NEW YORK, Nov. 22, 2006 – On the eve of Thanksgiving, blog buzz already indicates a surge of consumer anticipation for the holiday shopping frenzy. According to Nielsen BuzzMetrics, the share of blogs mentioning "holiday shopping" was up 69% for the week beginning November 12, 2006 versus four weeks earlier, and up 143% versus eight weeks earlier. ("Holiday shopping" includes references to keywords "shopping," along with one or more of the following keywords: "holiday," "christmas," "xmas" or "x-mas").

"The holidays always ignite an explosion of passionate consumer commentary during the most critical period for the retail sector," said Pete Blackshaw, chief marketing officer of Nielsen BuzzMetrics. "Emotions are up for a host of reasons and much of the early commentary on blogs, boards, and online communities provides a wealth of insight into shopper preferences, pain-points, and spending patterns. Black Friday alone will serve as a powerful leading indicator."

Mentions of keyword "black friday" increased 127% the week beginning November 12 versus four weeks prior, and 730% versus eight weeks prior.

Distribution of Commentary and Buzz
The distribution of shopper-related commentary extends across a broad spectrum of venues, and just about every type of blog, from popular political bloggers to product specific blogs such as Engadget or Gizmodo, are contributing to the early holiday factor.   "Just about every type of blog has something to say about the upcoming holiday season, and we expect this to impact other consumers' preferences and shopper decisions," added Blackshaw.

Prediction: Customer Service Complaint Ratio To Increase Week After Christmas
Paralleling the increase in shopping-related buzz are mentions of perpetual shopper pain points such as customer service and returns.   Based on analysis of previous years, Nielsen BuzzMetrics expects such consumer frustration to increase sharply in the coming weeks.

In 2005, while shopping-related buzz peaked during the week beginning December 18, references to "gift returns" peaked the day after Christmas and references to "customer service" peaked the week after January 1.  Moreover, the percentage of shopping-related commentary that explicitly mentions "customer service" doubled from the week leading to Christmas to the week beginning January 1.  ("Gift return" searches include mentions of either keywords "gift,"  "gifts" or "merchandise," along with either "return" or "returns").

"Our most important advice for retailers: be sensitive about the 'viral effect' of bad experiences.  And remember that bad experiences are no longer only written down, but also captured and shared online via photos and videos," Blacksahw said. "Never forget that an unprecedented percentage of consumers now walk into stores with a camera phone in hand."

Press Contact: Sandra Parrelli; Sandra.Parrelli@nielsen.com; 646-654-7772

Sales Inquiries: sales@buzzmetrics.com; 1.877.999.7335

About Nielsen Online:

Nielsen Online, a service of The Nielsen Company, delivers comprehensive, independent measurement and analysis of online audiences, advertising, video, consumer-generated media, word of mouth, commerce and consumer behavior, and includes products previously marketed under the Nielsen//NetRatings and Nielsen BuzzMetrics brands. With high quality, technology-driven products and services, Nielsen Online enables clients to make informed business decisions regarding their Internet, digital and marketing strategies. For more information, please visit www.nielsen-online.com.

About The Nielsen Company:

The Nielsen Company is a global information and media company with leading market positions in marketing information (ACNielsen), media information (Nielsen Media Research), online intelligence (NetRatings and BuzzMetrics), trade shows and business publications (Billboard, The Hollywood Reporter, Adweek). The privately held company is active in more than 100 countries, with headquarters in Haarlem, the Netherlands, and New York, USA. For more information, please visit, www.nielsen.com.