceptions
The Internet may have lost its cache as a value channel. While consumers still shop online for money-saving reasons, the top two motivations for shopping online focus on convenience. Almost 70% of consumers enjoy the all day/all night benefit of shopping, whenever they like and 57% shop online to avoid holiday crowds in stores.

The top items consumers plan to shop for this holiday season include toys and video games (40%), clothes, shoes and accessories (39%), movies (38%), books (37%), gift cards/certificates (35%), music (29%), home electronics (23%), computer hardware and software (17%) and jewelry, health & beauty products, gourmet food/gift baskets (14%).

However, most product categories are expected to see lower levels of spending compared to 2008. Gift cards/certificates and movies are the only categories expected to grow this year. Movies are benefitting from the trend towards in-home entertainment and the dropping prices of Blu-ray technology. The growth of gift cards is likely attributed to the recession—gift givers are aware that needs, as opposed to wants, will be greater this season. In addition, more people (55%) would rather receive a gift card rather than a purchased gift.

Barriers to online success
While convenience and money savings factors are clear benefits to shopping online, the fact is, less than 4% of all purchases are made online. A Nielsen survey found shipping and handling charges are a major deterrent, with 53% of consumers stating they will not buy all their gifts online to avoid this fee. More than half (51%) of consumers cited that they need to see or touch the product. Consumers reported many of the physical benefits of in-store shopping—ease of return, instant gratification, access to sales people—as reasons they will not shop online for holiday gifts.

While the majority of purchases are made offline, the Internet is playing an important role in purchasing behavior. Deal-seeking activities—like comparing prices and finding coupons—drive consumers to go online first before ultimately making an in-store purchase. Deal-oriented websites attract a sizeable and varied audience—not just those with lower household incomes. In general, online deal-seekers tend to be female between the ages of 25–50 years old coming from a wide range of income levels.

Talk it up
Social media has changed the way consumers seek and share online and offline holiday deals. Frugal shoppers actively rely on these sites to learn about where to find the best deals, product recommendations, gift ideas and money saving tips. Retailers have an opportunity to go beyond traditional TV and printed circulars and use social media outlets to get shoppers excited about their holiday deals. Shoppers enjoy being the first to find out about a deal and share it with their network. Many retailers are using social media to drive traffic on Black Friday.

There’s still time
While Internet sales will not be the salvation for most multi-channel retailers this year, online announcements of deals through retailer websites and social media networks can improve share for their brick and mortar stores. Multi-channel retailers must use their websites and physical locations as differentiation, helping shoppers find the right product effectively, ensuring a simple purchase fulfillment and return policy and providing excellent follow-up support. The Internet may not be seen as a value channel, but it is seen as a value media.

Although retailers have been thinking about the 2009 holiday season since last January, consumers are just starting to think about their holiday plans. As we do every year, Nielsen fielded its annual holiday retail survey at the beginning of this month to get an understanding of consumers’ holiday shopping plans.  While the economy appears to be improving at a snail’s pace, it’s apparent that many consumers intend to spend less and save more this holiday season. In fact, some 42 percent of respondents stated that compared to a year ago they were planning on spending less money on holiday gifts, compared with only 4 percent who intend to spend more.

An even more surprising trend is that of the money that consumers plan to spend this holiday season, a smaller percentage will be spent online: 63 percent of survey respondents said that they would do at least some holiday shopping online, down 10 points from two years ago. Meanwhile, 7 percent of respondents said they would not do any shopping online compared to just 1 percent in 2007.

Consumers Expect to Spend Less Money Online this Year

Among those that do plan to shop online this holiday season, many consumers expect to spend significantly less than last year. In 2008, 42 percent answered that they would spend more than $300 online during the holiday season. This year, that percentage has dropped to just 31 percent, while 22 percent of respondents said that they are going to spend less than $100 online.

So why do some consumers shop online? Interestingly, the main reason is not to save money, but for convenience. Respondents said the top reason they would shop online was the ability to shop whenever they wanted, followed closely by the ability to avoid the large crowds associated with holiday shopping.

While consumers appear to no longer view the Internet as a value channel, they still see it as a place to do comparison shopping, find coupons and do research. And it’s not just consumers coming from lower household incomes–shoppers of all ages and income levels rely on the Internet to inform their in-store purchases. In October 2009, over one-third of the U.S. online population visited at least one deal-oriented Web site.

Although many consumers don’t feel that they save money by making purchases online, they do view the Internet as a deal-seeking venue. When asked how they use the Internet before going shopping in physical stores, 55 percent of respondents said they use the Internet to compare prices across retailers and 49 percent answered that they use the Web to learn about sales and promotions available in physical stores.

It is clear that while the majority of all purchases continue to take place offline, the Internet has an important role to play—deals found online impact holiday purchase decisions and drive purchases at brick and mortar locations.

For more information and insights on the 2009 holiday season, download our recent webinar,2009 Holiday Retail Season: What Consumers Have in Store for Retailers this Season.

Frugal consumers continue to look for deals both in-store and online. At grocery, almost one-third of purchases are bought on deal and online visits to coupon and reward web sites are surging. It’s important to take note of the demographics behind the growing numbers of online deal hunters:  Consumers visiting couponing and rewards sites tend to be women, over the age of 55, residing in smaller households, without children and their household income skews toward the affluent ($100K+).

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:

1. Tempt taste buds with in-store tasting and cooking demos.
2. Savor the smells of the season with aroma therapy.
3. Lighten moods with music from local school bands or choirs.
4. Touch the lives of others by collecting food bank donations.
5. Switch out in-store TV ads with broadcasts of holiday classics.
6. Reward frequent shoppers with holiday prize drawings.
7. Partner with manufacturers on donations to local charities.
8. Enhance the décor with holiday decorations.
9. Serve up a smile and an appreciative attitude.
10. Respect staff workers with reduced holiday hours.

As the Internet and social media continue to play a critical role in how consumer make purchase decisions, tune into the webinar, 2009 Holiday Season: What Consumers Have In Store for Retailers This Season on November 16 to learn more.

Despite increased optimism about the economy, the social media landscape indicates that we are in a similar place to where we were this time last year when it comes to spending; buzz about Christmas and holiday shopping is down 3% year-over-year. This activity is in line with other research at Nielsen relative to retail expectations and consumers’ personal finances that indicate modest spending from a cautious consumer base.

However, consumers are still buzzing about the gifts they’ve already purchased or are planning to buy in the coming weeks. Notably, online discussion focuses largely on offline shopping.

While online shopping has been rising over the last few years, we’re also finding that consumers are using the internet to find the best deals at retail outlets, toy stores and more. So what happens online, doesn’t always stay online in the new economy where deal hunting is driving buzz.

As consumers count down the days to the holiday season, we see two key trends emerging:

1. Parents are actively buzzing about the must-haves of the season within online communities
2. Buzz about gift cards is on the rise, largely in response to retailers’ use of gift cards as purchase incentives

Games that buzz
When analyzing the product categories shoppers most frequently discuss online, Nielsen found that kid-friendly video games generated more buzz than even the most buzzed-about toys, largely driven by highly engaged gamers. The November 15 release date for New Super Mario Bros is highly anticipated, catapulting this video game to the head of the pack in terms of buzz. Additional buzz in the gaming world has come from price drop and new model announcements for Playstation 3 and XBOX.

Zhu Zhu the next Tickle Me Elmo?
Buzz supports Toys “R” Us’ “Fabulous 15″ predictions for the 2009 holiday season, with Zhu Zhu Pets, Bakugan Brawlers and Transformers Revenge of the Fallen figurines topping the list of the most frequently buzzed about toys.

Shoppers deem Zhu Zhu Pets the hot toy of the season as parents swap stories of empty shelves and elevated prices at retailers. An emerging Zhu Zhu market has also sprung up on eBay. Strong buzz on LeapFrog’s educational toys are a holdover from the 2008 holiday season; parents are especially interested in the Leapster and Tag Reader product lines this season.

Gift Cards buzz is on the rise, buoyed by incentive programs
A growing proportion of online conversation focuses on gift cards—including gift cards awarded as purchase incentives (15% growth in buzz year-over-year, September 2008 vs. September 09). Amazon.com and Toys “R” Us have experienced the largest year-over-year growth in buzz about gift cards of the retailers and brands measured.

This increased interest in gift cards is largely driven by retailers bundling gift cards with purchase incentives. Gift card bundles essentially provide shoppers with two sets of gifts: the original purchase and the gift card which can either be given as a gift or used to buy more holiday presents. These incentives tend to generate a sizable amount of discussion online—especially when tied to the gaming category. For example, Amazon.com recently coupled a price break on Wii with a $25 gift card, generating a surge in online conversation about Amazon.

Retailers who do not currently use gift cards to encourage purchases may want to consider taking advantage of this growing opportunity during the holiday season.

Related: Watch Nielsen’s Ken Cassar Discuss Online Holiday Sales CNBC

SUMMARY: Four mega trends—convenience, Generation Y consumers becoming of age, increased broadband penetration and customization—have come together to fuel growth in the online grocery market. While the online channel is still small for the food and beverage sector, it is poised for growth. What are the key drivers behind the revitalized online grocery movement and how do consumers use the web, social media, and other online tools to plan purchases? Now is the time for retailers and manufacturers to maximize opportunities in this re-emerging market.

Since the early days of the Internet, companies have tried to capitalize on online grocery. Some have failed, some have held their own, but none have revolutionized the way consumers think about shopping for groceries. But now—almost a decade after the dot.com bubble burst—online grocery is beginning to show resurgence, powered not by venture capital dollars but by sustainable growth plans, broadband Internet and increasing consumer interest.

Online grocery shopping is poised for growth, currently at the intersection of four key mega trends:

1. Convenience—the growing need for convenience has already transformed the packaged goods industry
2. Generation Y—Gen Y shoppers are approaching grocery-buying age, and are comfortable doing so online
3. Broadband Internet—Almost two-thirds of Americans have broadband Internet access, making online grocery shopping easier and quicker
4. Customization—Digital platform allows online grocers to personalize the shopping experience

Poised for growth
With approximately $3.75 billion in online sales in 2008, online is a small but expanding channel for the food and beverage industry. Even though the majority of grocery shopping occurs offline—online purchases accounted for less than 1% of all food and beverage sales in 2008—on average, shoppers tend to spend twice as much online as offline when making food and beverage purchases.

Three variables lead to bigger basket sizes:

• Free shipping and minimum order requirements encourage shoppers to spend more
• Online grocery shoppers tend to be upscale shoppers and purchase expensive, niche products
• No heavy lifting—shoppers avoid lugging groceries

Shopper profiles
Two key differences distinguish the current online grocery shopper from their offline counterpart: income and household size. Online grocery shopping skews to upper-income “established” adults ($100K income per household) residing in smaller households (1-2 members) with no children. These consumers are more willing to pay the shipping fees and premium prices typically associated with online grocery shopping in exchange for the convenience and other benefits of online.

Time-starved large households, on the other hand, represent an untapped opportunity. Online grocers need to ensure that the process is easy and convenient enough to address the hectic lifestyles of large families.

Convenience drives satisfaction
While the majority (70%) of online shoppers reported having a positive shopping experience when purchasing groceries online, some attributes weigh more heavily than others as important drivers of satisfaction, as reported in a March 2009 Nielsen survey. The research revealed three key motivating factors that entice consumers to shop for groceries online: convenience, product selection and pricing.

Convenience—consumers like the ease of filling up a grocery cart with a click of a button any time of day, from any location. Online shoppers can stock up on staples without carrying heavy packages. Many online grocers offer automatic replenishment options so the consumer never runs out. Finally, online grocery shoppers avoid commuting, crowds, waiting in line, and inclement weather.

Product selection—virtual shelf space allows grocers to offer a wider product selection and in-depth product information, which is especially helpful for shoppers with dietary restrictions.

Pricing—comparisons are easier to do online, and running shopping-cart tallies help buyers stick to a budget and avoid impulse buys.

Frustrating fees and wait times
While shopping online has clear benefits, there are some barriers that impede acceptance. In the Nielsen survey, 65% of respondents indicated that the cost of shipping was the biggest barrier to purchasing groceries online. Additionally, a lack of control concerns some shoppers. Not only can shoppers not personally choose products, but waiting for the delivery can be perceived as countering the time-savings and flexibility of shopping online. Forty percent of consumers cited waiting for delivery as an obstacle. Other obstacles include issues with security/privacy (35%), not being able to use coupons (30%) and a perception of online as more expensive (30%).

Despite the clear benefits, many still consider online grocery shopping an indulgence—some who enjoy it seem a bit embarrassed, characterizing their decision to shop online as a form of “laziness.” As the market matures however, this perception should fade. And while most people are not accustomed to buying groceries online, this too will erode over time as Generation Y reaches grocery-buying age.

Lessons from abroad
The online grocery shopping market in the United Kingdom is more mature than that in the United States. Almost one-fifth (16%) of all British households have purchased groceries online in 2008—double that of American households. Similar to the U.S., online grocery shoppers in the U.K. tend to be more affluent. However, unlike the U.S., British buyers have larger, younger households.

Over the last three years, apprehension about online grocery shopping in the U.K. has shifted from fear of the unknown to practical matters. In 2006, the biggest barrier for British shoppers was not being able to personally choose products. This fear has decreased dramatically, and by 2009, the percentage dropped 15 points from 29% to 14%, providing a window of hope that U.S. shoppers will follow suit as the market matures. Similar to the U.S, the main concerns of British shoppers today include delivery charges and delivery time.

Successful endeavors
There are a number of initiatives that have worked successfully to boost the online grocery market in the U.K. One of the reasons online grocery shopping is more popular in the U.K. is the strong competitive market and heavy marketing support that is driven by four major national chains. Unlike in the U.S., British grocers use traditional media to promote their online shopping services—even creating ads that focus on a particular aspect of the shopping services, such as flexible delivery times.

Additionally, U.K. grocers are national chains as opposed to the mainly regional chains in the U.S., which facilitates ‘national’ pricing and makes it less confusing and easer to compete. Price wars between Tesco and Asda, for example, have driven price down and interest up. Another method used effectively includes the “switch and save” offer. Consumers are presented with similar product pop-ups offering much cheaper alternatives (usually private label brands), which have been known to achieve 40% click-through rates.

Importantly, distribution networks and availability of products have been greatly improved. British grocers are using online shopping to fill in regions where they have less brick and mortar stores. For example, Asda (owned by Walmart) has fewer stores in the southeast region and uses online shopping to fill the gap. Finally, customer service in the U.K. is strong, offering free delivery, allowing customers to choose delivery time slots, and using fewer bags to be environmentally friendly.

Making connections
The digital platform provides grocers with the unique ability to connect with and engage shoppers—value is not limited to grocers selling products online. From product selection to meal prep, shoppers are using the Internet as both an informational and inspirational tool. Online grocery shoppers are more than twice as likely as the average Internet user to read and post product reviews, download coupons, search for recipes online, and access the Internet through their phone.

Grocers can use their website to support the in-store experience by providing digital coupons, shopping lists, recipe ideas, advanced filtering by dietary needs, automated re-ordering and store availability searches. Mobile presents grocers with an additional touch point to engage shoppers via mobile coupons and grocery lists. Grocers need not be responsible for all content on the Web site; they can enlist manufacturers to maintain branded or sponsored sections of the web site. For example, a health-oriented brand could power a calorie counter on the grocer’s site, or an ingredient manufacturer might sponsor podcasts with celebrity chefs.

The bottom line is that online grocery represents a largely unrealized opportunity, but grocers must work to build awareness and establish the value proposition. The process needs to be easy and convenient, and online grocers must educate shoppers about the benefits in simple terms: buying groceries online saves time and money—two considerations that every shopper is looking for.

Download: Nielsen Online Grocery Report [pdf]