Nielsen Forecasts 2.3-Percent Uptick in Key Food/Household Categories

SCHAUMBURG, Ill. -- According to Nielsen analyses, higher consumer confidence levels, increased impulse buying and consumer intent to spend more could all lead to an upside surprise in 2012 holiday spending. Nielsen is a global provider of measurement and information about what consumers watch and buy.

For sales in 89 categories across five key departments (food, beverages, alcohol, health/beauty and homecare), Nielsen is forecasting spending for November and December 2012 to reach $98.3 billion. Nielsen expects dollar sales to increase 2.3 percent and unit sales to remain generally flat (0.1 percent).

"With nearly a quarter of consumers indicating they have already started their holiday shopping by mid-September, I expect 'pragmatic enthusiasm' to inch spending levels higher than last year," said James Russo, vice president, global consumer insights, Nielsen. "Overall, this could be a season to celebrate. Nielsen's Consumer Confidence Index is the highest since before the recession. Planned shopping-list usage is down so impulse buying could be up, and shoppers across the income spectrum say they plan to spend more in multiple areas."

Within the five departments and 89 categories examined, items projected to do well over the holidays include:

• Alcoholic Beverages -- wine is expected to lead the category with 6-percent dollar and unit growth, followed closely by liquor, and beer rounding out the top three with a 3-percent gain.
• Food -- the continued success of fresh produce (expected holiday sales and unit growth of 4.6 percent and 3.7 percent, respectively) seems to signal more health-conscious consumers and home cooking this holiday season. Traditionally popular holiday food categories could do well also, including nuts (7.5-percent dollar growth and 15.1-percent unit growth) and jams/jellies/spreads (7.1-percent dollar and 1.1-percent unit growth expected).
• Beverages -- coffee will lead all beverages with 10-percent dollar and 7-percent unit growth, but bottled water could have above-average dollar (4.4 percent) and unit (3.8 percent) growth as well.
• Health and Beauty Aids -- Vitamins will be a bright spot in this department with dollar (9 percent) and unit (9.2 percent) growth figures better than most items in the five-category analysis.
• Home care -- Pet care will be the darling of the category with "spare-no-expense" pet owners expected to drive 5.9-percent dollar and 3.1-percent unit growth. The rest of home care, including cleaning and households products -- even holiday wrapping paper -- will see modest, price-driven dollar gains and unit sales declines.

Most respondents from all incomes identified $100-$250 as the ideal spending range for holiday food and household items. Gift-giving spending estimates hovered in the $250-500 range.

On the topic of gift-giving plans, Nielsen's Holiday Shopping Survey revealed gift cards and technology products tied for the lead (11 percent each) as products respondents plan to spend more on this year. Except for jewelry, every category including toys, apparel, video games, books, cookware/kitchen and sporting goods showed modest improvements in consumer plans to buy more than in years past.

The number of respondents saying they plan to spend more with online retailers leads all channels at 18 percent, up from almost 13 percent last year. Consumers saying they'll spend more at mass merchandisers doubled this year to 12 percent in 2012, from 6 percent in 2011 and 2010.

Although almost six out of every 10 consumers (59 percent) reported plans to spend the same as last year, there is a 10-point drop (from 37 percent in 2011 to 27 percent in 2012) in the number of people expecting to spend less. Eight percent of respondents reported plans to spend more this holiday season, up from 5 percent in 2011 and 2010.