Nielsen Wire » winter http://blog.nielsen.com/nielsenwire Consumer Insights, News, Research & Reports Thu, 09 Feb 2012 20:36:28 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.5 en hourly 1 Winter Weather Freezes U.K. Grocery Sales http://blog.nielsen.com/nielsenwire/consumer/winter-weather-freezes-u-k-grocery-sales/ http://blog.nielsen.com/nielsenwire/consumer/winter-weather-freezes-u-k-grocery-sales/#comments Wed, 03 Feb 2010 18:31:08 +0000 Nielsen Wire http://blog.nielsen.com/nielsenwire/?p=19867 Following a robust December, sales in the U.K. grocery retail sector were subdued in January as the expected post-Christmas lull was further depressed as a result of snow that covered much of the country in January.  The grocery sector grew 2.4 percent for the four weeks ending January 23, with grocery multiples faring very slightly better at 2.6 percent.

“The post Christmas hangover was longer and deeper this year with snow and ice disrupting shopping patterns, resulting in fewer shopping trips being made.  Where shoppers did carry on shopping however, some spending was bought forward into the week ending 9th January as consumers stockpiled.   As a result, sales in the following 2 weeks were more subdued.  Many seasonal lines also came off promotion and this would have impacted sales.  Retailers will need to encourage shoppers to keep spending over the next few weeks to lift momentum,” said Mike Watkins, senior manager retailer services at Nielsen.

“The ‘big freeze’ has highlighted some unusual shopping trends: in the 3 weeks ending January 16, sales of salt increased 128 percent overall and 185 percent in convenience stores.  Cat litter was widely recommended as an alternative to grit and sales of this jumped 31 percent during the snowy weeks.  Meanwhile, sales of basics like tea (+10%), coffee (+8%) and soup (+16%) also grew as shoppers stocked up and battened down the hatches.  Convenience stores also benefited from shoppers and commuters staying at home and treating themselves to breakfast.  Sales of eggs were up 33 percent, bacon up 24 percent, sausages up 33 percent and hot cereals up 39 percent.  And rather heartwarmingly, we looked after our wildlife – sales of bird food shot up 73 percent,” said Watkins.

12-Weeks to January 23, 2010 Share of Grocery Market Spend by Retailer and Value Sales % Change

Retailer 12 w/e 1/24/09 12 w/e 1/23/10 Value Sales % Change
Tesco 27.9% 28.1% 5.3%
Asda 15.9% 16.1% 5.4%
Sainsbury’s 14.7% 14.9% 6.1%
Morrisons 10.7% 11.2% 10.1%
Co-op & S’field 8.8% 7.7% -8.1%
Co-op 5.6% 5.9% 10.7%
Somerfield 3.2% 1.8% -40.6%
Waitrose 3.5% 3.8% 14.2%
M&S 4.1% 4.1% 2.9%
Iceland 1.9% 1.9% 7.9%
Source: The Nielsen Company
]]> http://blog.nielsen.com/nielsenwire/consumer/winter-weather-freezes-u-k-grocery-sales/feed/ 0 Finding The Avid Sports Fan In Season http://blog.nielsen.com/nielsenwire/consumer/finding-the-avid-sports-fan-in-season/ http://blog.nielsen.com/nielsenwire/consumer/finding-the-avid-sports-fan-in-season/#comments Mon, 10 Nov 2008 13:51:06 +0000 admin http://blog.nielsen.com/nielsenwire/?p=4465 When is the best time to engage with sport fans? 

It may depend on the time of the year, according to a multi-sport study from Nielsen PreView.  The research, which analyzed fan loyalty for more than a dozen sports found that while some fans are fully dedicated to one sport, many have competing loyalties that affect their engagement with each sport. 

For instance, while NCAA Basketball season begins in the fall – when baseball and football are also on the sports scene, February and March are the prime months when basketball fans are most engaged in their sport.

Sports sponsorship and licensing is at least a $17 billion business in the U.S., Nielsen PreView’s study notes.  With stakes that big, being able to gauge fan engagement across a variety of sports – in order to time ad spending – is no mere game.

View Nielsen PreView’s study.

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