FMCG success today is now dependent on quality product images, solid SEO and prominent placement on e-tailer websites—far more so than simply having an abundant quantity or variety on the shelf at the local store.

While unexpected by many, the Amazon-Whole Foods linkage highlights just how profoundly consumer expectations are changing with regard to food and beverage shopping—and will continue to do so moving forward.

Premium purchases are not just made in glamorous, luxury product categories. In the Pacific, it is the grocery sector that has the most premium potential. Consumers are trading-up everyday products in their shopping trolleys; and marketers can capitalise on premiumisation trends and consumers’ willingness to consider a higher price tag in key categories.

Unbeknownst to most consumers, tremendous thought goes into developing even the most commonplace products. As a result, product development in the FMCG industry is anything but fast-moving. But what if algorithms could help streamline the process and the outcomes?

The variety and increasing scale of data, as well as the scope of activity it is meant to inform, demands a solution that goes well beyond a simple enterprise data warehouse. So what might that more robust solution look like?

Nine million Australians say they have travelled domestically in the past six months or internationally in the past 12 months. But are all travellers the same? Using Nielsen research, we identified six distinct types of Australian travellers and looked at how best to reach and engage each group.

Ethnic-Australians’ spend on FMCG retailing is growing at a faster rate than their Australian-born counterparts. In the next five years, this important group of consumers will contribute a total of $18.7 billion (or 28%) in sales for the grocery sector. This represents an increase of $4.4 billion in incremental revenue, with Asian-born consumers making up 57% of this growth.

After a long day spent on a sunny beach, there isn’t a meal quite as perfect as fish and chips. This time-honoured, classic fried feast is synonymous with summertime in Australia. Research from Nielsen’s Consumer & Media View (CMV) survey shows that almost a third (32%) of Australians aged over 14 years old have claimed to have eaten or bought fish and chips in the past six months, with consumption peaking during the warmer months (October to February).

For the sports industry, one challenge stands above all others. How, in a truly multimedia environment, can sponsorships be accurately measured to provide a true picture of value generated for rights holders and brands?

Global sports are thriving, but media consumption is changing before our eyes. And as the media world grapples with these issues, so too must the sports industry. But these challenges aren’t the only obstacles facing the sports realm.

Measuring an ad’s ability to communicate trust is a tricky business: perceptions of trust can be non-conscious, formed almost immediately and biased by subtle factors. Given these nuances, explicit research methods aren’t sufficient.

Innovations in the U.S. liquor market are creating new avenues for growth; and there are a number of key trends that New Zealand can learn from to boost local liquor sales. Danny Brager, Senior Vice President of Nielsen’s Beverage and Alcohol Practice presents the latest Beer, Wine, Cider and Spirits trends.

You’ve heard it a million times – you need to eat more vegetables, particularly your greens. In Australia, this adage appears to be ringing true. Nielsen Homescan data showed that volume sales for Asian vegetables jumped by 22% versus the previous year, while dollar sales jumped by 17%.

Nielsen Digital Ratings (Monthly) data revealed 11.2 million Australians visited online content related to the sports category via any device during the month of March 2017, up 8% compared to February 2017.

Over the past year, growth in the pharmacy channel has moderated substantially - to just below 1%. However, strong performance in other, smaller pockets of the store - including infant formula and cosmetics - signals positive future growth prospects in pharmacy.

When it comes to dining out or feasting on fast food, New Zealanders are certainly not afraid to try something different. Nielsen research shows that 1.4 million Kiwis eat Thai food and the number of consumers that have eaten it in the past month has increased by 17%.

As retailers ramp up their health and wellness offerings, and the lines between channels blurs, it’s interesting to think about the role that drug stores will play in an increasingly crowded, wellness-oriented marketplace.

Australians are willing to take to the seas with more than half (55%) considering going on a cruise. Strong growth in advertising spend from cruise operators is driving consumer enthusiasm, but questions have been raised as to whether Sydney’s infrastructure can support demand. If tour operators pull Australian ports from their routes, the current trend in advertising growth could face a sudden change in course.

Amazon’s expansion into the Australian market is expected to launch by the end of 2018. Three-in-five Australian shoppers are looking forward to buying from the (soon to be local) online retail powerhouse.

Aussie consumers are still bananas for bananas. It is the nation’s most popular fruit. Nine-in-10 Australian households purchased bananas in the year ending 24 February 2017 and total volume sales grew by 7.5% during this period.

It’s no surprise that more and more items are being outfitted with built-in connectivity. Consumers’ adoption of internet-enabled devices isn’t a given, however, and it’s worth exploring why acceptance has been so fragmented across categories—as well as what the industry can do to accelerate usage.

Whether it be a domestic getaway or a long-haul international holiday, over 2 million New Zealanders have travelled in the past year and 3 million intend to travel over the next 12 months. Our love of travel has translated into strong sales for travel and holiday guide books.

Different consumer needs demand varied experiences. Enter precision marketing. The good news for marketers is that the fundamentals (and tools) remain the same across industries.

Today, 393,000 Kiwis aged over 15 wear a device on their wrist that can do more than tell the time. A status symbol, motivational fitness piece and functional gadget all in one, these smart devices are attached to their owners 24/7, providing new ways for brands to connect with consumers.

How many things can you say for certain that you're paying attention to, or even seeing, at any given moment? Our brains just aren’t good at recalling the kinds of details marketers need to evaluate their efforts in a complex world. That’s where the right neuroscience tools can help.

In an age where consumers say they are increasingly health aware, New Zealanders still regularly indulge in fast food. Research from Nielsen’s Consumer and Media Insights (CMI) survey reveals that in the past month, as many as 80% of New Zealanders ate fast food. Fish and Chips continues to be our fast favourite, with 1.7 million Kiwis eating it in the last month - an increase of 11% over two years.

Australians are big fans of the humble, yet versatile, cauliflower. In 2016, dollar sales for cauliflower increased by 12% on the previous year - and while this was partly driven by higher prices - consumption also continued to grow at a steady pace, with volume sales up by 2% on 2015.

China, with its huge population and increasing affluence, is a very lucrative market for companies and brands in the Pacific. The Demand Institute, projects that consumers in China will spend $56 trillion over the next decade, with a largely young, affluent, connected consumer base with disposable incomes leading the charge.

Australians are voracious consumers of broadcast TV and other video, and they have a growing array of options by which to access content. However, while viewing patterns continue to change as consumers embrace connected devices – most viewing still goes to broadcast TV channel content watched in the home.

Over the next decade, the New Zealand population will undergo some profound shifts. Larger households, ethnic diversity, ageing consumers, increased device usage and growing concern about the environment, will all need to be factored into future marketing and advertising planning for companies and brands. And this is especially true for energy retailers.

As we head into the winter months, Australians aren’t slowing down on purchasing their favourite frozen dessert, ice cream. The category has experienced diverse product innovation and creativity, with a broader range of products now available to consumers.

This summer’s record-breaking heatwave stretched Australia’s energy supplies to unprecedented levels; intensifying consumers’ concerns about rising energy prices. In an attempt to reduce climbing power bills as many as 10% of Australians (or 1.4 million) aged over 18 plan to switch electricity retailers in the next two months.

Companies striving for “leaner, bigger, better” innovations require realistic marketing inputs and an accurate forecast to identify their most promising initiatives. Proving that “consumers love it” without a realistic volumetric assessment simply isn’t enough.

Dubbed the social media generation, the ‘me’ generation and even the lazy generation, Millennials (aged 18-34 yrs) have been given a bad rap. This generation, however, is growing up; and while they haven’t quite established themselves, their purchasing power is increasing at an exponential rate.

With global sponsorship spend forecast to reach over $62 billion in 2017 and global media rights spend expected to hit $45 billion, the top-line metrics remain positive. This report detail what we regard as the 10 major commercial trends in sports.

It’s no secret that consumers are increasingly connected online, both in-and-out-of the home. In fact, eight-in-10 Australians now own a smartphone, and six-in-10 use this device to connect daily. Whether they are grocery shopping, watching sport, studying, commuting to work or connecting with friends - these activities are no longer purely offline experiences.

Two-thirds (63%) of Australia’s digital advertising inventory across all devices is now bought through programmatic or ad network services, according to 2016 data from Pathmatics and Nielsen. The data is collected from digital creatives and ad technology tags found in 2,000 websites visited by Australians across desktop, mobile and tablet browsers.

A publisher’s website frames the conversation between brands and consumers. This context is powerful and can have a meaningful impact on a brand’s campaign performance. Research conducted by Nielsen revealed that the context of the carsales website, positively shifted brand metrics for automotive brands, to increase active recommendation by 50%.

New Zealand consumer confidence index reached 103 in the fourth quarter of 2016 – the highest score in nine years (since Q3 2007 where it reached 115). The index represents a two point increase from Q3 2016 and a four point increase on a year ago (Q4 2015).

Global consumer confidence increased modestly in 2016, a time of great political and economic change around the world, rising three points between the first and fourth quarters to 101. Confidence scores finished the year more strongly than they began in every region except Africa/Middle East.

Unconstrained by physical walls, e-commerce retailers offer a huge inventory of products in endless aisles. Unfortunately, our physical world product coding processes can’t scale to e-commerce: they’re too costly and too slow.

Amid great political and economic change around the world, global consumer confidence moved modestly in 2016, rising three points between the first and fourth quarter to 101.

Online retailing giant, Amazon, is set to shake things up in the Australian retail jungle when it launches in September 2017; with talks of it offering a completely new grocery shopping experience in the way it integrates physical stores with online ordering.

Keep up to date with the latest news and information on Australia's world-leading digital audience measurement solution.

Unique audiences visiting the Netflix website or app via a desktop/laptop, smartphone or tablet have increased by 48% when comparing Digital December 2016 ratings data to December the prior year. A majority of this year-on-year growth was driven by increased access via smartphone (+82%).

Whether it is driven by lactose intolerance, allergies, veganism, the paleo diet, or just general health and wellbeing, it appears New Zealanders are exploring emerging alternatives to traditional white milk.

December 2016 will be remembered as one of the hottest festive periods on recent record in Australia. However, grocery sales during this peak period remained cool, with just 1% growth in dollars spent during the four-week period ending 31 December 2016 compared with the same period in 2015 - well below the annual growth rate for total grocery.

Without data integration, the only thing cool technology can do is stare helplessly at a pile of bricks it can’t assemble into anything useful.

Consumers are faced with a dizzying array of retailers vying for their attention, and a retail loyalty program can be a determining factor for where they decide to shop. In fact, 56% of Australians and 57% of New Zealanders say that they’ll buy from a retailer with a loyalty program over one without.

Digital has disrupted a whole host of interactions, including the way we watch video content and the ways we communicate with friends and family. The way we shop is no exception.

Not surprisingly, online shopping is pervasive among the growing online population. But when it comes to buying online, category dynamics are fluid and evolving.

The premium sector is growing globally, and as it turns out, it isn’t ritzy categories like diamonds and champagne that are topping the charts. Rather, global consumers are most often willing to trade up for everyday consumables.

The first weekend of October 2016 marked two significant events in Australian sporting history: the Western Bulldogs won their first AFL grand final in 62 years; and the following day, NRL fans witnessed a similar performance when the Cronulla Sharks took out their first premiership in 49 years.

Global sport's top-line metrics, notably global sponsorship and media rights spend, continued to point in the right direction in 2016 but it was also a year of rapid change across the industry.

The use of digital channels is gaining traction in the shopping realm for New Zealand consumers. This Christmas it's expected that a record 1.1 million people will be purchasing festive season items via the internet.

In the coming decades, machine learning will transform work as we know it. And unlike previous revolutions, which primarily affected blue-collar workers, the smart machine revolution has white-collar workers in its sights.

Grocery e-commerce, while still small in Australia, represents a major opportunity for retailers. Nielsen Homescan reveals that the average basket size of an online shopper is close to $100 - more than double that of the average basket shopped in a physical store.

Around the world, consumers are looking for a taste of the good life. And it’s not just those who are wealthy. Sales of products in the “premium” tier are growing at a rapid pace. In fact, the growth of the premium sector in many markets is outpacing total growth for many fast-moving consumer goods categories.

Australian homes have more screens, channel and platform choices than ever before. These choices deliver greater opportunities to watch television and other video, and together affect the time consumers spend with various devices.

This study identifies the attributes consumers are looking for in premium product offerings, and reveals the underlying sentiment behind the reasons for purchase. We explore what “premium” means to consumers, and we identify the categories for which they’re most willing to pay a higher price.

With mortgage rates at an all-time low, many Australian consumers still plan on buying a home – despite rising house prices. In the next 12 months, over 1.7 million Australians intend to buy a property and 79% of this group listen to commercial radio each week.

Consumers are faced with a dizzying array of retailers vying for their attention, and a retail loyalty program can be a determining factor for where they decide to shop. In fact, 72% of global respondents agree that, all other factors equal, they’ll buy from a retailer with a loyalty program over one without.

When it comes to the most-valued loyalty-program benefits, monetary incentives top the list in every region. However, creating meaningful differentiation requires offering more than generic deals, and thinking beyond monetary perks can help brands stand out.

In recent years, retailers have increased their efforts in maximising the opportunities particular events and holidays can bring. In pharmacy, however, much of the channel seasonality appears to be driven by factors such as weather.

Most new product launches are “small” or “sustaining” innovations, which include the many, many brand extensions that large companies launch year after year. These launches are absolutely essential for growing existing brands and defending shelf space.

While grocery e-commerce is still relatively small in Australia - accounting for just over 2% of total grocery sales - it is growing seven times faster than the total market. We predict that online consumer spending will inject up to $2 billion of incremental sales into the Australian grocery industry over the next five years.

Global consumers, by and large, have more shopping choices at their disposal than ever before. For retailers, differentiating your brand in such a crowded space is critical. A retail loyalty program can be an effective way to create competitive advantage by reducing customers’ likelihood to switch stores.

Done well, loyalty programs can help drive more frequent visits and heavier purchasing. More than seven in 10 global respondents (72%) agree that, all other factors equal, they’ll buy from a retailer with a loyalty program over one without.

The avocado industry has unlocked eye-popping growth in a mature category—without breakthrough innovation. Instead, avocados have grown their share of our wallets (and stomachs!) simply through significant and sustained investment in marketing and promotion.

Where growth is being driven (or declining) from can vary considerably by retailer and understanding the differences can help improve your category’s performance. Taking the craft beer boom as an example, we see how different market dynamics can be between banners.

When it comes to staying healthy, consumers are all too aware of how the foods we eat can affect our overall health. Almost a quarter (24%) of Australian consumers follow a diet that limits the consumption of sugar, while 44% say they avoid sugar as an ingredient.

A social responsibility strategy isn’t the only way to manage corporate reputation, but it is increasingly becoming a critical piece of the puzzle.

While the third quarter of 2016 saw considerable economic diversity across the markets measured by Nielsen’s Global Survey, consumer confidence in the U.S. remained on solid footing with a score of 106, despite a decline of seven points from the second quarter.

The New Zealand consumer confidence index reached 101 in Q3 2016 – the highest score since Q1 2015. In the latest online survey, the three key drivers of New Zealand’s confidence all increased from the previous quarter.

Retail players have long believed that large-format stores will eventually take over the landscape, but today’s reality disproves the “bigger is always better” myth. Although large stores still account for 51% of global sales, smaller channels are growing sales up to eight times as fast their larger counterparts.

Third-quarter 2016 global consumer confidence remained stable at 99, up one point from the second quarter and unchanged from third-quarter 2015. Country-level scores, however, varied dramatically throughout the regions, reflecting considerable economic diversity around the world.

Third-quarter global consumer confidence increased one point from the second quarter to 99. Country-level scores, however, varied dramatically throughout the regions, reflecting considerable economic diversity around the world.

It’s Australia’s most famous Tuesday, Melbourne Cup Day. And with 4 in 10 Australians interested in watching the famous race, it’s one of the most valuable sporting sponsorships in the nation too.

The sheer volume and variety of data can seem overwhelming, and the retail industry is wrestling with how to harness it, find insights and drive action. So how do we do that?

While paying bills, checking account balances and transferring funds from a mobile device may be convenient and easy, security is an ever-increasing consideration—and a critical barrier to success.

Long lauded as the backbone of New Zealand's economy, farmers and growers work hard to 'get the job done'. Today the mood of rural consumers is looking up.

Packed with nutrients and disease-preventing and immune-boosting benefits, it’s no wonder sweet potatoes have emerged as one of the fastest growing fresh produce categories in the Australian market.

The toiletries and cosmetics categories in New Zealand are poised to reap the benefits of our shifting demographic make up. These changes are influencing what beauty products we buy and where.

Most of the customer data companies gather about innovation is structured to show correlations rather than causations. Yet after decades of watching great companies do poorly at innovation, we’ve come to the conclusion that the focus on correlation is taking firms in the wrong direction.

Though mobile shopping habits are on the rise, there’s certainly a method to the madness, as global consumers are also using digital tools to monitor their spending and manage their finances.

As consumers take the fight against obesity and chronic disease into their own hands, many are eliminating ingredients that concern them from their daily diet. Across the Pacific, consumers are adopting a back-to-basics mindset where a focus on simple ingredients and fewer artificial or processed foods is a priority.

What causes a consumer to pull a product into their lives? Simply put, we bring a product into our lives because it meets a need or desire. That’s the crux of Jobs Theory: doing a job that needs to be done.

Among global respondents, 74% say they appreciate the freedom of being connected anywhere, anytime, and 70% strongly or somewhat agree that their mobile device has made their life better. This constant connectivity has not only changed the way we keep in touch, but also the way we shop, bank and pay for goods and services.

Mobile devices may not be critical to survival, but a majority of consumers around the world can’t imagine life without them. And now, they’re transforming the world of commerce.

Grabbing a bite to eat outside of the house is a weekly occurrence for almost half of global respondents, but are we stopping to savor our entrees or eating grub on the go? As it turns out, we’re doing quite a bit of both.

More than seven in ten Australian households now own four or more connected devices. Our access to media, information, entertainment and each other – anywhere and anytime – means we are spreading our screen time across multiple options. Our evolving viewing patterns are heavily influenced by platform and device choice and what is available to us at any given time of day.

We’ve become so accustomed to our fast-paced lifestyles that it’s even crept its way into how we consume food. This is especially the case when you look at breakfast. So what does the future of the most important meal of the day look like?

While today’s consumers certainly scrutinize the foods that fill their pantries, they aren’t just eating at home. In fact, eating out isn’t just for special occasions; it’s a way of life for nearly half of global respondents.

Retail growth today and tomorrow will come from very different ways than it has in the past. In the next five years Nielsen's analysts have uncovered opportunities up for grabs through innovation, private label, channel growth, millennials, ethnic Australians and fresh foods. What's your five year growth plan?

Brands armed with new products have always rushed to be first to market, as first movers often establish a stronghold that can be difficult for later entrants to break into. But being “first mover” at the expense of being “best mover” can often lead brands to competitive disadvantage.

Nielsen’s 2016 Breakthrough Innovation Report celebrates high achieving brand innovation. These winning products are distinctive, relevant and enduring, and most importantly, they get the job done!

The ins-and-outs of what a healthy diet looks like may vary somewhat around the world, but simplicity resonates globally. While there is some variation across regions, the story stays the same: Artificial is out, many of us avoid food with long lists of ingredients and consumers are intent on removing the bad and adding the good.

In addition to representing their countries and competing for medals, para-sports athletes participating in the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games this month will be challenging stereotypes, increasing inclusion and breaking down social barriers—something these competitors have been doing since the first Paralympic Games in Rome, Italy in 1960.

Nielsen Sports' latest report examines not only the rising interest in para-sports and the Paralympics, its growing status as a media product and how the Games already works for partners, but also notes the opportunity it provides to change attitudes – and, critically, what that might mean for current and future para-sports sponsors.

As a consumer group, Millennials are just starting to flex their spending power, which will grow significantly in the coming years. While they’re years from fully establishing themselves, they’re already having a marked impact on the global consumer landscape.