New Nielsen Homescan Tracks 'Biggest Opportunities'

In Sydney, Nielsen has announced a number of enhancements to its Homescan consumer panel, which measures purchases across the various channels making up Australia's grocery sector.

The latest version includes a measure of grocery eCommerce, which grew 22.2% in the first quarter of this year; offers enhanced coverage of fresh categories (fruit and vegetables, meat, poultry, deli and seafood); and through a partnership with The George Institute links shopper behaviour with food composition, including health star ratings and core nutritional information such as sugar content and gluten free.

Nielsen has also stepped up its recruitment drive for multicultural households, to ensure Homescan is representative of all ethnic groups and their specific buying habits. Users will get access to all this data through a new online software platform, Connect Express, giving immediate access to advanced analytics and options to collaborate across teams in real time.

Bernie Hughes (pictured), MD for Nielsen Connect - Pacific says the changes will help the country's retailers target 'the biggest opportunities in retail', and adds: 'Our upgraded methodology also provides a more comprehensive read of smaller shopping baskets; this is an important consumer dynamic to understand as households now tend to shop more frequently and in ways convenient to them rather than the traditional weekly shop'.

Group home page: www.nielsen.com .