UK grocery sales grew 5.1 percent in the 12 week period ended May 16th, largely due to the record number of products on promotion according to new research from Nielsen.  Morrisons continued the solid performance it has been exhibiting over the last few months with sales growth of 7.9 percent over the same period a year ago, while Asda and Sainsbury also posted gains of 7.4 percent and 7.3 percent, respectively.
“With a record of 32 percent of all sales being goods on offer in the four weeks to May 2009, …

Sales in the UK grocery sector showed promising growth in the eight weeks ended April 18th, racking up 4.2 percent increases, and volume growth of 5.8 percent over the same period in 2008.  The convenience sector also showed a 3.2 percent in sales growth over a year ago, a marked improvement from a few months ago when sales growth was languishing at about 1 percent.
Sales over Easter week benefited the out-of-town megastores, which rung up sales 22 percent over the same period last year.
“Over 20 percent growth is a welcome …

UK grocery sales grew at 2.7 percent in the first quarter of 2009 over the same period a year earlier, according to new research from Nielsen, with Morrisons leading the pack with 6.9 percent growth, followed closely by Asda with 6.7 percent and Sainsbury with 5 percent.  Tesco continued to lose market share, falling to 27.6 percent from 28 percent in the same period in 2008.  So what may be driving consumers to change where they shop?
“Shoppers are now well versed with money saving strategies, making the most of price …

Few sectors of the economy have been as tarnished during the global recession as banks and financial institutions.  With the closure of some well-known industry names and the billions in losses racked up at others, it is understandable that consumers may feel some nervousness when it comes to the stability of their banks.  The fact is, however, that most banks are secure, and to communicate that fact, they have increasingly shifted the focus of their advertising to brand building.
According to a new report from Nielsen UK, total UK ad spending …

During a recession, the conventional wisdom may be that brands suffer as consumers look to reduce costs and save money.  But while private labels have shown solid growth in many categories, brands continue to grow.  According to Nielsen, 75 of Britain’s top 100 brands continue to increase sales.
Britain’s top brand? Coca-Cola, which racked up £969 million in sales in 2008. Following behind – and showing impressive 16 percent growth – was bread brand Warburtons, with sales of £710 million.
“A strong brand, which focuses on its core value proposition, can outperform …

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 …

Sales at grocery stores in the UK showed signs of life in January after several months of minimal growth. According to Nielsen, year-over-year sales growth of 6.5 percent was recorded by top grocers.
Interestingly, sales of general merchandise such as homeware, electrical and clothing showed improvement after months of softness. Over 2008, average growth in this category was just over 2 percent; in January 2009, sales grew 4.4 percent.
“Non-foods have struggled in supermarkets for months and it was one of the first categories to suffer as shoppers cut back …

Sales in the British grocery sector picked up over the holidays, but were largely negated by weak sales at the beginning of December, Nielsen reported last week.
Growth (by value) of British food sales for the four-week period ending December 27 was up by 2.6% year-over-year overall and by 4.5% year-over-year for grocery multiples.
“The consumer was much more cautious this year, and it was a back to basics Christmas,” Mike Watkins, senior manager, retailer services, Nielsen, noted.  “Sales of packaged grocery (+11%), frozen (+10%), and confectionery (+8%) were buoyant, while sales of …

In November, 10.3 million British Internet users visited at least one of the 10 most popular newspaper websites — up 23% from 8.3 million unique visitors during the same month a year ago.
Meanwhile, 5.5 million Brits visited at least one of the top 10 magazine websites — up 30% from 4.3 million unique visitors last year.
Among the top 10 newspaper websites, the Guardian’s site was most popular, drawing 3.5 million unique UK visitors in November.  The Mirror (92%), Independent (85%), and Daily Mail (65%) had the largest year-over-year growth.
Among the top 10 magazine websites, Auto Trader was easily the most popular, with 1.8 …

Growth (by value) of food sales at British supermarkets slowed to 5.4% during the 12 weeks ending October 4, compared with the same period in 2007, Nielsen reported Tuesday.
Flagging sales in September, when growth dipped to 4.5% — a full percentage point below August growth levels, drove the declines.
“Shoppers are still trading down,” Mike Watkins, senior manager, retailer services, Nielsen noted.  “Family shoppers in particular, are trying to save money, with 70% saying on they are looking to economize on grocery shopping — up from 63% in June.”