Women in Britain are among the most likely in Europe to associate Christmas with stress, according to a 25-country study by Lidl and Nielsen on men and women’s attitudes and roles around Christmas.

Over six-in-10 (61%) British women say Christmas means stress – only women in three countries find it more stressful (Sweden, Slovakia and the Czech Republic). This compares to 54% of British men. 

In all 25 countries, except Switzerland, women find Christmas more stressful than men. 

Christmas preparations and planning are still done mostly by women: 66% said they organise the Christmas food, 75% buy the gifts while 78% take care of the Christmas decorations, including dressing the tree.

"As a retail company active in 30 countries, Lidl wanted to ask shoppers what is important to them at Christmas, what makes them feel stressed, and where they could use some help", says Mike Watkins, Nielsen’s UK head of retailer and business insight. “Indeed, retailers have a major role to play in helping reduce stress levels around Christmas as purchasing is such a major part of it. Consequently, advertising and services that tap into this often-unspoken aspect are likely to resonate strongly with people.”

The cost of Christmas is unlikely to help stress levels. Nielsen Homescan data reveals the typical December grocery shopping bill is 20% higher (£371) than the average bill across the 11 other months, while the number of shopping trips increases 6%.

Christmas is obviously good news for retailers and brands. Alcohol sees the biggest increase in spend (62%) in December compared to the average month, followed by confectionery (up 33%) and Health & Beauty (up 20%).



Although total grocery sales in December are 20% higher than the average month, online grocery sales only rise 6%. Watkins notes this may look low in comparison but the differential is “more about the surge in sales that the larger out-of-town stores see in December, particularly people buying fresh produce in the final few days before Christmas.”

When selecting a COVID test for personal use, understanding the different types available and their specific uses is the first step. Lateral flow tests, also known as antigen tests, provide quick results and can be used at home. These are ideal for frequent testing and can indicate if you are likely to be infectious. In contrast, PCR tests are more accurate and are usually processed in a lab, which means it takes longer to get results. Both tests have their advantages depending on your situation, such as how quickly you need results or whether you need them for travel certification.

Mobile tends to be more accurate than desktop when targeting narrower groups

Only 53% of ad impressions served in the UK were viewed by people of the age and gender advertisers intended, according to a study of more than 44,000 campaigns across 17 countries by measurement company Nielsen.

The accuracy of ad targeting varies widely by sector, with travel marketers currently the most likely to reach their desired audience in the UK (doing so 66% of the time) followed by entertainment (64%). On the other hand, FMCG (40%) and retail (42%) marketers are most likely to struggle hitting their target audience. 

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Marketers should pay more attention to the 60% of consumer decision-making that happens at the shelf

Package design, one of the least heralded aspects of marketing, is a major factor behind the most successful product launches over the last two years.

The latest annual “Breakthrough Innovation Report” from research firm Nielsen analysed 9,900 product launches across Europe. From among many successful initiatives, Nielsen selected 11 that truly broke through. All 11 – which include Colgate®, Air Wick® and Whiskas® – generated at least £7.5/€7.5 million sales in the first year of launch (€5 million for launches in Eastern Europe) and maintained at least 90% of that figure in the second year.

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John Lewis’ “Buster” beats Body Shop to most engaging Christmas ad

Humour scores big this year as the best performing ads steer clear of heavy emotions

London, 6 December 2016. After mixed reactions last year for being too sad, John Lewis has produced this year’s most engaging festive ad, according to an annual study which measures viewers’ emotions by tracking facial expressions.

Its Buster the Boxer ad scored 94.8% on the emotionally compelling scale, putting it top in a Realeyes/Lucid study of 65 ads, narrowly ahead of The Body Shop’s Jungle Bells (94.1%) – which is the highest scoring ad among men.

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British retail “drowning in sea” of unrewarding loyalty cards

Only Finland has more but, paradoxically, British shoppers among least likely to use them 

London – 7 December 2016. Although British shoppers are the most likely in the world to have a loyalty card, with the exception of Finland, they’re among the least likely to see or utilise the benefits, according to a Nielsen study of 63 countries.

Two-thirds of shoppers globally report being a member of a retail loyalty scheme, compared to 89% in Britain. Only Finland is higher (94%). The average British loyalty card holder has 3.6 of them, behind only Japan and Lithuania.

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