High Sales of Cranberries, Stuffing and Other Traditional Fare Expected as U.S. Consumers Prepare for Thanksgiving Celebrations, Nielsen Reports

As U.S. consumers prepare to celebrate Thanksgiving, high retail sales are expected for cranberries, stuffing, red wine and other items traditional to holiday celebrations. According to The Nielsen Company:

* Consumers are expected to spend more than $46 million1 on stuffing, including stuffing mixes and frozen stuffing, during Thanksgiving week, the top sales week for stuffing. Sales of cranberries, another popular Thanksgiving feast staple, are also strong with more than $34 million in fresh and canned cranberries expected.
* Nearly 14 million2 bottles of wine will be served at Thanksgiving celebrations, with red wines slightly more popular than white wines. Pinot Noir and Riesling are more popular during Thanksgiving week compared to other times of the year.
* Yams anyone? More than 19 million cans or $14 million of sweet potatoes and yams will be purchased during Thanksgiving week, the highest sales week for yams. While more egg nog is sold in December, sales are still strong for Thanksgiving, with more than $16 million in egg nog expected.

“Back to basics is the theme for Thanksgiving celebrations this year as consumers comparison shop and search for price deals on traditional fare,” said Todd Hale, senior vice president, Consumer & Shopper Insights, The Nielsen Company. “Expect grocery retailers to be aggressive with advertising, recipe ideas, price promotions and prepared Thanksgiving meal offers in order to maximize sales during this critical ‘food holiday’ — and to capture consumers who opt to cancel their holiday restaurant plans due to the current economic conditions.”

About The Nielsen Company
The Nielsen Company is a global information and media company with leading marketing and consumer information, television and other media measurement, online intelligence, mobile measurement, trade shows and business publications (Billboard, The Hollywood Reporter, Adweek). The privately held company is active in more than 100 countries, with headquarters in New York, USA. For more information, please visit, www.nielsen.com.

1 All figures, with the exception of wine sales, represent sales in U.S. food, drug and mass merchandiser stores, including Wal-Mart, for the week ending 11/24/07.
2Based on sales in U.S. food, drug and major market liquor stores for the week ending 11/24/07.