Nielsen Total Consumer

Helping CPG navigate the shift to e-commerce

Overview

Nielsen Total Consumer was a recurring insights platform created to help CPG and retail leaders understand a marketplace rapidly expanding beyond the physical store.

Combining Nielsen’s emerging e-commerce and omnichannel measurement with original research, the program explored the forces reshaping commerce, from online grocery and beauty to subscriptions, private label and new shopping behaviors. Nielsen’s new U.S. e-commerce measurement ultimately provided visibility into 90% of U.S. FMCG online sales and enabled direct comparison of online and in-store performance.

Total Consumer and its related studies became widely used industry reference points, helping extend Nielsen’s authority from traditional retail measurement into e-commerce, omnichannel and the future of consumer behavior. Their findings were subsequently cited by Cargill, Salesforce, IAB, and others.

Elements

  • Total Consumer Report

    Created flagship reporting spanning Nielsen’s legacy measurement with new e-commerce, digital shopping, and behavioral insights.

  • Category & Partner Studies

    Extended the platform through category and partner research, including the FMI initiative, to show how digital commerce was reshaping shoppers and growth.

  • Measurement Products

    Helped bring new e-commerce and omnichannel measurement products to market, giving clients a more complete view of performance across online and in-store commerce.

  • Client & industry engagement

    Brought the insights directly to senior CPG and retail leaders through top-to-top meetings, industry events, webinars, podcasts, press interviews, and thought leadership.

Approach

I created and led the Total Consumer insights franchise, working across Nielsen’s research, data, product, client and communications teams to turn emerging changes in commerce into strategic guidance for CPG and retail leaders.

Key responsibilities included:

  • Research agenda, reporting, and editorial narrative

  • E-commerce and omnichannel data interpretation

  • Industry and research partnerships, including FMI

  • Collaboration with measurement and product leadership

  • Executive advisory and client top-to-top presentations

  • Press interviews, webinars, podcasts, and industry events

The objective was to make Nielsen a trusted guide to what came next in commerce — not only measuring the established retail market, but helping clients understand and prepare for its disruption.

  • A look at how changing consumer behavior, channels and shopping habits were reshaping growth across retail and consumer goods. Read the report.

  • An exploration of how digital was changing grocery shopping and what retailers and manufacturers needed to do in response. Read the report.

  • An examination of the consumer shifts and emerging trends reshaping growth across beauty and personal care. Read the report.

  • A look at how online shopping was changing consumer behavior and what brands and retailers could do to win in digital retail. Read the report.

Impact

Made e-commerce a strategic priority for major CPG and retail leaders, informing growth, brand, assortment and channel decisions.

CLIENT STRATEGY

Established Total Consumer as a widely cited reference across CPG, technology, consulting, advertising, media and research.

INDUSTRY INFLUENCE

Expanded Nielsen’s authority from traditional retail measurement into e-commerce, omnichannel and future-facing consumer intelligence.

MODERNIZED NIELSEN

Coverage

  • "Consumers Have Already Started Holiday Shopping"

    WWD

  • "Nielsen: Online Grocery is Past the Tipping Point"

    Progressive Grocer

  • "Private-label sales grew 3X faster than national brands"

    Food Dive

  • "Private labels: How are they changing the grocery landscape?"

    SmartBrief

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