Nielsen: Parents talk products online

Before they head to a mall or department store to buy goodies for the kids' Christmas wish lists, parents are discussing those buys online. That is the word from a recent Nielsen//Netratings report, and is another indication that companies need to be in touch with the social applications on the web.

by Kristina Knight

By offering consumers a place to post reviews or find out more about your products, businesses have a better chance to completing a sale and building their brand image. According to the survey results parents this holiday season are most concerned with the cost of products (20%) and the safety of products (10%).

“In 2007 parents are operating within tight boundaries—as always, they want to adhere to their children’s wish lists, but they’re sensitive to toy recalls and hoping to curb spending,” said Kate Niederhoffer, director of research methodology, Nielsen Online. “Heading to the stores with a plan to
buy specific products appears to be their solution to prevent excess shopping and impulse purchases."

Parents are also mentioning specific products, like gaming systems, in their online buying conversations.

According to the Nielsen//Netratings Holiday eShopping Index, visits to online stores within the Index increased 14% year over year for the week ending November 25th. Meanwhile visits to consumer electronics sites increased 129%, jewelry sites increased more than 60% and visits to toy or gaming sites increased 54%.