Content about NPD Group

PORT WASHINGTON — Despite a plethora of constantly changing products, the consumer technology industry saw its sales decline 2% in 2012, according to The NPD Group. This is on top of the less than 1% drop in 2011. Since 2010, consumer technology sales have declined by $4 billion.

MAHWAH, N.J. — Sharp achieved the top U.S. market share in the 60"+ LED TV segment in 2012, according to The NPD Group's Retail Tracking Service. According to the company, the increase in market share between 2010 and 2012 was due to its selection of large screen choices, picture quality performance and brand strength, Sharp more than doubled its market share between 2010 and 2012 (based on revenue share).

PORT WASHINGTON, N.Y. — According to global information company the NPD Group, consumers rewarded the U.S. retail toy industry with a strong December.

Based on data from the NPD Group’s Retail Tracking Service, many shoppers waited until the last two weeks of December to do their holiday toy shopping. Looking at those two weeks, dollar sales were up 18%and unit sales were up 10% when compared to the same time period in 2011.  

Sales in the consumer electronics space would have been abysmal in 2011 were it not for tablet and e-readers, according to data from market researcher The NPD Group, which shows Target has an opportunity to gain share.

Target’s recent moves to deepen its relationship with Apple could be beneficial in that regard, as it was Apple that drove CE activity in 2011 and is likely to do so again in 2012. Currently, Target is not among the top five CE retailers, which NPD lists as Best Buy, Walmart, Apple and a tie between Staples and Amazon.

BENTONVILLE, Ark. — The NPD Group announced that it has reached an agreement with Walmart to receive and analyze its point-of-sale information in the United States. 

PORT WASHINGTON, N.Y. —  Still looking for the perfect present for the kids in your life? According to The NPD Group, you can't go wrong with toys. The research firm found that among children ages 0 to 14, "toys" was the response given by 44% of caregivers when asked the question, "What is on your child's wish list for the upcoming holiday season?"

PORT WASHINGTON, N.Y. — The NPD Group Inc. has named Kevin Gilbert as director of home improvement, reporting to Perry James, the president of home and office supplies. 

Prior to joining NPD, Gilbert was VP client solutions at SymphonyIRI, where he managed the Diageo and Kraft accounts. In addition to his role at SymphonyIRI, Gilbert spent many years in the packaged goods industry in category management, sales development, and trade planning roles, working with such companies as Kellogg, Bayer, and Pinnacle Foods.

PORT WASHINGTON, NEW YORK — Women are the majority spenders in the juvenile products market, accounting for 77% of total dollars spent, while nearly half of all dollars spent come from parents buying for their own children, according to The NPD Group.

Buyers ages 25 to 44 account for 57% of dollars spent on juvenile products, while more than half (55%) of the dollars spent in the juvenile products market comes from occasion-based shopping such as childbirth, baby showers, and adoption.

PORT WASHINGTON, N.Y. — NPD Group named Perry James, a 16-year veteran with the research firm, as the new president of home and office supplies. 

James replaces Peter Goldman, who moved on to a position within NPD as SVP technology analyst business. 

Before his current position, James was president of NPD’s office supplies and software businesses. From 2005 through 2007, he was with the home group on the business development side.

CHICAGO ─ Faced with rising food costs, U.S. consumers are turning to the cost savings tactics they’ve mastered over the past few years, according to The NPD Group.

According to The NPD Group, 49% of respondents surveyed on holiday entertaining plans said they plan to entertain family or friends in their home during the upcoming holiday season. Furthermore, casual dinnerware sales growth in the double digits in the past 12 months ending September 2010 show that the trend is toward less formal dining. Sales in the formal fine dinnerware segment remain down year-over-year.

Thirty-two percent of respondents told NPD that they entertained at their home less over the past year than in previous years, however, 11% said they entertained more.