Chicago, May 7, 2026 — NielsenIQ (NYSE: NIQ), a global leader in consumer intelligence, and Draftline Technologies reveal Draft now generates more than half of beer volumes in the US On-Premise thanks to interest in its taste and value. 

NIQ data for Quality on Tap: The Draft Beer Report, which published today, indicates that draft attracts 53.1% of all sales by volume—an increase of 2 percentage points in just two years. Its share of sales by value now stands at 49.9%, meaning it is set to overtake bottles or cans for dollar spend in US bars, restaurants and other venues. 

The Draft Beer Report includes expert insights from NIQ and Draftline about key trends in draft beer and reasons for its appeal. Three in five (59%) draft drinkers say they choose it for its superior taste, while two in five (42%) like its greater freshness over packaged alternatives. Nearly a quarter (23%), and 30% of Millennials, choose draft because it delivers better value for money. 

Draft’s increasing share of beer sales is also the result of an increase in number of certain venue types, with the number of neighborhood bars and sports bars that offer it rising year-on-year. The new research also sets out the full value to venues of draft, which delivers double the average value velocity in outlets where it is stocked alongside packaged beers. 

Additionally, draft beers’ popularity is being led by consumer demand for imported brands, the report shows. Dollar sales of these jumped by 8.1% in 2025, while packaged imports dropped 6.8%. Other key insights from the 2026 Draft Beer Report include: 

• Drinkers of draft beer spend an average of $45 more per month than packaged drinkers in outlets, and have a household income that’s $23,000 higher 

• Females represent 36% of those who have ordered Draft in the past three months—a year-on-year increase of 3 percentage points. However, women, younger adults and non-white groups still significantly under-index for draft consumption  

•  Share of no and low alcohol alternatives category nearly doubled in 2025, creating new opportunities for outlets on draft  

• Draft provides much more sustainable practices in beer, with one keg replacing around 1,100 bottles or cans and creating much less waste 

Matt Crompton, Vice President On-Premise, Americas at NIQ, said:

“This report makes clear that draft carries all the momentum in beer sales at the moment. It’s hitting the sweet spot of quality and value that many US On-Premise guests demand, and while the market remains skewed towards white older males, we’re beginning to see signs of diversification too. There will be more great opportunities to grow sales on draft lines in 2026, especially in imported and no or low alcohol categories, but outlets and suppliers will need to be responsive to consumers’ latest preferences and deliver faultless serves to keep them coming back for more.”

Jennifer Hauke, Founder and CEO at Draftline Technologies, said:

“Draft beer continues to be the biggest bright spot in the entire beer category. The On-Premise is gaining share within total beer, and draft beer is emerging as one of the most powerful growth drivers within it. Consumers choose draft first for taste and freshness, making clean, well‑maintained systems essential, not just for quality, but for profit. As draft drinker demographics continue to broaden and sustainability becomes more important, the opportunity only grows. When retailers prioritize quality, speed, and execution, draft beer has a long runway to drive performance, build loyalty, and bring new consumers into the category.”

Quality on Tap: How Draft drives occasions and spend report can be downloaded at this link.

About NIQ

NielsenIQ (NYSE: NIQ) is a leading consumer intelligence company, delivering the most complete and trusted understanding of consumer buying behavior and revealing new pathways to growth. By combining an unmatched global data footprint and granular consumer and retail measurement with decades of AI modeling expertise, NIQ builds decision systems that help companies turn complex data into confident action.

With operations in more than 90 countries, NIQ covers approximately 82% of the world’s population and more than $7.4 trillion in global consumer spend. Through cloud-based platforms, advanced analytics and AI-driven insights, NIQ delivers The Full View™—helping brands and retailers understand what consumers buy, why they buy it, and what to do next.

For more information, please visit www.niq.com.

Forward Looking Statement

This press release, regarding Draft Beer sales and consumers trends in the US, may contain forward-looking statements regarding anticipated consumer behaviors, market trends, and industry developments. These statements reflect current expectations and projections based on available data, historical patterns, and various assumptions. Words such as “indicates,” “expects,” “anticipates,” “likely,” and similar expressions are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. These statements are not guarantees of future outcomes and are subject to inherent uncertainties, including changes in consumer preferences, economic conditions, technological advancements, and competitive dynamics. Actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied in these statements. While we strive to base our insights on reliable data and sound methodologies, we undertake no obligation to update any forward-looking statements to reflect future events or circumstances, except to the extent required by applicable law.  

© 2026 Nielsen Consumer LLC. All Rights Reserved.

Welcome to Episode 15 of the NIQ + The CPG Guys Podcast Series!

Listen to the episode on other podcast platforms

The CPG Guys are joined in this episode by Kim Cox, Managing Director NA Omnichannel Intelligence Solutions & Richard Pereira, Regional Product Leader, NA at NielsenIQ.

Tune in to explore how retail measurement is undergoing dramatic transformation driven by omnichannel behaviors, AI adoption, evolving retailer data strategies, and the rapid growth of ecommerce and club channels. 

Kim Cox
Managing Director, eCommerce at NielsenIQ

Richard Pereira
Regional Product Leader
NielsenIQ

By translating MRI‑Simmons’ nationally representative consumer research into modeled audiences, the collaboration helps marketers turn consumer motivations, attitudes, and behaviors into scalable, media‑ready audiences.

New York, NY — May 7, 2026 — MRI‑Simmons today announced an expanded partnership with Experian, a leading global data and technology company, to bring audience segments built from MRI‑Simmons’ nationally representative consumer research to Experian’s data marketplace. Through this collaboration, advertisers, agencies, and media owners can access audiences grounded in MRI‑Simmons’ consumer insights and activate them at scale via Experian’s platform and extensive distribution network.

Experian clients now have access to a wide selection of MRI‑Simmons audience segments that capture the motivations, attitudes, and behaviors influencing consumer choices. These segments are based on MRI‑Simmons’ national consumer study and scaled using Experian’s advanced modeling capabilities, applying research‑driven modeling to extend insights across broader audiences.

Marketers can activate these audiences through Experian Curated Deals, which combine data, identity, inventory, and intelligent optimization to improve advertising efficiency. This offering creates a seamless path from audience planning to activation by aligning MRI‑Simmons‑informed segments with the most relevant media environments.

“By expanding our collaboration with Experian, we’re enabling marketers to tap into richer insights and deliver more impactful campaigns,” said Joshua Pisano, General Manager of Global Media, NIQ and MRI‑Simmons. “Working alongside innovative partners like Experian allows us not only to extend access to high‑quality consumer insights from our products, but also to help shape the next generation of privacy‑first, data‑driven marketing.”

Beyond syndicated offerings, MRI‑Simmons also supports custom audience development for brands seeking more tailored targeting strategies. These custom segments can be made available within Experian’s data marketplace, giving marketers the ability to plan and activate campaigns through Experian’s trusted ecosystem of integrated platforms.

“Offering MRI‑Simmons’ research‑based audiences through our data marketplace helps brands move beyond surface‑level demographics to understand what truly drives consumer behavior,” said Jake Abraham, Head of Strategic Partnerships at Experian. “With Experian Curated Deals, marketers can easily translate these insights into action, activating the right audiences across channels through our integrated platform network.”

New offering combines NIQ’s trusted shopper and panel data with GOcxm’s behavioral science and AI to uncover the motivations behind purchase, loyalty, and growth  

TORONTO, May 7, 2026 –  NielsenIQ (NYSE: NIQ), a leading consumer intelligence company, and GOcxm, a leading provider of retail execution and consumer engagement solutions for global CPG brands, today announced availability of Motivations IQ to the Canadian market. At a time when brands face mounting pressure to justify marketing spend alongside increasingly fragmented shopper behavior, this new capability will close a gap in consumer intelligence, helping brands, retailers, and category teams move beyond traditional measurement to understand not just what consumers do, but why they do it.

For years, organizations have relied on market, panel, and shopper data to measure consumer patterns such as what they buy, where they shop, and how behavior changes across channels. With Motivations IQ, retailers can now add a critical missing layer: why consumers choose, stay loyal, switch, advocate, or disengage.

By combining NIQ’s rich shopper, panel, and syndicated intelligence with GOcxm’s proven motivational model, behavioral science expertise, and AI-powered analysis, the collaboration gives clients a more complete picture of customer choices and a clearer path to action. This pairing helps brands uncover which emotional and experiential drivers matter most, where they are over- or under-delivering, and what initiatives are most likely to improve outcomes such as trial, repeat purchase, visitation, loyalty, and brand value. Layering these motivational insights onto purchase and demographic data, brands can identify the factors influencing purchase decisions, including functional needs like value and affordability, as well as emotional drivers such as joy, empathy, and trust.

Motivations IQ is built on a science-backed framework that identifies the key motivators influencing customer value and behavior. The solution helps clients:

Pinpoint the most important drivers of purchase, repeat, loyalty, and advocacy

Quantify which motivators are uniquely important to their brand or category

Model the potential impact of operational, marketing, product, or messaging changes

Prioritize “now, next, later” actions based on expected business lift, not instinct

Sharpen segmentation, positioning, and activation strategies with a clearer view of what drives consumer choice

“Understanding today’s consumer requires more than knowing what happened. This collaboration with GOcxm strengthens our ability to help clients understand the full consumer picture, combining robust behavioral data with deeper insight into the motivations that influence choice, loyalty, and growth,” said Mike Ljubicic, Managing Director at NIQ. “When layered onto our existing studies, panel assets, and category insights, Motivations IQ creates a stronger commercial story, helping clients get more out of the data investments they’ve already made.”

For brands navigating increasingly complex shopper behavior, fragmented channels, and growing pressure to prove ROI, Motivations IQ offers a practical way to turn insight into action faster and with greater confidence.

“Businesses don’t just need more data; they need better decision-making,” said Gary Kalk, CEO at GOcxm. “NIQ brings an exceptional view of shopper and market behavior. GOcxm adds the motivational intelligence layer that helps explain what is driving that behavior and what to do next. Together, we help clients move from observation to action.”

Expanded integration brings verified wellness and functional attribute data into RangeMe, enabling faster, more confident product discovery for retail buyers.  

CHICAGO, May 6, 2026 – NielsenIQ (NYSE: NIQ), a global leader in consumer intelligence, today announced an expanded integration between NIQ Brandbank and RangeMe, a leading online platform that streamlines new product discovery and sourcing between suppliers and retailers. The integration supports retailers in discovering emerging products, wellness‑forward attributes, and fast‑growing functional trends. The enhancement brings expanded verified product data into the RangeMe platform, helping retail buyers identify innovation with greater speed and clarity.

As shoppers increasingly look for foods, beverages, and everyday products that deliver benefits beyond basic nutrition, retailers are under pressure to quickly pinpoint items that meet very specific consumer needs. Verified attribute data has become central to that process. The growth in shoppers searching for functional products underscores the importance of high‑quality, enriched product information that supports accurate discovery and confident decision‑making.

With this latest expansion, RangeMe now surfaces a broader set of wellness and functional attributes powered by NIQ Brandbank’s validated data. Through it, retail buyers can:

Filter for high interest segments, including High‑Protein, Probiotics & Prebiotics, No Added Sugar / Low Sugar, and GLP‑1 Friendly

Search for additional qualified and stated claims

Better identify brands aligned to rapidly evolving shopper priorities

“This integration strengthens the tools retailers rely on to understand where consumer demand is heading,” said Josh Walker, VP NA Brands, NIQ Brandbank. “By powering discovery with high‑quality, validated attribute data, we’re helping retailers stay ahead of emerging trends and giving brands the visibility they deserve.”

The launch builds on NIQ’s broader strategy to bring standardized, accurate product attributes and forward‑looking insight together in one workflow. By combining NIQ Brandbank data with NIQ Product Insights (NPI), retailers gain earlier signals of rising ingredient demand, wellness trends, and whitespace opportunities enabling faster, more confident assortment decisions based on both verified product content and real‑time market behavior.

“Our goal is to give retail buyers the clearest possible view of what’s new, what’s trending, and what’s gaining traction with consumers,” said Wayne Bennett, SVP Retail at RangeMe. “Expanding our attribute‑powered discovery capabilities with NIQ Brandbank—and enriching them with NIQ Product Insights—means the most innovative, high‑value products rise to the top. Retailers can move with greater speed, and brands can better showcase their strengths.”

New AI-enabled solution replaces fragmented tools with simulation-driven pricing and promotion decisions before execution

CHICAGO, May 6, 2026 – As manufacturers face mounting pressure to protect margins, justify trade spend, and respond faster to shifting consumer demand, NIQ (NYSE: NIQ), a global leader in consumer intelligence, today announced the commercial launch of  Price & Promo Optimizer, a next‑generation, AI‑enabled Revenue Growth Management (RGM) platform built to fundamentally change how pricing and promotion decisions are made.

Today, many pricing and promotion decisions are still made across disconnected tools, manual workflows, and siloed teams—slowing execution, increasing risk, and limiting the ability to validate strategies before they reach the market. Price & Promo Optimizer replaces this fragmented approach with a united platform that brings pricing, promotion, and trade strategy into a single workflow.

Powered by NIQ’s trusted store‑level measurement data and advanced analytical models, Price & Promo Optimizer enables category managers, RGM leaders, marketing, and commercial teams to simulate scenarios, quantify trade‑offs, and understand the impact of decisions on volume, revenue, margin, and category performance, before they enter retailer negotiations or go to market.

“Pricing and promotion decisions have become one of the most critical growth levers for manufacturers, yet too many teams are still forced to make those calls with fragmented data and outdated tools,” said Martin Hernandez, SVP NIQ. “With Price & Promo Optimizer, NIQ is helping brands move from reactive decision-making to proactive, scenario-based planning. By bringing price elasticity, promotional effectiveness, and trade spend optimization into one AI-enabled platform, we enable teams to move faster, protect margins, and approach retailer conversations with greater confidence.”

In a landscape where decisions must be made with increasing speed, accuracy, and precision, Price & Promo Optimizer enables a shift from backward-looking analysis to forward-looking decision-making. Teams can test assumptions, evaluate multiple scenarios, and identify the most effective strategies before committing resources in-market.

The launch of Price & Promo Optimizer reflects another key milestone in NIQ’s strategy to build AI-enabled decision systems that help clients move from insight to action faster. It also builds on NIQ’s broader work in understanding how AI is transforming commerce and decision making across the consumer landscape.

With more than 23,000 clients across 90+ countries, 22.2 million stores, 220M product categories, and collaboration programs across more than 50 retailers worldwide, NIQ continues to expand its ecosystem of data, analytics, and AI-powered solutions—helping manufacturers navigate complexity and unlock new growth opportunities.

Price & Promo Optimizer is now commercially available to manufacturers globally. 

For more information, visit  NIQ.com 

NIQ insights drive international expansion and measurable growth for Hisense across key global markets 

CHICAGO (May 6, 2026) — NIQ (NYSE: NIQ), a global leader in consumer intelligence, today shared new learnings from its long-standing collaboration with Hisense, a leading global brand in home appliances and smart technologies. Using NIQ’s AI‑powered market intelligence, Hisense has accelerated international expansion, improved local market decision-making, and delivered measurable growth across more than 20 key markets and 12+ categories. The case study demonstrates how AI‑driven insights help global brands move faster, localize better, and compete more effectively in complex markets.

As Hisense expanded internationally, it faced rising complexity across global markets. Consumer preferences differed sharply across regions such as Western Europe, Eastern Europe, and Latin America, making a one‑size‑fits‑all approach ineffective.

The Challenge:

NIQ’s AI‑powered intelligence delivered the local market depth needed to guide investment, refine product positioning, and identify the features that mattered most in each market. By embedding NIQ insights into day‑to‑day decision‑making, Hisense shifted from retrospective reporting to faster, more proactive action–anticipating demand, aligning inventory with distributors, and adjusting pricing as market conditions evolved. 

Key Results for Hisense:

• +18% CAGR in overseas revenue including TV and household appliances (2015–2024)
• 38% year‑on‑year TV value growth in Western Europe (2024)
• Stronger competitive positioning across Europe, LATAM, and other growth regions

“For Hisense, our collaboration with NIQ is far more than access to market data—it’s the foundation for building trusted local collaborations and unlocking sustainable growth in key regions,” said Jerry Liu, Chairman, Hisense VIDAA. “NIQ doesn’t just provide numbers, they have become an extension of our team, helping us turn complexity into clarity.”

“Hisense is a strong example of how global brands can use AI‑powered market intelligence to scale with confidence,” said Julian Baldwin, President, Global Strategic Accounts at NIQ. “By combining NIQ’s proprietary data, AI-driven decision systems, and local expertise, Hisense is able to read market signals with greater speed and clarity, act on them with confidence, and turn those signals into measurable growth.”

As Hisense looks ahead, the next phase focuses on deeper AI‑driven foresight to anticipate consumer trends, support sustainability- led innovation, and enable faster, more automated decision-making across the business.

This case study reflects NIQ’s broader focus on embedding AI into its core solutions, helping companies move beyond insight generation to decision systems that enable faster, smarter growth at scale.

Learn more about how AI accelerates NIQ’s The Full View™.  

New research reveals how AI is influencing product discovery, comparison, and selection, offering early insight into the behaviors behind agentic commerce

Chicago, May 5, 2026 – Following its recent report on the rise of agentic commerce, NielsenIQ (NYSE: NIQ), a leading consumer intelligence company, today released new data showing that AI is becoming embedded in how consumers shop—providing one of the first clear, data-backed views into how this shift is taking place in practice. 

NIQ’s findings show that AI is influencing how consumers evaluate options, compare products, find the best pricing or discounts, and narrow choices before making a purchase. Rather than fully automating decisions, AI is a guiding influence, reshaping the path to purchase while consumers remain in control.  

AI adoption is already taking hold across the shopping journey, with consumers engaging at varying levels of involvement. Key findings from the new research include:  

• 42% of consumers have used at least one AI tool to shop within the past month 

• 17% have used AI for product recommendations  

• 10% have used a voice assistant to purchase and/or reorder items 

• 19% use a subscribe or auto-replenish feature for repeat purchases 

• 10% have engaged with an AI-powered shopping assistant 

• 5% have used fully autonomous AI agents to place orders on their behalf 

Together, these behaviors show that while fully autonomous shopping remains limited, AI-assisted decision-making is becoming a mainstream part of how consumers shop. 

“We are witnessing the early stages of an industry-wide fundamental shift from search to decision,” said Liz Buchanan, President of North America, NIQ. “AI is not replacing the consumer, but it is dramatically reshaping how choices are made. The companies that win in this next era will be the ones that understand how to show up in those moments and deliver both value and trust.” 

The research also highlights a critical nuance: while consumers are increasingly open to AI-assisted shopping, most are not yet ready to fully delegate decisions. Instead, AI is being adopted as a tool to simplify and accelerate choices, compressing the path from consideration to selection without removing human control. 

This dynamic is elevating the role of trust. As AI plays a larger role in shaping what consumers see and evaluate, expectations around accuracy, transparency, and data responsibility are rising. Consumers remain willing to switch brands for better value, but in an AI-influenced environment, brands that fail to meet these expectations risk not being surfaced at all. 

For retailers and manufacturers, this shift introduces a new challenge: traditional measures of performance are no longer enough. As AI plays a larger role in shaping decisions, visibility within recommendations, and influence across the full decision journey will become critical drivers of growth. 

“The shelf is evolving,” Buchanan said. “It’s no longer just physical or digital; it’s algorithmic. That changes how products compete, how performance is measured, and how growth is unlocked.” 

NIQ will expand on these findings, including insights from The Commerce Revolution global report, and outline how brands and retailers can respond to the agentic commerce era at its annual C360 event, taking place June 8-11, 2026, in San Antonio, Texas. To learn more and register for the event, visit the NIQ C360 event page. 

NIQ’s latest global report—The Commerce Revolution: Where East Meets West—examines how commerce intelligence is helping brands, retailers, and platforms navigate a rapidly converging global landscape 

AI is rapidly becoming the buyer, not just the tool—reshaping how products are discovered, chosen, and purchased 

The next wave of retail growth isn’t coming from traditional e‑commerce, but from live, social, quick, and AI‑driven commerce models scaling from East to West 

CHICAGO (May 4, 2026) — NielsenIQ (NYSE: NIQ) has announced the release of its new global report, The Commerce Revolution: Where East Meets West, which examines how Eastern-led commerce innovation and Western retail media monetization are colliding to reshape global consumer commerce.  

The report finds live, social, and quick commerce—long scaled across Asia—now drive most incremental digital growth worldwide, while Western markets accelerate adoption as these formats localize. At the same time, retail media networks (RMNs) have become one of the fastest‑growing advertising channels globally, with US retail media ad spend projected to reach $107.6 billion (USD) in 2026. 

Beyond this, the report finds that previously siloed operational functions of sellers are beginning to blur boundaries. Payment platforms and rapid fulfillment models from the East are converging with the monetization models born in the West, setting the stage for a singular global commerce model that unifies digital channels, consumer markets and operational functions.

Key findings from the report include: 

• Emerging channels are scaling fast. Live, social, and quick commerce now drive most incremental digital growth globally. In the US, social commerce (+62.9%) and quick commerce (+62.2%) are outpacing traditional e‑commerce growth. 

• Discovery‑led commerce is going mainstream. In APAC, nearly 60% of consumers shop via social and quick commerce. In Western markets, discovery is accelerating, with nearly one‑third of consumers purchasing after discovering products on social platforms. 

• Quick commerce is resetting fulfillment expectations. In India, quick commerce now represents about 80% of FMCG sales, while China’s network of roughly 10,000 dark stores enables 30-minutes-or-less delivery at a national scale. 

• Retail media is scaling globally. Retail media reached $184 billion in global spend in 2025, with more than 270 networks worldwide. 

• Super‑apps point to what’s next. APAC accounts for nearly 55% of global e‑commerce, driven by integrated platforms that unify content, commerce, payments, logistics, and AI—models increasingly influencing Western markets. 

• Agentic commerce is collapsing the traditional funnel. AI agents are beginning to autonomously discover, evaluate, and purchase products on consumers’ behalf, accelerating the shift toward AI‑driven decisioning and fundamentally changing how brands compete for visibility, relevance, and growth. 

“The convergence of Eastern formats with Western monetization models isn’t a future scenario—it’s already reshaping the marketplace in real time,” said Marta Cyhan-Bowles, Chief Communications Officer & Head of Global Marketing COE at NIQ. “Global commerce is accelerating faster than at any point in retail history. The future won’t belong to a single region, channel, or model, but to the brands and retailers who can best understand and act on consumer demand across platforms. In this new era, commerce intelligence, connecting brands, consumers and platforms through a unified, data-rich view of the ecosystem, will define the next phase of growth for our clients.” 

Underscoring how essential it is to understand how commerce is evolving, NIQ recently announced the launch of its Commerce Lab, a new initiative focused on solving the data and measurement challenges shaping the next generation of commerce. This builds on NIQ’s broader strategy to redefine how commerce is measured, validated, and scaled in an increasingly automated world.  

This shift underpins The Commerce Revolution, emphasizing that this new landscape requires brands and retailers to operate more like technology, media and data companies. Brands must unify their data, content, and measurement capabilities across channels to capture value in a highly interconnected, omnichannel world.  

As global commerce shifts from fragmented channels to connected systems, understanding where growth is coming from—and how value is being created—has become essential. To learn more, visit niq.com/commerce-revolution. 

Ulta Beauty Selects NIQ as Primary Beauty Insights Panel Provider, Expands Sales Data into NIQ’s Full View™ of Beauty Channel

Chicago, April 30, 2026 — NielsenIQ (NYSE: NIQ), a leading consumer intelligence company, and Ulta Beauty, the largest U.S. specialty beauty retailer, today announced a strategic data sharing collaboration to expand industry visibility into the U.S. beauty marketplace and strengthen decision‑making for brands and retailers. 

Under the agreement, Ulta Beauty will share sales data for inclusion in NIQ’s forthcoming Full View™ of Beauty channel, significantly enhancing omnichannel measurement across prestige and mass beauty and wellness. In addition, Ulta Beauty will leverage NIQ as a primary beauty insights panel provider, using NIQ’s Omnishopper and Digital Purchases solutions to support enterprise‑wide insights and analytics. The collaboration brings together Ulta Beauty’s scale, leadership, and deep consumer connection with NIQ’s industry‑leading measurement and behavioral intelligence, delivering a more complete, actionable understanding of how beauty consumers shop brands, categories, and channels. 

NIQ’s Full View™ of Beauty integrates retail measurement with consumer-level insights to provide a comprehensive view of what consumers buy, where they shop, and why. Ulta Beauty’s participation further expands coverage and depth within the channel, sharpening visibility into beauty, one of retail’s most dynamic and influential categories.  

As Ulta Beauty’s primary beauty insights panel provider, NIQ will power shopper insights through Omnishopper, which reflects consumers’ total trip behavior across online and offline environments as captured by the world’s largest consumer panel with 250,000 highly engaged panelists. This is complemented by Digital Purchases, which provides granular visibility into e‑commerce transactions. Together, these leading solutions support a more comprehensive understanding of evolving shopper journeys across physical stores, digital platforms, and emerging touchpoints. 

“As the largest specialty beauty retailer in the U.S., Ulta Beauty plays a defining role in where the category is headed,” said Jacqueline Flam, Managing Director, Beauty & Health, NIQ. “This collaboration accelerates our mission to democratize access to beauty data, giving brands of every size the clarity and confidence to turn insight into action through NIQ’s Full View™ of Beauty.” 

For beauty brands, the collaboration represents a meaningful expansion in access to high-quality, actionable intelligence, helping brands of all sizes inform assortment strategy, accelerate innovation, optimize go‑to‑market plans, and make faster, more confident decisions in a complex and competitive marketplace. 

“Ulta Beauty is a leading authority on beauty and consumer trends, informed by our nearly 47 million loyalty members and unmatched insight into how consumers discover, explore and shop the category,” said Lauren Brindley, Chief Merchandising Officer, Ulta Beauty. “Our collaboration with NIQ will help translate that insight into smarter decisions for our business and our brand partners, reinforcing our commitment to building brands and driving growth across the beauty ecosystem.” 

More positively, there are signs that some consumers have switched from at-home ordering to eating out as the weather improves. The separate NIQ RSM Hospitality Business Tracker indicates a modest year-on-year increase in restaurant groups’ dine-in sales in March. 

Trends are also much better on a total sales basis. Adding in new restaurants, or ones where deliveries and takeaways have been launched for the first time, year-on-year growth reached 11.8% in March. 

Karl Chessell, Director – Hospitality Operators and Food, EMEA at NIQ, said:

“Whether eating out or ordering in, consumers have clearly been putting a tight lid on their spending in the first quarter of 2026. Slow organic growth means restaurants are currently relying on higher prices and new openings to shore up at-home channels, and the steep drop in takeaway orders is a cause for concern. We are likely to see some costs rise sharply for consumers and operators alike in the next few months, and real-terms growth will continue to be very hard earned.”

The NIQ Hospitality at Home Tracker, a rich source of data and insight for the delivery and takeaway market. It provides monthly reports on the value and volume of sales, with year-on-year comparisons and splits between food and drink revenue. It offers a benchmark by which brands can measure their performance, and participants receive detailed data in return for their contributions.  

Partners on the Tracker are: Azzurri Group, Big Table Group, Bills, Bleecker St Burger, Byron, Coco di Mama, Cote, Creams Café, Dishoom, Five Guys, Gaucho Grill, Honest Burgers, HOP Vietnamese, Kricket, Megan’s, Mission Mars,  Mitchells & Butlers, Mowgli, Nando’s, Pizza Express, Pizza Hut UK, Popeyes, Prezzo, Rosa’s Thai, Tasty Plc, TGI Fridays UK, Tortilla, Tossed, Wagamama, Wasabi, Wingstop, YO! Sushi and Yolk. Anyone interested in joining the Tracker should contact Karen Bantoft at karen.bantoft@nielseniq.com.  

About NIQ

NielsenIQ (NYSE: NIQ) is a leading consumer intelligence company, delivering the most complete and trusted understanding of consumer buying behavior and revealing new pathways to growth. By combining an unmatched global data footprint and granular consumer and retail measurement with decades of AI modeling expertise, NIQ builds decision systems that help companies turn complex data into confident action.

With operations in more than 90 countries, NIQ covers approximately 82% of the world’s population and more than $7.4 trillion in global consumer spend. Through cloud-based platforms, advanced analytics and AI-driven insights, NIQ delivers The Full View™—helping brands and retailers understand what consumers buy, why they buy it, and what to do next.

For more information, please visit www.niq.com.

Forward Looking Statement

This press release, regarding at-home sales trends in Britain, may contain forward-looking statements regarding anticipated consumer behaviors, market trends, and industry developments. These statements reflect current expectations and projections based on available data, historical patterns, and various assumptions. Words such as “indicates,” “expects,” “anticipates,” “likely,” and similar expressions are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. These statements are not guarantees of future outcomes and are subject to inherent uncertainties, including changes in consumer preferences, economic conditions, technological advancements, and competitive dynamics. Actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied in these statements. While we strive to base our insights on reliable data and sound methodologies, we undertake no obligation to update any forward-looking statements to reflect future events or circumstances, except to the extent required by applicable law.  

© 2026 Nielsen Consumer LLC. All Rights Reserved.

New integrated solution combines AI-enabled analytics with NIQ’s data assets to help brands and retailers drive targeted, measurable growth

CHICAGO, April 29, 2026 – NIQ (NYSE: NIQ), a global leader in consumer intelligence, today announced the launch of Precision Solutions in the United States, a new integrated solution designed to help brands and retailers make more precise, localized decisions that drive growth. 

As shopper behavior becomes more fragmented and varies significantly by location, many organizations struggle to move beyond broad, market-level strategies. This often leads to inefficient spend, missed opportunities, and difficulty proving return on investment. 

Precision Solutions helps solve this by enabling a more targeted, localized approach to growth for brands and retailers. 

The solution combines NIQ’s retail measurement data, consumer panel data, and advanced analytics into a single platform that allows organizations to identify where growth is happening, target the right opportunities, test strategies in-market, and measure results with confidence. 

“For brands, growth today is no longer about doing more everywhere. It is about taking the right actions in the right places,” said Kim Cox, Managing Director, NIQ. “Precision Solutions gives teams the clarity to see where demand truly exists, the confidence to prioritize the stores that matter most, and the evidence to act decisively. When execution is guided by local precision, performance follows.” 

Precision Solutions also brings together previously separate capabilities into a unified experience, simplifying workflows and enabling more consistent, scalable decision-making. 

With Precision Solutions, organizations can: 

• Identify high-potential stores, geographies, and shopper segments 

• Focus investments where they are most likely to drive growth 

• Test strategies in-market and measure impact quickly 

• Optimize assortment, promotions, and media with greater precision 

Built on NIQ’s comprehensive data ecosystem and enhanced with AI-enabled analytics, Precision Solutions allows clients to simulate outcomes, isolate true performance, and scale the strategies that deliver measurable results. 

Precision Solutions is now available to clients in the United States. For more information, visit NIQ’s Precision Solutions site or contact your NIQ representative. 

• Shoppers remain cautious ahead of the summer months as seasonal offers increase to 26% of sales
• An earlier than usual Easter resulted in a decline in unit sales (-3.6%) and visits (-4.7%) over the four weeks
• Ocado (+14%), Lidl (+8.7% ) and M&S (+6.8%) remain the fastest growing retailers, while Asda (-3.9%) and Co-op (-1.5%) saw a decline in sales

Industry Visionaries Gary Vaynerchuk and Shelly Palmer to Headline Three-Day Event in San Antonio

 CHICAGO, April 27, 2026 – NielsenIQ (NYSE: NIQ), a global leader in consumer intelligence, will host its annual C360 event, June 8–11, 2026, at the JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country Resort & Spa in San Antonio, Texas. This year’s event centers around the theme “Built for the Future,” reflecting NIQ’s commitment to helping brands and retailers lead in a world that is moving faster than ever and build genuine organizational readiness for what comes next. 

NIQ’s annual signature event will bring together leaders across retail, manufacturing, tech, and media for keynote presentations, expert-led breakout sessions, and real-world case studies. As AI reshapes the digital shelf and consumer behavior grows more fragmented, C360 2026 is designed to give attendees the tools and perspective to make better decisions faster, and with greater confidence. 

The curated main stage speaker lineup will reflect the depth and diversity of thinking C360 is known for, and includes two visionary keynote speakers: 

• Gary Vaynerchuk, Entrepreneur, Chairman of VaynerX, and CEO of VaynerMedia 

• Shelly Palmer, Professor at Syracuse University and leader in AI and technology 

“C360 is built to challenge conventional thinking and bring forward the ideas, innovations, and perspectives shaping the future of our industry,” said Liz Buchanan, President of North America, NIQ. “We are at a pivotal inflection point, and our programming is designed to be both provocative and practical, offering a transparent view of the opportunities and challenges leaders must navigate. We want every attendee to leave with a clear sense of what readiness looks like and the confidence to build more agile, future‑ready organizations.” 

Beyond the keynotes, two days of focused Inspiration Sessions will explore the forces shaping modern commerce, spanning AI-driven decision-making, retail media effectiveness, incrementality measurement, data-driven cultures, consumer and shopper behavior, and the evolving global and regulatory landscape. 

This year also marks the return of the NIQ Founders Pitch Slam for Emerging Brands to C360. Now in its fourth year, this event is one of the largest CPG pitch competitions of the year for founding entrepreneurs. Five finalists will take the stage at C360, competing for exclusive access to NIQ’s data experts to help build their brand through the lens of best-in-class data and analytics.  

The NIQ Showcase and Innovation Hall will round out the three-day experience, offering live demos, expert talks, product highlights, and the 2026 BASES Breakthrough Innovation Award winners. 

“This event is where the industry comes together to challenge its thinking and shape what’s next,” said Buchanan. “Across consumer intelligence, innovation, agentic shopping journeys, and the systems that power them, we’re creating space for candid dialogue and collaboration, enabling leaders to connect, rethink assumptions, and build the future together.” 

C360 is available to NIQ clients and partners, and registration is now open.  

Soaring costs for businesses and consumers led to a 0.3% drop in Britain’s number of licensed premises in the first quarter of 2026, the latest Hospitality Market Monitor reveals.  

The report from NIQ, powered by CGA intelligence, shows there were 98,609 outlets at the end of March 2026—305 fewer than in December 2025, and an average of 3.4 net closures per day. It is a second successive quarter-on-quarter drop and suggests that momentum of closures in hospitality is starting to build. 

The latest business failures follow relentless inflation in essential areas for hospitality including labour, energy and food and drink, alongside fragile consumer confidence about spending. Ongoing conflicts in the Middle East are likely to trigger further price rises in energy-reliant areas in the short to medium term. 

Karl Chessell, Director – Hospitality Operators and Food, EMEA at CGA by NIQ, said:

“Soaring costs have taken a heavy toll on hospitality in the first quarter and forced hundreds of businesses to close, with distressing impacts for the operators and employees concerned. Confidence among leaders and consumers alike is low, and geopolitical crises are likely to cause more damage in the months ahead. Many pubs, bars, restaurants and other outlets have shown remarkable resilience in the face of unprecedented challenges, but thousands are now nearing breaking point. Without targeted support, more closures can be expected over the rest of 2026.” 

About NIQ

NielsenIQ (NYSE: NIQ) is a leading consumer intelligence company, delivering the most complete and trusted understanding of consumer buying behavior and revealing new pathways to growth. By combining an unmatched global data footprint and granular consumer and retail measurement with decades of AI modeling expertise, NIQ builds decision systems that help companies turn complex data into confident action.

With operations in more than 90 countries, NIQ covers approximately 82% of the world’s population and more than $7.4 trillion in global consumer spend. Through cloud-based platforms, advanced analytics and AI-driven insights, NIQ delivers The Full View™—helping brands and retailers understand what consumers buy, why they buy it, and what to do next.

For more information, please visit www.niq.com.

Forward Looking Statement

This press release regarding Britain’s licensed premises may contain forward-looking statements regarding anticipated consumer behaviors, market trends, and industry developments. These statements reflect current expectations and projections based on available data, historical patterns, and various assumptions. Words such as “expects,” “anticipates,” “likely,” “may,” “poised to,”,” and similar expressions are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. These statements are not guarantees of future outcomes and are subject to inherent uncertainties, including changes in consumer preferences, economic conditions, technological advancements, and competitive dynamics. Actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied in these statements. While we strive to base our insights on reliable data and sound methodologies, we undertake no obligation to update any forward-looking statements to reflect future events or circumstances, except to the extent required by applicable law.    

NIQ insights outline a multi-phase framework to help FMCG brands navigate ongoing uncertainty and evolving consumer expectations in Asia Pacific.

With uncertainty persisting, Asia Pacific consumers are managing spending more intentionally underscoring the need for FMCG brands to focus on availability, pricing discipline, and clear value communication.

Singapore, April 27, 2026 — NielsenIQ (NYSE: NIQ), a leader in consumer intelligence, today shares new insights on how FMCG brands can navigate ongoing uncertainty and evolving consumer expectations in Asia Pacific, based on its latest thought leadership, Beyond Oil Shocks: FMCG Strategies in an Uncertain World.

Across Asia Pacific, uncertainty is no longer episodic. It is structural. Ongoing geopolitical tensions, cost pressures, and shifting demand patterns are reinforcing more intentional, value-driven consumer behavior rather than triggering sudden change.

“This is not about any single event. It is about the reality that unpredictability is here to stay,” said Craig Houliston, APAC Above Market and Insights Lead at NIQ. “Brands that understand how pressures evolve over time will be better equipped to respond with clarity and precision.”

 
  

Britain’s restaurant groups finished a difficult first quarter with modest like-for-like growth in March, the new NIQ RSM Hospitality Business Tracker reveals. 

The Tracker—produced by NIQ, powered by CGA intelligence, in association with RSM—shows restaurants’ sales in the month were 2.5% ahead of March 2025. It is a welcome sign of consumers’ readiness to eat out, especially on big occasions like Mother’s Day. 

Pub groups meanwhile achieved a like-for-like increase of only 0.2% in March, despite a boost from St Patrick’s Day celebrations in the middle of the month. It was the first time that restaurants have outpaced pubs for growth for 16 months. Managed bars saw trading fall by 2.6% year-on-year, while there was marginal growth of 0.9% in the on-the-go segment. 

When channels are combined, Britain’s leading managed hospitality groups achieved like-for-like growth of 0.9% in March. While this is a better performance than either January or February, it is well below Britain’s recent rate of inflation.  January or February, it is well below Britain’s recent rate of inflation.

New openings deliver growth but cost fears build 

The NIQ RSM Hospitality Business Tracker also indicates the continued cautious expansion of managed groups. On a total sales basis—including at venues launched by hospitality groups in the last 12 months—their sales rose 4.3%—just ahead of inflation. NIQ’s recent Business Confidence Survey with Zonal found nearly two thirds (63%) of leaders of groups with five or more sites planned to increase their estate over the next 12 months.

Despite openings and real-terms growth, hospitality remains overwhelmed by high costs in key inputs like food, drink and labour. There are also fears of renewed inflation as a result of ongoing uncertainty in the Middle East, which is likely to push up prices in many energy-related areas. NIQ’s recent Business Confidence Survey—conducted before the start of the conflict—found that fewer than a third (31%) of leaders feel optimistic about the future of hospitality over the next 12 months. 

The Tracker’s regional breakdown of sales meanwhile indicates a slightly better March for operators in London. Like-for-like sales rose by 0.4% within the M25, and by 1.1% further afield. 

Karl Chessell, director – hospitality operators and food, EMEA at NIQ, said:

“Restaurants’ move back into the black in March is a welcome development after a very challenging start to the year. Nevertheless, many groups remain reliant on new openings and deliveries for real-terms growth, and geopolitical concerns are casting a long shadow over the months ahead. Hospitality faces relentless challenges that are not of its own making, and without targeted government support it is likely to be a challenging summer season.”

Saxon Moseley, head of leisure and hospitality at RSM UK, said:

“Sluggish like-for-like growth across the sector masks a change in fortunes for Britain’s eateries, with restaurants returning to growth at the expense of food-led pubs. However, the bigger picture suggests consumer spending has not increased significantly but is instead shifting between different segments of the market, highlighting the degree of competition amongst operators. The data also shows that overall revenue growth is being driven by new openings rather than underlying like-for-like performance, favouring larger operators with the capital to expand, while many independent businesses continue to grapple with underwhelming site revenue growth alongside rising cost pressures. With new entrants vital to the evolution of the hospitality sector, creating the right conditions for businesses of all sizes to grow is critical to maintaining a diverse and resilient hospitality industry.”

NIQ collected sales figures directly from 119 leading managed groups for March’s edition of the NIQ RSM Hospitality Business Tracker, which provides authoritative monthly insights into Britain’s restaurant, pub and bar sales. Companies participating in the Tracker receive a fuller breakdown of trading that helps to benchmark performance and understand market trends.

To join the cohort, contact Andrew Dean at  andy.dean@nielseniq.com 

Participants in the NIQ RSM Hospitality Business Tracker: Adventure Leisure Ltd, All Star Lanes, Amber Taverns, Anglian Country Inns, Arc Inspirations, Azzurri Group (Ask Italian, Coco di Mama, Zizzi), Barburrito, Barworks, Beds and Bars, Big Fang Collective, Big Table Group (Banana Tree Restaurants, Bella Italia, Chiquito, Frankie & Benny’s, Las Iguanas), Bill’s Restaurants, Bleecker St Burger, Boisdale Ltd, Boom Battle Bar, Boston Tea Party, Boxpark, BrewDog, Burger & Lobster, Buzzworks Holdings Group, Byron, Chaiiwala, Chance and Counters, Coaching Inn Group Ltd, Comptoir Group Plc, Cote Restaurants, Creams Café, Darwin & Wallace, Dishoom, Evolv Collection, Five Guys, Flat Iron, Fortnum & Mason, Fuller Smith & Turner, Gaucho Grill, Giggling Squid, Glendola Leisure, Gordon Ramsay Restaurants, Greene King (Chef & Brewer, Hungry Horse, Flaming Grill), Hall & Woodhouse, Hawthorn Leisure, Heartwood Collection, Honest Burgers, HOP Vietnamese, Kibou, Kricket, Laine Pub Co, Lane 7, Liberation, Lina Stores, Loungers, Lucky Voice, Marston’s, McMullen & Sons Ltd, Megans, Mildreds, Mission Mars, Mitchells & Butlers (Harvester, Toby, Miller & Carter, All Bar One), MJMK Restaurants, Mojo Bar, Mowgli, Nando’s Restaurants, Neos Hospitality, New World Trading Company, Nightcap Plc,  North Brewing Co, NQ64 Arcade Bars , Open House London, Parogon Pub Group, Pho, Pizza Express, Pizza Hut UK, Popeyes, Portobello Starboard Ltd, Prezzo, Public House Group, Punch Pub Co, Rick Stein Restaurants, Riley’s, Rosa’s Thai, Roxy Leisure, San Carlo, Sandbox VR, Shepherd Neame, Signature Pubs, Simmons Bars Group, Southern Wind Group (Fazenda), St Austell, Star Pubs & Bars, State of Play Hospitality, Stonegate Pub Co (Slug & Lettuce, Yates’, Walkabout, Bermondsey Pub Company), Tasty Plc, TGI Fridays UK, The Alchemist, The Fulham Shore, The Restaurant Group, Thunderbird Fried Chicken, Tonkotsu, Topgolf Ltd, Tortilla, Tossed, Treetop Golf, True North Brew Co, Upham Pub Co, Urban Pubs & Bars, Urban Village Pub Co, Various Eateries (Strada, Coppa Club), Village Hotels, Wagamama, Wasabi, Wells & Co, Whitbread (Beefeater, Brewers Fayre, Table Table), Wingstop, Yard Sale Pizza, Yolk, YO! Sushi, Young’s and Yummy Collection.

About RSM UK

RSM UK is a leading provider of audit, tax and consulting services. As an integrated team with nearly 4,900 partners and staff operating from 31 locations across the UK, we have a culture of understanding what it means to deliver value, and to value what we do. 

As part of the RSM International network, we have access to more than 57,000 people in more than 120 countries. Our global presence helps us to meet the needs of clients who are trading and expanding internationally. 

To learn more, visit www.rsmuk.com. 

About NIQ

NielsenIQ (NYSE: NIQ) is a leading consumer intelligence company, delivering the most complete and trusted understanding of consumer buying behavior and revealing new pathways to growth. By combining an unmatched global data footprint and granular consumer and retail measurement with decades of AI modeling expertise, NIQ builds decision systems that help companies turn complex data into confident action.

With operations in more than 90 countries, NIQ covers approximately 82% of the world’s population and more than $7.4 trillion in global consumer spend. Through cloud-based platforms, advanced analytics and AI-driven insights, NIQ delivers The Full View™—helping brands and retailers understand what consumers buy, why they buy it, and what to do next.

For more information, please visit www.niq.com.

Forward Looking Statement

This press release regarding sales trends for Britain’s eating and drinking out market, and may contain forward-looking statements regarding anticipated consumer behaviors, market trends, and industry developments. These statements reflect current expectations and projections based on available data, historical patterns, and various assumptions. Words such as “expects,” “anticipates,” “likely,” “may,” “poised to,”,” and similar expressions are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. These statements are not guarantees of future outcomes and are subject to inherent uncertainties, including changes in consumer preferences, economic conditions, technological advancements, and competitive dynamics. Actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied in these statements. While we strive to base our insights on reliable data and sound methodologies, we undertake no obligation to update any forward-looking statements to reflect future events or circumstances, except to the extent required by applicable law.

© 2026 Nielsen Consumer LLC. All Rights Reserved.

Tokyo, JAPAN, April 24, 2026 — NielsenIQ (NYSE: NIQ), a leading consumer intelligence company, and INTAGE HOLDINGS Inc. (hereafter “INTAGE HD”), a leading market research company in Japan, today announced a mutual sales partnership to expand access to retail measurement insights between Japan and global markets.

Through the collaboration, NIQ and INTAGE HD bring together complementary strengths— INTAGE HD’s deep local retail store panel data and insights into the Japanese domestic market, and NIQ’s global and regional retail store panel data and insights into various international markets—to enable better comparison and understanding of market performance and trends across countries and regions.

This collaboration enhances both companies’ ability to support clients with more consistent and comparable insights, helping clients unlock growth opportunities across markets.

The collaboration enables global clients to access INTAGE HD’s nationwide retail store panel data in Japan (SRI+ and SRI+EC) to support market entry and expansion. NIQ’s network will enable smoother access to data and insights on the Japanese market. At the same time, clients in Japan will gain access to NIQ’s global Retail Measurement Services (RMS), covering more than 100 countries and regions, supporting international growth.

“Clients today are increasingly looking for a more complete and connected understanding of consumer buying behavior across markets,” said Chang Park, Managing Director of NIQ’s Northeast Asia Cluster. “Our collaboration with INTAGE HD strengthens our ability to deliver The Full View™—bringing together local depth and global scale to help clients unlock new opportunities and drive growth.”

This collaboration addresses a key challenge for clients: limited comparability between Japan and other markets by connecting local and global data more seamlessly. 

Whether expanding into Japan or growing in international markets, clients will benefit from a more unified view of performance. 

“Japan is a highly complex and unique market, and a deep understanding of the local market and a global perspective are both essential to realizing business growth,” said Yoshiya Nishi, CEO of INTAGE HOLDINGS Inc. “Through this collaboration, we will combine the strengths of both companies to provide more consistent and actionable insights in the Japanese and global markets, strongly supporting our clients’ decision-making and growth.” 

This collaboration reflects a shared commitment by NIQ and INTAGE HD to help clients navigate increasingly interconnected markets with greater clarity and confidence. 

 
  

About the survey

Press Contact
For further details or an interview, please contact Greenfields Communications:

• The data in the GfK Consumer Confidence Barometer (CCB), powered by NIM, is collected by GfK. The CCB has been published jointly by GfK and the Nuremberg Institute for Market Decisions (NIM), the founder of GfK, since October 2023.  
• This month’s survey was conducted among a sample of 2,005 individuals aged 16+ in the UK. 
• Quotas are imposed on age, sex, region, and social class to ensure the final sample is representative of the UK population. 
• Interviewing was conducted between April 1^st and April 15^th 2026.  
• The figures in the GfK CCB powered by NIM have an estimated margin of error of +/-2%. 
• The Overall Index Score is calculated using underlying data that runs to two decimal points. 
• The press release dates for the remaining months of 2026 (all dates fall on a Friday) are:  May 22^nd, June 19^th, July 24^th, August 21^st, September 25^th, October 23^rd, November 20^th and December 18^th.  
• Any published material must include a reference to the GfK Consumer Confidence Barometer, e.g. ‘Source: GfK Consumer Confidence Barometer powered by NIM’.
• This study has been running since 1974. Back data is available from 2006.
• The table below is an overview of the questions asked to obtain the individual index measures:

Personal Financial Situation (Q1/Q2)	This index is based on the following questions to consumers: ‘How has the financial situation of your household changed over the last 12 months?’ ‘How do you expect the financial position of your household to change over the next 12 months?’ (a lot better – a little better – stay(ed) the same – a little worse – a lot worse)
General Economic Situation (Q3/Q4)	This index is based on the following questions to consumers: ‘How do you think the general economic situation in this country has changed over the last 12 months?’ ‘How do you expect the general economic situation in this country to develop over the next 12 months?’ (a lot better – a little better – stay(ed) the same – a little worse – a lot worse)
Major Purchase Index (Q8)	This index is based on the following question to consumers: ‘In view of the general economic situation, do you think now is the right time for people to make major purchases such as furniture or electrical goods?’ (right time – neither right nor wrong time – wrong time)
Savings Index (Q10)	This index is based on the following question to consumers: ‘In view of the general economic situation do you think now is?’ (a very good time to save – a fairly good time to save – not a good time to save – a very bad time to save) (Commented on but not included in the Index Score)

About the GfK Consumer Confidence Barometer powered by NIM

There is no other consumer research project with the longevity, rigor, and reliability of GfK’s Consumer Confidence Barometer (CCB). Each month since January 1974, it has provided a snapshot of how UK consumers feel about the crucial economic topics today and their outlook for the next 12 months. It has provided insight into the UK’s thinking through boom and bust, the Brexit vote, and most recently the coronavirus pandemic. The CCB data collected by GfK has been published jointly with the Nuremberg Institute for Market Decisions (NIM) since October 2023. NIM is the founder of GfK.

About NIQ

NielsenIQ (NYSE: NIQ) is a leading consumer intelligence company, delivering the most complete and trusted understanding of consumer buying behavior and revealing new pathways to growth. By combining an unmatched global data footprint and granular consumer and retail measurement with decades of AI modeling expertise, NIQ builds decision systems that help companies turn complex data into confident action. 
 

With operations in more than 90 countries, NIQ covers approximately 82% of the world’s population and more than $7.4 trillion in global consumer spend. Through cloud-based platforms, advanced analytics and AI-driven insights, NIQ delivers The Full View™—helping brands and retailers understand what consumers buy, why they buy it, and what to do next.   

For more information, please visit www.niq.com.   

About GfK – a NielsenIQ company

For over 90 years, we have earned the trust of our clients around the world by solving critical questions in their decision-making process. We fuel their growth by providing a complete understanding of their consumers’ buying behavior, and the dynamics impacting their markets, brands and media trends. In 2023, GfK combined with NIQ, bringing together two industry leaders with unparalleled global reach. With a holistic retail read and the most comprehensive consumer insights – delivered with advanced analytics through state-of-the-art platforms – GfK drives “Growth from Knowledge”. For more information, visit nielseniq.com

About NIM

The Nuremberg Institute for Market Decisions (NIM) is a non-profit research institute at the interface of academia and practice. NIM examines how consumer decisions change due to new technology, societal trends or the application of behavioral science, and what the resulting micro- and macroeconomic impacts are for the market and society as a whole. A better understanding of consumer decisions and their impacts helps society, businesses, politics, and consumers make better decisions with regard to “prosperity for all” in the sense of the social-ecological market system. The Nuremberg Institute for Market Decisions is the founder of GfK. For more information, visit www.nim.org/en and LinkedIn.

Forward-Looking Statements Disclaimer

This press release includes forward-looking statements that reflect NIQ’s current expectations and projections about future market trends and consumer behavior. These statements are based on available information and reasonable assumptions but are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ. NIQ does not undertake to update these statements, except as required by law.

Responsible under press legislation:
Marketing, GfK
Anna Paszek-Weglarz
7/F Blue Fin Building
110 Southwark Street London SE1 0SU Anna.Paszekweglarz@nielseniq.com

CHICAGO (April 23, 2026) – NielsenIQ (NYSE: NIQ) today announced the launch of NIQ Commerce Lab, where the company is building the technology infrastructure for AI-driven commerce. The Lab will develop the data platforms, APIs, and measurement systems that power how products are discovered, evaluated, and purchased in AI-mediated environments. 

This includes what the industry often refers to as agentic commerce, but extends across quick commerce, social commerce, and other emerging channels—where AI is becoming the common layer shaping how consumers navigate choices and how decisions are made in real time. 

AI systems are rapidly moving from supporting decisions to making them—playing an increasingly central role in how commerce operates. Their effectiveness depends on the intelligence behind them. 

AI is Becoming the Operating Layer of Global Commerce 

NIQ ensures that the intelligence behind these systems is accurate, complete, and grounded in real-world behavior—reflecting how consumers actually buy, what products are really available, and how markets operate. 

Across the industry, however, the data and measurement required to support this shift remains incomplete. Product data is inconsistent, real-world purchasing behavior is fragmented, availability signals are unreliable, and measurement lacks objectivity. These gaps limit the accuracy, trust, and scalability of AI-driven commerce—and can determine whether products are represented, recommended, or overlooked entirely. 

Building the Intelligence Layer for Agentic Commerce 

The NIQ Commerce Lab will advance a core pillar of NIQ’s AI strategy: Commerce Intelligence. 

Commerce Intelligence is NIQ’s approach to bringing together the full range of signals that shape the market—product, consumer, and retailer data—into a unified system that can understand complex dynamics and power AI-driven decisions that were previously out of reach. 

“NIQ has built the data infrastructure for how commerce actually works,” said Jim Peck, Chairman and CEO of NIQ. “Enabled by AI, we are making a fundamental shift—from measurement and analytics to reading signals in real time and acting on them with confidence. Commerce Intelligence is how we will deliver the intelligence layer the market will depend on, today and in the future.” 

Through the Commerce Lab, NIQ will address six interconnected opportunities required to make Commerce Intelligence real at scale, including: 

• Preference Intelligence — understanding what consumers want  

• Product Intelligence — ensuring products are accurately represented  

• Availability Intelligence — connecting recommendations to real-world inventory  

• Purchase Verification — validating what was actually bought  

• Channel Measurement — establishing objective performance and ROI  

• Optimization Intelligence — enabling continuous improvement  

Together, these capabilities are designed to form the intelligence layer that allows AI systems to move from approximation to precision. 

The Food Industry Association and NIQ unveil the latest ecommerce report

ARLINGTON, VA, April 22, 2026 — FMI–The Food Industry Association and NielsenIQ (NYSE: NIQ), a leading consumer intelligence company, find that grocery shopping is no longer a choice between store and screen, but instead a seamless blend of both in the latest Digital Engagement Transforms Grocery Shopping 2026 report. With omnichannel behaviors as the new normal, total U.S. online grocery sales will reach $452 billion by 2028, making ecommerce a primary engine of grocery progress. 

The report finds that ecommerce now drives nearly three-quarters of total grocery dollar growth. In 2025 alone, online sales contributed close to 75% of total grocery dollar growth, while in-store sales remained relatively stable.  

“Ecommerce is poised for extensive growth,” said Jack O’Leary, director of ecommerce strategic insights for NIQ. “With online grocery sales increasing at a projected 11.6% annual rate through 2028 and already accounting for about one-fifth of total grocery spending, success now hinges on how well retailers connect digital and physical experiences into one cohesive journey.” 

Food represents one of the largest opportunities for category expansion within ecommerce. While food purchases remain primarily store-led, online food sales jumped nearly 19% in 2025. The report finds that without ecommerce, many grocery categories would post flat or declining sales, reinforcing the role of digital as a competitive lever rather than a complementary add-on. 

“Omnichannel shopping is now the norm for most households,” said Steve Markenson, vice president, research & insights for FMI. “Nearly 94% of grocery shoppers in 2025 purchased both online and in-store, blending digital discovery, fulfillment and store visits based on needs, timing and convenience.” 

“As online grocery continues to scale, fulfillment and speed have become critical points of competitive differentiation. Average delivery times have fallen sharply since 2018 and shoppers increasingly expect same-day or next-day delivery, especially for food,” said Doug Baker, vice president of industry relations for FMI. “Shoppers place a premium on frictionless execution across the entire shopper journey. From the digital shelf and shoppable content to fulfillment speed and the in-store experience, food retailers that offer seamless, enjoyable experiences will provide shoppers value and build loyalty.” 

Looking ahead, the research points to the next phase of digital evolution. While still early, advances in artificial intelligence (AI), including agentic tools that support planning, discovery and low-consideration purchasing, have the potential to further reshape how shoppers engage with grocery. The report advises food retailers and suppliers to prepare now as these technologies mature. 

Digital Engagement Transforms Grocery Shopping 2026 is part of an ongoing FMI and NIQ research series examining omnichannel growth, ecommerce performance and emerging technology across the grocery industry. 

For Media 

• Members of the media may contact FMI or NIQ for a gratis copy of Digital Engagement Transforms Grocery Shopping 2026. 

 
  

Relationship aligns purchase-based intelligence with data-driven activation capabilities to support more effective advertising planning and activation 

CHICAGO (April 21, 2026) — NIQ, a leading consumer intelligence company, and Stirista, a provider of identity‑driven marketing solutions, today announced a strategic collaboration to develop new audience solutions, media planning capabilities, and activation use cases for advertisers and brands.

Through the relationship, NIQ and Stirista will enhance their abilities to develop robust audience definitions, improve campaign planning, and support marketing performance across channels. The collaboration also enables marketers to harness modeled intent data and purchase-based insights to activate campaigns through Stirista’s platform.

As part of the relationship, NIQ will use insights informed by the collaboration with Stirista to advance its consumer research and analytics, strengthening how it supports audience design and planning. Specifically, Stirista will contribute privacy‑safe consumer insights related to mobile device usage, professional status, and digital media consumption. Informed by these insights, NIQ will enhance its audience design and segmentation capabilities within its privacy‑safe consumer framework.

“Today’s advertisers need to move seamlessly from insight to action without compromising privacy,” said Josh Pisano, General Manager of Global Media, NIQ. “By combining NIQ’s intelligence with Stirista’s activation platform, we’re enabling brands to plan smarter and activate with greater confidence across the media ecosystem.”

NIQ will provide Stirista with aggregated, omni-channel shopper insights. That intelligence strengthens Stirista’s identity-based insights and informs activation workflows within Stirista’s platform, allowing marketers to reach audiences across CTV, email, and digital without needing to rebuild them across systems.

“By leveraging NIQ’s purchase‑based insights, Stirista can better design audiences and activate them through its platform and partners, particularly for CPG brands,” said Ajay Gupta, Stirista CEO and Founder. “These audiences are informed by consumer purchase insights that complement our modeled intent signals, enabling more effective targeting across programmatic media and targeted email campaigns.”

 
  

Collaboration unifies product content and real-time data to help retailers deliver smarter digital shopping experiences

Chicago, April 20, 2026 — NielsenIQ (NYSE: NIQ), a global leader in consumer intelligence, today announced a strategic collaboration between NIQ Brandbank and Prodx to deliver a unified, end‑to‑end data foundation that transforms how U.S. retailers power digital shopping experiences.

As retailers face growing pressure to deliver more relevant, seamless online experiences, the collaboration enables faster activation of high-quality product data across search, discovery and retail media. It also reflects NIQ’s broader strategy to help clients turn complex data into actionable, AI-enabled decisioning systems.

The collaboration brings together NIQ Brandbank’s standardized product content with Prodx’s enriched, highly structured data, creating a unified solution designed to support more intelligent and personalized digital shopping experiences.

Through this collaboration, retailers gain access to a comprehensive data ecosystem that enables:

• Standardized and enriched product content ready for activation

• Faster deployment via real-time APIs

• Improved search, discovery, and recommendations

• Stronger retail media performance and shopper conversion

“This collaboration represents a significant step forward for retailers seeking to deliver more meaningful and frictionless digital shopping experiences,” said Steve Burdett, Global Group Commercial Director, NIQ Brandbank. “By combining NIQ Brandbank’s trusted product content with the structured, experience‑ready data provided by Prodx, we are enabling retailers to activate personalization and innovation at a scale that was previously difficult to achieve. Together, we are creating a stronger, more intelligent data foundation that directly supports shopper satisfaction, retailer growth, and future‑ready digital transformation.”

Retailers using Prodx’s structured data have demonstrated significant commercial benefits, including increased add‑to‑cart revenue, stronger retail media performance, and meaningful improvements in shopper conversion. By integrating NIQ Brandbank’s high‑quality product content with Prodx’s proven personalization technology, the collaboration offers a scalable pathway for retailers seeking to enhance e‑commerce usability, strengthen customer loyalty, and deliver more relevant, individualized shopping journeys.

“Retailers have long recognized the value of personalization, but the lack of clean, structured data has held back their ability to deliver it effectively. Collaborating with NIQ Brandbank allows us to close that gap,” said Matt Vezzani, Co-Founder & CBO, Prodx. “With NIQ Brandbank’s standardized supplier content and Prodx’s enrichment and real‑time APIs, retailers now have a complete, end‑to‑end solution that strengthens every digital touchpoint from search and browse to recommendations and retail media performance. We’re excited to bring this combined capability to the U.S. market.”

 
  

Food and drink prices in the foodservice sector recorded a minor month-on-month decline of -0.2% in February, the latest Foodservice Price Index from NIQ and Prestige Purchasing reveals. 

Sydney, April 8, 2026 — NielsenIQ (NYSE: NIQ), a global leader in consumer intelligence reveals sales of alcoholic Ready to Drink (RTD) beverages in Australia’s On-Premise have leapt by more than a third in just two years. 

The analysis highlights RTDs generated $2.5 billion of spending in 2025—12% up from 2024 and 35% more than in 2023. The stellar performance has made it the fastest growing category in the country’s licensed sector, and the third largest category by value across Beer, Cider, Spirits. RTDs now attract 15 cents in every dollar spent on drinks in Australia’s On-Premise, compared to 12 cents in 2023. 

The figures are revealed in fresh RTD analysis that has just been added to NIQ’s On Premise Measurement (OPM) solution, which provides comprehensive insights into all beverage categories across Australia. 

The service offers extensive breakdowns of RTD sales, which totalled around 198 million serves in 2025. Just over half (53%) of sales were from draught lines, while packaged items accounted for 47%. Draught sales have soared by 57% in two years—more than three times the 17% growth in the packaged segment. Meanwhile vodka remains the dominant spirit, making up nearly half (48%) of all RTD sales. Whiskey-based RTDs attracted a 27% share. 

NIQ’s OPM analysis is enhanced by consumer research that sets out the demographics and preferences of RTD purchasers. This reveals that younger adults dominate the segment, with nearly half (46%) of RTD consumers aged 18 to 34. While these adults tend to choose RTDs based on vodka, whiskey and gin, older drinkers are more likely to prefer darker options including rum, bourbon and whiskey. Across all age groups, consumers are attracted to RTDs by value and branding, while relaxation and refreshment are among the other key drivers. 

Ryan Winslade, Client Associate Director – Australia at NIQ, said:

“The Ready to Drink category is one of the hottest parts of Australia’s On Premise at the moment. From price to convenience to refreshment and much more, RTDs tick a lot of boxes for consumers and we’re likely to see more growth throughout 2026. But in an increasingly competitive space, all brands and venues will have to work hard to stand out from the crowd. NIQ’s powerful fusion of sales and consumer insights is here to help pinpoint trends and preferences, and we’re looking forward to helping businesses thrive in this dynamic part of the market.”

NIQ’s OPM service measures brand and category sales performance in On-Premise across multiple territories. OPM enables brand owners to uncover growth driving market trends, evaluate brand performance and track share, as well as identify headroom opportunities and assess competition.  

Media contact 

Liza Martija  

Regional Communications Lead APAC 

Liza.Martija@nielseniq.com  

Agreement Enables Sun Pacific to Decode How Shoppers Buy Produce Across Product Categories, Accelerating Growth Opportunities

Chicago, April 07, 2026 — NielsenIQ (NYSE: NIQ), a leading consumer intelligence company, and Sun Pacific, a California-based grower, packer, and shipper of premium fresh fruit, known for iconic brands including Cuties® Mandarins and Mighties® Kiwi, today announced a new agreement, leveraging NIQ’s retail measurement and analytics capabilities to help drive growth and expand Sun Pacific’s presence across the produce department.  

NIQ will help Sun Pacific accelerate growth by delivering deep, data-driven insights into shopper behavior, seasonal patterns, and competitive performance across fresh produce categories. Through its consumer panel, NIQ will assist Sun Pacific to identify unmet consumer needs by region and retailer, optimize assortment decisions, and help to translate insights into actionable growth opportunities across citrus, mandarins, kiwi, and table grapes. 

 “We’re excited to collaborate with NIQ to unlock deeper consumer insights and better understand how shoppers navigate the produce aisle,” said Sarah Deaton, Director of Marketing, Sun Pacific. “These learnings will help us strengthen our brands, better support our retail partners and uncover new opportunities for growth.” 

Through this agreement, Sun Pacific will gain access to: 

• Granular shopper segmentation across in-store and e-commerce channels 

• Retailer-specific insights to inform category strategy and collaboration 

• Actionable reporting and cross‑functional insights combining national and regional consumer and category trends  

“The collaboration with Sun Pacific will bring the full strength of NIQ’s retailer measurement and consumer panel solutions to their team,” said Brandon Galindo, Managing Director, NIQ. “Together, we’ll deliver a clearer understanding of shopper behavior and category performance—particularly in produce, where affordability, health, and flexibility are converging to drive growth. As more consumers cook at home and prioritize fresh foods before they spoil, these insights will help Sun Pacific act with precision, strengthen its brands, and capture incremental growth.” 
  

“The TruAudience® Data Marketplace continues to grow as a trusted hub for premium audiences, and showcasing MRI‑Simmons’ research‑derived, modeled segments is a natural extension of that vision,” said Anna Haase, SVP of Business Development and Data Partnerships at TransUnion. “This expansion gives marketers access to high‑quality consumer insights within a marketplace built for scale, flexibility, and omnichannel activation.”

“We’re excited to expand our relationship with TransUnion and make even more premium audience segments available through the TruAudience® Data Marketplace,” said Joshua Pisano, General Manager of Global Media, NIQ and MRI‑Simmons. “By enabling MRI‑Simmons’ consumer intelligence to be applied within the TruAudience® Data Marketplace, we’re helping marketers leverage powerful insights with improved precision and broader strategic impact.”

About TransUnion

TransUnion is a global information and insights company with over 13,000 associates operating in more than 30 countries. We make trust possible by ensuring each person is reliably represented in the marketplace. We do this with a Tru™ picture of each person: an actionable view of consumers, stewarded with care. Through our acquisitions and technology investments we have developed innovative solutions that extend beyond our strong foundation in core credit into areas such as marketing, fraud, risk and advanced analytics. As a result, consumers and businesses can transact with confidence and achieve great things. We call this Information for Good® — and it leads to economic opportunity, great experiences and personal empowerment for millions of people around the world. http://www.transunion.com/business

About MRI‑Simmons 

MRI‑Simmons, a joint venture majority‑owned by NIQ (NYSE: NIQ), is the leading provider of insights on the American consumer. A leader in consumer insights for over 60 years, MRI‑Simmons possesses one of the few data sets widely used across the media ecosystem for consumer profiling, media planning, audience research, and insight‑driven audience development. Powered by address‑based probabilistic sampling, MRI‑Simmons measures real people, chosen at random, to represent the U.S. population in all its diversity—resulting in the most accurate view of the American consumer. To learn more, visit www.mrisimmons.com.

• Spring weather saw shoppers spending more at major UK supermarkets, with sales up +9.3% (w/e 14th March). 
• Earlier than usual Easter offers accounted for 24% of sales purchased on promotion, which is ahead of this time last year. 
• Ocado was the fastest growing retailer (+15%), ahead of Lidl (+9,7%) and M&S (+9.2%), while Morrisons (+2.7%) improved sales growth. 

Hospitality leaders remain cautious about the future despite a steady level of optimism in early 2026, according to the latest Business Confidence Survey from NIQ, powered by CGA intelligence, and Zonal. 

The exclusive poll reveals 51% of leaders feel confident about prospects for their business over the next 12 months. This is a steady recovery from a five-year low of 26% in October 2025, and reflects solid December trading as well as greater economic certainty.  

The number of leaders feeling optimistic about the future of hospitality in general also bounced back, from 13% in late 2025 to 31% in the latest poll. Both confidence metrics are now at their highest points since mid-2024, but they remain well below pre-COVID levels.  

Sales and profits rise after festive flurry 

The Business Confidence Survey from NIQ and Zonal shows how leaders have been boosted by the strong end to 2025 for both sales and profits. Two thirds (66%) say their business’ fourth-quarter revenue had increased year-on-year—20 percentage points more than in the third-quarter—while only 18% recorded a decline. More than two fifths (43%) achieved higher profits and 30% saw them fall. 

Cost challenges hold down confidence 

Improved profitability suggests hospitality businesses are coming to terms with sharp increases to their costs that were imposed in 2025. However, many leaders remain worried about the impact of further inflation. Nearly nine in ten (88%) say increased employment costs are a concern for 2026, and nearly three quarters are concerned about food and drink inflation (73%) and business rates (71%).  Other taxes, energy prices and property costs are among many more causes of concern for leaders in early 2026. 

Contrasting fortunes for small and large businesses 

The survey highlights a growing divide in confidence between smaller and larger hospitality businesses. Just 16% of independent leaders say they feel confident about their business’ prospects, and only a quarter (24%) of single-site operators increased their revenue in 2025.  

By contrast, 61% of leaders of businesses with 5+ sites say their revenue increased year-on-year. These leaders are increasingly ambitious on expansion, with nearly two thirds (63%) planning to increase site numbers in the next 12 months. The gulf in confidence suggests small businesses have been hit much harder by rising costs than larger ones. 

Investment plans 

The Business Confidence Survey from NIQ and Zonal also uncovers leaders’ investment priorities in 2026. The proportion of leaders planning to spend on site refurbishments has sharply increased after widespread cutbacks in 2025, and more money is being found for operational efficiencies, menu development and employee engagement. Technology is another top priority for leaders, with AI tools, loyalty platforms and CRM software the three most common targets for investment. 

While leaders are investing in key areas, they have also been forced to make difficult decisions on menu prices and staffing. Rising employment costs have led many businesses to cut team numbers or reduce hours, and exactly half (50%) of leaders agree that being short-staffed has become ‘the new normal’. However, survey respondents are conscious that reducing costs risks compromising guest experiences and sales.  

Karl Chessell, Director – Hospitality Operators and Food, EMEA at NIQ, said:

“An uptick in confidence after a strong Christmas is a very welcome sign of hospitality’s resilience in the face of relentless challenges. However, there is still widespread uncertainty about prospects, and while it’s great to see managed groups increasingly bullish about new openings there are alarming signs of stress among smaller businesses. Independents are the lifeblood of hospitality and the big brands of the future, but they have been overwhelmed by costs in recent years. Hospitality as a whole is in urgent need of targeted interventions from government if it is to sustain its contributions to the UK’s economy and jobs.”

Tim Chapman, Chief Commercial Officer at Zonal, said:

“This report shows that hospitality leaders are feeling more confident in the sector again and facing the future with more positivity, even though the trading environment remains challenging. 

“It’s good to see that operators are planning to invest in in priority areas through 2026, such as technology and that they recognise the critical role it will play in streamlining operations, saving costs, easing staff pressure, and delivering against rising customer expectations. 

“No one is saying the next 12 months will be easy but the findings really demonstrate the resilience of our industry.” 

The Business Confidence Survey from NIQ and Zonal drew responses from leaders at CEO, MD, chair, board and other senior management levels, with combined oversight of more than 16,000 hospitality sites. The research was conducted in February and early March 2026.  

NIQ revealed the findings of the latest survey at a special Business Leaders Briefing event in London, attended by more than 50 leading operators. 

Key Findings from State Of Beauty 2026 report: 

• Global beauty sales grew 10% year-over-year, driven by strong digital acceleration 

• E-commerce is growing 6x faster than in-store sales, reshaping channel strategies

• 49% of consumers are willing to pay more for locally made products, reflecting rising demand for authenticity and trust

• 52% will pay a premium for convenience, as time-saving solutions drive purchase decisions

• 63% of consumers prioritize mental wellness, signaling continued expansion of holistic beauty

“Beauty is entering a new phase of growth defined by both resilience and rising complexity,” Tara James Taylor, SVP, Beauty Vertical, NIQ. “Consumers are more intentional in how they spend, seeking products that deliver real value, simplicity, and wellbeing. At the same time, AI and digital commerce is transforming how consumers discover and evaluate products, shifting advantage to brands that show up clearly and consistently across digital ecosystems.”

Digital behaviors are accelerating this transformation. More than half of consumers are now exploring AI-enabled shopping tools, with 49% already receiving beauty recommendations from generative AI. Social commerce continues to gain momentum, with 53% of consumers purchasing through social platforms and 22% buying directly via TikTok Shop. In China, Livestreaming accounts for 70% of beauty sales on platforms like Douyin, underscoring the growing importance of content-driven commerce.

These shifts are redefining how products are discovered, validated, and purchased, turning online engagement into immediate conversion and driving sustained category growth.

As AI, social commerce, and digital ecosystems reshape the consumer journey, brands that invest in intuitive, transparent, and data-driven experiences will be best positioned to build trust and capture growth in the next era of beauty.

About the report: NIQ’s State of Beauty Report 2026 is based on retail point-of-sale data across 9 categories in 52 markets, complemented by consumer panels and advanced data collection methods including web scraping to capture a comprehensive view of global beauty purchasing behavior. To download the full review, visit: click here.

What is driving growth in the global beauty market?

The global beauty market grew 10% year-over-year, driven primarily by rapid e-commerce expansion, which is growing six times faster than in-store sales. Digital channels, social commerce, and AI-enabled discovery are accelerating consumer engagement and conversion.

How is AI influencing beauty purchasing decisions?

AI is increasingly shaping how consumers discover and evaluate products. More than half of consumers are exploring AI-enabled shopping tools, and 49% already receive beauty recommendations from generative AI—helping streamline decision-making and personalize the shopping experience.

What role does social commerce play in beauty growth?

Social commerce is a major driver of category expansion. Over half of consumers (53%) now purchase through social platforms, and 22% buy directly via TikTok Shop. In markets like China, livestreaming dominates, with the majority of beauty sales on platforms like Douyin driven by live content.

What do today’s beauty consumers prioritize most?

Consumers are becoming more intentional and value-driven. Key priorities include convenience, authenticity, and wellbeing—52% are willing to pay more for convenience, 49% for locally made products, and 63% consider mental wellness essential in their beauty choices.

How should brands respond to these shifts?

Brands need to adopt digital-first, data-driven strategies that align with evolving consumer expectations. This includes investing in AI-enabled experiences, strengthening presence across social and E-commerce platforms, and delivering transparent, intuitive, and value-driven product offerings.

What makes NIQ’s data and insights unique?

NIQ combines one of the world’s most comprehensive consumer and retail datasets with advanced AI and analytics to help companies understand what consumers buy, why they buy it, and what to do next. This enables brands to move from insight to action with greater speed and confidence.

About NIQ

NielsenIQ (NYSE: NIQ) is a leading consumer intelligence company, delivering the most complete and trusted understanding of consumer buying behavior and revealing new pathways to growth. By combining an unmatched global data footprint and granular consumer and retail measurement with decades of AI modeling expertise, NIQ builds decision systems that help companies turn complex data into confident action. 

With operations in more than 90 countries, NIQ covers approximately 82% of the world’s population and more than $7.4 trillion in global consumer spend. Through cloud-based platforms, advanced analytics and AI-driven insights, NIQ delivers The Full View™—helping brands and retailers understand what consumers buy, why they buy it, and what to do next.   

For more information, please visit www.niq.com. 

© 2026 Nielsen Consumer LLC. All Rights Reserved. 

Media Contact: media.relations@niq.com 

“The new Data Partner Network enables the use of MRI‑Simmons and NIQ audience intelligence within privacy‑forward contextual environments supported by programmatic platforms—helping advertisers apply our trusted insights more effectively,” said Josh Pisano, General Manager of Global Media, NIQ and MRI‑Simmons. “Our collaboration brings the power of our unique consumer insights together with Comscore’s media consumption data, helping advertisers reach the consumers they want in support of advertising performance and ROI.”

“The future of advertising will be defined by marketers who embrace privacy-first and AI-enabled audience targeting innovations that deliver intelligence, scale, and performance without compromise. We’re thrilled to welcome NIQ and MRI-Simmons to the Comscore Partner Network, strengthening our collective ability to help brands connect with the audiences that matter while upholding exceptional standards of consumer privacy,” said Jessica Trainor, Head of Partnerships, Proximic by Comscore.

About NIQ

NIQ (NYSE: NIQ) is a leading consumer intelligence company, delivering the most complete and trusted understanding of consumer buying behavior and revealing new pathways to growth. By combining an unmatched global data footprint and granular consumer and retail measurement with decades of AI modeling expertise, NIQ builds decision systems that help companies turn complex data into confident action.

With operations in more than 90 countries, NIQ covers approximately 82% of the world’s population and more than $7.4 trillion in global consumer spend. Through cloud-based platforms, advanced analytics and AI-driven insights, NIQ delivers The Full View™—helping brands and retailers understand what consumers buy, why they buy it, and what to do next.  

To learn more, visit www.mrisimmons.com.

About MRI‑Simmons

MRI‑Simmons, a joint venture majority‑owned by NIQ (NYSE: NIQ), is the leading provider of insights on the American consumer. A leader in consumer insights for over 60 years, MRI‑Simmons possesses one of the few data sets widely used across the media ecosystem for consumer profiling, media planning, audience research, and insight‑driven audience development. Powered by address‑based probabilistic sampling, MRI‑Simmons measures real people, chosen at random, to represent the U.S. population in all its diversity—resulting in the most accurate view of the American consumer.

For more information, please visit www.niq.com.

Key Highlights: 

• New monthly global packaging tracking capability 

• Coverage across 200+ categories 

• Visibility into 30+ package types and 20 package materials 

• 10+ markets at launch, expanding to 30 by the end of 2026 

• Introduction of NIQ’s exclusive EQ2 metric, multiplying units by number in pack to reflect true consumption 

“The pace of packaging change has increased significantly, from material innovation to pack-size diversification,” said Matt Trask, SVP of Global Packaging at NIQ. “With monthly, harmonized visibility and our EQ2 metric, we’re closing long‑standing data gaps and empowering partners to make smarter decisions, innovate with confidence, and unlock new growth across markets worldwide.”  

The new EQ2 metric provides a more accurate understanding of packaging performance by accounting for actual volume movement rather than unit sales alone. This enables organizations to better understand how pack sizes, material choices, and multi-pack configurations are performing across markets. 

The SPG Packaging solution and exclusive EQ2 metric are available now through NIQ Discover or via customized reporting. To learn more about NIQ’s packaging solutions, visit niq.com/packaging. 

About NIQ

NielsenIQ (NYSE: NIQ) is a leading consumer intelligence company, delivering the most complete and trusted understanding of consumer buying behavior and revealing new pathways to growth. By combining an unmatched global data footprint and granular consumer and retail measurement with decades of AI modeling expertise, NIQ builds decision systems that help companies turn complex data into confident action. 

With operations in more than 90 countries, NIQ covers approximately 82% of the world’s population and more than $7.4 trillion in global consumer spend. Through cloud-based platforms, advanced analytics and AI-driven insights, NIQ delivers The Full View™—helping brands and retailers understand what consumers buy, why they buy it, and what to do next.   

For more information, please visit www.niq.com. 

© 2026 Nielsen Consumer LLC. All Rights Reserved. 

Media Contact: media.relations@niq.com 

New delivery offers helped restaurants to strong at-home sales growth in February despite a sharp drop in takeaways, the latest NIQ Hospitality at Home Tracker reveals. 

The Tracker, powered by CGA intelligence, reveals delivery sales rose 4.7% from the same month in 2025. The figure is well above Britain’s current rate of inflation and follows a 7.4% increase in January. February’s sales were boosted by wet weather that kept people at home in many parts of the country, and by hesitant consumer confidence that may have led some to reduce their spending on eating out.  

Restaurant groups have accelerated growth by extending their delivery offers and partnerships with third party platforms. February’s total delivery sales—including at restaurants opened in the last 12 months, or ones where deliveries have been introduced for the first time—were 11.8% ahead of the same month last year.  

The convenience of deliveries and the rollout of new operations have impacted takeaways, and sales in this channel have dropped sharply in recent years. Restaurants’ revenue from takeaways and click-and-collect orders fell by 11.1% on a like-for-like basis in February—an 11^th negative month in a row. Takeaways generated only 4.9% of spending with restaurants during the month, while deliveries attracted 13.1%. 

The NIQ Hospitality at Home Tracker shows the twin trends of growth in deliveries and downward movement in takeaways kept restaurants’ organic at-home sales virtually flat in February, rising just 0.1% on a like-for-like basis. However, the speed of delivery rollouts raised total at-home growth to 10.0%. 

Karl Chessell, director – hospitality operators and food, EMEA at NIQ, said:

“At a time when restaurants’ sales and profitability are under major pressure, February’s double-digit growth in at-home sales is a positive sign. However, much of the extra revenue for some operators have come at the expense of takeaways and eat-in trading, or from newly-launched delivery operations. Consumers’ spending remains tight, and their confidence will be sapped further by any inflation that arises from the conflict in the Middle East. Trading conditions in all of restaurants’ channels are likely to remain very challenging for some time to come.”

The NIQ Hospitality at Home Tracker is the leading source of data and insight for the delivery and takeaway market. It provides monthly reports on the value and volume of sales, with year-on-year comparisons and splits between food and drink revenue. It offers a benchmark by which brands can measure their performance, and participants receive detailed data in return for their contributions.  

Partners on the Tracker: Azzurri Group, Big Table Group, Bills, Bleecker St Burger, Byron, Coco di Mama, Cote, Creams Café, Dishoom, Five Guys, Gaucho Grill, Honest Burgers, HOP Vietnamese, Kricket, Megan’s, Mission Mars,  Mitchells & Butlers, Mowgli, Nando’s, Pizza Express, Pizza Hut UK, Popeyes, Prezzo, Rosa’s Thai, Tasty Plc, TGI Fridays UK, Tortilla, Tossed, Wagamama, Wasabi, Wingstop, YO! Sushi and Yolk.

Anyone interested in joining the Tracker should contact Karen Bantoft at karen.bantoft@nielseniq.com.  

About the survey

Press Contact
For further details or an interview, please contact Greenfields Communications:

• The data in the GfK Consumer Confidence Barometer (CCB), powered by NIM, is collected by GfK. The CCB has been published jointly by GfK and the Nuremberg Institute for Market Decisions (NIM), the founder of GfK, since October 2023.  
• This month’s survey was conducted among a sample of 2,001 individuals aged 16+ in the UK. 
• Quotas are imposed on age, sex, region, and social class to ensure the final sample is representative of the UK population. 
• Interviewing was conducted between March 2^nd and March 16^th 2026.  
• The figures in the GfK CCB powered by NIM have an estimated margin of error of +/-2%. 
• The Overall Index Score is calculated using underlying data that runs to two decimal points. 
• The press release dates for the remaining months of 2026 (all dates fall on a Friday) are: April 24th, May 22^nd, June 19^th, July 24^th, August 21^st, September 25^th, October 23^rd, November 20^th and December 18^th.  
• Any published material must include a reference to the GfK Consumer Confidence Barometer, e.g. ‘Source: GfK Consumer Confidence Barometer powered by NIM’.
• This study has been running since 1974. Back data is available from 2006.
• The table below is an overview of the questions asked to obtain the individual index measures:

Personal Financial Situation (Q1/Q2)	This index is based on the following questions to consumers: ‘How has the financial situation of your household changed over the last 12 months?’ ‘How do you expect the financial position of your household to change over the next 12 months?’ (a lot better – a little better – stay(ed) the same – a little worse – a lot worse)
General Economic Situation (Q3/Q4)	This index is based on the following questions to consumers: ‘How do you think the general economic situation in this country has changed over the last 12 months?’ ‘How do you expect the general economic situation in this country to develop over the next 12 months?’ (a lot better – a little better – stay(ed) the same – a little worse – a lot worse)
Major Purchase Index (Q8)	This index is based on the following question to consumers: ‘In view of the general economic situation, do you think now is the right time for people to make major purchases such as furniture or electrical goods?’ (right time – neither right nor wrong time – wrong time)
Savings Index (Q10)	This index is based on the following question to consumers: ‘In view of the general economic situation do you think now is?’ (a very good time to save – a fairly good time to save – not a good time to save – a very bad time to save) (Commented on but not included in the Index Score)

About the GfK Consumer Confidence Barometer powered by NIM

There is no other consumer research project with the longevity, rigor, and reliability of GfK’s Consumer Confidence Barometer (CCB). Each month since January 1974, it has provided a snapshot of how UK consumers feel about the crucial economic topics today and their outlook for the next 12 months. It has provided insight into the UK’s thinking through boom and bust, the Brexit vote, and most recently the coronavirus pandemic. The CCB data collected by GfK has been published jointly with the Nuremberg Institute for Market Decisions (NIM) since October 2023. NIM is the founder of GfK.

About NIQ

NielsenIQ (NYSE: NIQ) is a leading consumer intelligence company, delivering the most complete and trusted understanding of consumer buying behavior and revealing new pathways to growth. By combining an unmatched global data footprint and granular consumer and retail measurement with decades of AI modeling expertise, NIQ builds decision systems that help companies turn complex data into confident action. 
 

With operations in more than 90 countries, NIQ covers approximately 82% of the world’s population and more than $7.4 trillion in global consumer spend. Through cloud-based platforms, advanced analytics and AI-driven insights, NIQ delivers The Full View™—helping brands and retailers understand what consumers buy, why they buy it, and what to do next.   

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About GfK – a NielsenIQ company

For over 90 years, we have earned the trust of our clients around the world by solving critical questions in their decision-making process. We fuel their growth by providing a complete understanding of their consumers’ buying behavior, and the dynamics impacting their markets, brands and media trends. In 2023, GfK combined with NIQ, bringing together two industry leaders with unparalleled global reach. With a holistic retail read and the most comprehensive consumer insights – delivered with advanced analytics through state-of-the-art platforms – GfK drives “Growth from Knowledge”. For more information, visit nielseniq.com

About NIM

The Nuremberg Institute for Market Decisions (NIM) is a non-profit research institute at the interface of academia and practice. NIM examines how consumer decisions change due to new technology, societal trends or the application of behavioral science, and what the resulting micro- and macroeconomic impacts are for the market and society as a whole. A better understanding of consumer decisions and their impacts helps society, businesses, politics, and consumers make better decisions with regard to “prosperity for all” in the sense of the social-ecological market system. The Nuremberg Institute for Market Decisions is the founder of GfK. For more information, visit www.nim.org/en and LinkedIn.

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Transcript

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Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this podcast belong to the individuals who share them and do not necessarily represent Nielsen IQ. Note that this podcast discusses sensitive topics that may be triggering for some. For more information specific to this episode, see the episode description.

Jake 

The views and opinions expressed in this podcast belong to the individuals who shared them and do not necessarily represent NielsenIQ. Note that this podcast discusses sensitive topics that may be triggering for some. For more information specific to this episode, see the episode description.  

Hi everyone, and welcome to the My Story, Our Voices podcast, a core component of NielsenIQ’s DEI Learning Series, Me and You. My name is Jake Conlin, and if this is your first time tuning in, then let me tell you what this podcast is all about. In a nutshell, it’s about stories, your stories. We think stories are important because when we tell them, we open the door and allow others to see the experiences that shaped us, that challenged us, and helped us grow. By doing this, we can create a culture where open dialogue is encouraged, and we can have a space to discuss important topics in a transparent and courageous manner. So minimize that e-mail tab, mute your chat, and take a little break to listen to a NielsenIQ story.  

James  

Hello everyone, and welcome to another episode of My Story, Our Voices, a podcast from NIQ sponsored by Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. My name is James Anderson. I’m a senior analyst in the manufacturing section here in Toronto. My pronouns are he and him. And I just want to say hello to everyone and welcome my co-host, Funda. 

Funda 

Hi, James. Hello, everyone. This is Funda here. My pronouns are she and hers. I am the global leader for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and well-being at NIQ. And today, I’m super excited about our topic and our guests because we are talking about cultural inclusion through the lens of celebrations, but also beyond them: moments like holidays, festivals, or observances often make inclusion visible, but real inclusion isn’t limited to a calendar, right? It’s reflected in our everyday choices in how us as humans or organizations acknowledge differences, create space for people to show up as themselves, and avoid making assumptions about what matters to whom. I believe we’re going to talk about these assumptions as well. But anyway, celebrations can be powerful: they can build connection, they can build belonging and understanding. They can also, you know, when handled without intention, unintentionally exclude or oversimplify identities. So today’s conversation is about navigating that balance thoughtfully, learning from lived experiences from our guests, and exploring what meaningful year-round cultural inclusion can look like at work. Okay, I’ll get out of my soapbox and introduce our guests today, Aritra and Maria, because I don’t want to do any injustice to them. Maria, you want to go first. 

Maria 

Thanks, Funda. Hi, everyone. My pronouns is she and her. And my name is Maria Ratla. I lead BI and customer support across EMEA. I’m really passionate about creating inclusive environments where people feel respected, heard, and able to show up as themselves. So I am super duper excited to be part of this conversation. 

Aritra 

I guess I’ll go next. So hello everyone. My pronouns are he and they. I’m from India, currently staying in Delhi, but I’m originally a Bengali from Kolkata. This is my 15th year with NielsenIQ and I’m currently working as a product director for our innovation business. I’m also being engaged with our DEI initiatives and have been for several years, and I have led multiple ERGs. I am very passionate about today’s topic so I’m super excited. 

Funda  

Fantastic. So happy to have you both. Let’s start with a foundational question to ground our discussion. What does cultural inclusion feel like to you personally? How do you recognize it around you and how do you recognize it in your own experiences? Aritra, let’s start with you and then we’ll go to Maria after that. 

Aritra  

Sure thing. So for me, personally, the perfect state of cultural inclusion will be when I no longer need to think about or worry about what my cultural identity is. Where, for example, I’m able to celebrate the festivals that I care about, eat whatever I want, speak whatever language I choose to, without feeling the need to explain, justify, and sanitize for someone else. I’ll give you an example. So as I said, I’m from India. And even within India, there are some states or communities who prefer to stop eating non-veg during their festivals, while the rest of the country continues. Now, I come from a state where it is very common to eat non-veg during Arabic festivals. It’s almost an integral part of our celebrations. And I don’t want to answer why I’m not giving up on my very favorite mutton biryani during my festivals. So in a state where I don’t even need to worry, it comes naturally. That would be a perfect state of cultural inclusion for me. 

Maria 

So for me, cultural inclusion feels like psychological safety, if I may say. It’s when you don’t have to explain or defend who you are or leave part of yourself at the door to be accepted. You feel like, you know, seen and respected, not just tolerated. Again, I am coming from Pakistan where we have multicultural people, environment available. And now living in Dubai, we have all sorts of people, like, you know, all different nationalities, different cultures. Everybody’s there. Hence, I recognize it when leaders are curious instead of assuming when flexibility is built into how we work and when differences are treated as strengths rather than inconveniences. So that’s my take on cultural inclusion. 

Funda 

Thank you both. So I’m going to talk a little bit about something Aritra wrote, I believe a couple years ago, and it was an article called Seven Ways to Be Inclusive of All Festivals, Observances and Identities. That piece has inspired a lot of people, including this podcast and yours truly. Could you tell us what inspired you to write it and share a couple of takeaways that, you know, workplaces can apply? 

Aritra 

I will start by saying that, like, without you, Funda, and Dom, that article wouldn’t have been possible. So thank you for all the support. And yes, it has been quite a few years since I wrote it. There was no one single point: it was a journey. So I come from a not-so-religious Hindu family. And growing up in Kolkata, we would celebrate different festivals, irrespective of their religious origin. So for example, we grew up celebrating Christmas. And back then, it was pretty normal. We would go to this Christmas cake place. And what’s fascinating about it was it’s a Jewish bakery selling Christmas cakes. And almost all the hawkers there are a mix of Hindus and Muslims. And we never thought about it. We consciously, like nowadays as things are changing, we are becoming more mindful and, oh my God, like it was like that. But it was a very normal thing for us back then. Now, coming from there, the very first trigger was possibly when I saw a festive e-mail coming out during one of the Hindu festivals announcing bonuses. And my very first thought was, okay, what about all the other festivals, other communities, other religions, like why are we attaching like a performance bonus with a particular religious festival? And that was the first trigger. And we have had several discussions since then. And when I became the MOSAIC ERG lead for APAC, I thought, what we’ll all benefit from as an organization, as a resource which senior leaders or communication teams or admin teams or people who are responsible for organizing events or celebrations can benefit from and become more inclusive. Something that kind of like makes it easier for them to be naturally inclusive without relying on, say, for example, individual intelligence or someone’s personal activism, but it’s more like common knowledge. And that’s how the article came to me. And as I said, while I did the initial draft, we all worked on it together. That’s how it became a thing, and I’m proud of it, very proud of it. 

James  

And just building out a little bit on that writing of the draft, words and the language that we use every day have become somewhat of a hot topic at the moment. So, Aritra, as you wrote the document and some of it focuses on the kind of language we use around diversity, I wanted to ask you why it was important to you, do you think, to mention the importance of the words that we use? 

Aritra  

Oh, well, think about the current state of work. All of us are either fully remote or somewhat remote. We are working in a hybrid situation. And many of us, even when we are in the same team, we are not co-located and we are connecting through works, be it in a call like this, or be it through e-mail or a Teams chat, and that kind of automatically makes words very critical in building a new sort of connection. And that kind of like is the basic formula for or ingredient for making someone feel included and excluded. Now, I think like Funda at the beginning of the call mentioned that one can be like there can be certain things or misuse of words which are unintentional. And I’ve seen that happen. Like, it may not be always a conscious attempt. I have a very silly story to share. I think this was in the first few months when I started working with the global team, and it was a virtual Christmas party. And we were all supposed to wear these Christmassy clothes. And I wore this. I don’t know why, but I had this red jumbo with real Christmas lights on it, which glows like real ones. And the moment I turned my video on, someone just said, “That’s the ugliest sweater I have seen”. And I was shocked because I always associated the word ugly as a negative tone. I didn’t know the concept of ugly Christmas sweaters back then. And I think my shock was visible on my face. And of course, my manager jumped in and explained, and then I felt much better. But that just goes to show how important words can be, particularly when words develop their own regional cultural meanings. I think all of those and many other such experiences as an example, speak mine or someone else’s kind of like led me to emphasize words as we were writing that article.  

James 

And don’t assume that everyone has the same context for those words that you might have. 

Aritra 

Exactly. Yes. 

Funda 

Love that example. So I want to turn to you, Maria, and see if any of that resonate with you. Have you seen any of the ideas that are mentioned, implemented, or experienced examples of inclusion done well, or like the ugliest sweater example done not so well? 

Maria 

Absolutely, Funda. Like, you know, what really resonated with me is the emphasis on intention over assumptions. Something as simple as being mindful about language, scheduling or celebrations can make a big difference: when people feel considered, trust grows and that directly impacts engagement and performance. With this, you know, one of the immediate examples that comes to my mind is the New Year party that we have, right? So, it’s been like, one, two to three years earlier, we used to have Iftar at the office. And like, everyone would look forward to coming together. It would be a moment, like, when every culture, every individual from the organization would come. We would celebrate, like, you know, have Iftar together. It’s a meal, like, you know, food is one of those, universal mode of communication. I would say that, you know, that where it resonates with everybody, like, you know, everybody enjoys eating food irrespective of wherever you’re coming from, right? So that stopped happening for the last two to three years, but at the same time, because they said that it is not anymore allowed, cultural celebrations are not encouraged and all that. But then at the same time, New Year, is something that continues to happen. And where we have, it is supposed to be a New Year party, but then we do end up having Christmas gifts and Christmas, like, celebration in it. Which also feels whether this is really an inclusive, like, thing which is happening and whether promotion of Iftar should continue or not? And so those are the experiences that I recently have had. And I have multiple thoughts that keep on happening, coming and going in my mind that, why did we stop the Iftars if we can continue the New Year’s? So that is my experience.  

James  

And on that note, celebrations, as you just mentioned, often hold deep cultural and personal significance. So I’d love to hear from each of you, is there a particular, sort of stepping back for a second, I’d love to hear from each of you if there is a particular festival or celebration that’s close to your heart and what the essence or spirit of that celebration is and what it does mean to you personally. 

Maria  

I could go first. For me, Ramadan and Eid are very close to my heart. Ramadan is about reflection, patience, and empathy. It’s time to slow down and be more intentional. Eid, on the other hand, is more joyous, gratitude, connection with family, community, food, celebrations. So what I love is how both celebrations balance inner growth with togetherness. I mean, this is something that we really look forward throughout the year, from adults looking forward to Ramadan, and then children looking forward to Eid. And Eid is more for, a festivity where kids get gifts, in the form of cash, the smaller Eid, right after the Ramadan one, because we got two types of Eid. One is the smaller Eid, which is called Eid al-Fitr. And then we have a bigger Eid, which is called Eid al-Adha. And so, Eid al-Adha is when we have a slaughtering of, or say, sacrificing the animals in the shape of, say, camel, cow, goats, lamb, sheep. These are the ones which are slaughtered. And on the other hand, the Eid al-Fitr is right after Ramadan Eid, and that is when we have, like, you know, the cultural, like where everybody gets dressed up. It’s more festive, I would say, than the other Eid. However, the other Eid is known as a bigger Eid than this one is a smaller. But then again, it’s all about community, festival, family, getting ready, dressed up. So yeah, that’s something very close to my heart.  

James 

And Aritra, how about you? 

Aritra  

For me, it has to be Durga Puja. But Maria, thank you so much for sharing about Ramadan. I have many friends who celebrate Eid. That’s like very close to my heart. Yeah, I’m a big time foodie. So I had to say that hmm, I’m coming back to Durga Puja. So it’s originally celebration of this Hindu deity called Durga. But in Kolkata or in the eastern part of the country in general, it has over the years turned into this long celebration of art, culture, and food. The entire city goes crazy. It almost enters into a carnival mode and every single street will have these temporary structures. We call them pandals built, which are part shrine where the rituals take place, but also like part walk through art. art space, like people can just walk and each one of them will have some theme inspired by media regional art form or some literature or even like social issues and current events. I remember one very particularly. So during COVID, one of the challenges we had in India was labor migration, people who did not have like a permanent job. They were stuck in cities, but also not able to go out. And that was a major challenge that the country as a whole. And that topic was brought up in two or three pandals. So the rituals are there, but there is only one part of something which is much bigger. And while it’s rooted in a Hindu tradition and origin, the whole city together celebrates it. So, in Kolkata, you have Muslim communities, and you have some smaller Anglo-Indian or Christian ones. You have a small Jewish community as well. And everyone would come together to celebrate. Interestingly, one of the most loved foods and most sold foods during Durga Puja is biryani, which has its origins in the Muslim kitchens. So this entire thing, like it feels like a melting pot and that’s why I love it.  

James  

Speaking of pots, I noticed that food plays a role in all of these celebrations. I’ve heard that a few times now. It seems like a common factor across cultural activities as well. Why do you, I’ll ask each of you, why do you think food plays such an important role in celebrations in general? 

Aritra  

Oh, that’s easy. It’s because food is luck. I don’t know how else to answer that. I can’t think of a celebration without food. 

Maria  

Food is universal. Like, food is, it’s one of the easiest ways to connect across cultures. Like sharing food is really about sharing stories, memories, identity. Even when traditions differ, food creates a sense of belonging. It’s a way of saying you’re welcome here without needing gourds, you know? And then everybody likes, so for instance, like Aritra mentioned biryani, mutton biryani. Now, biryani in India is very different than biryani in Pakistan, and biryani that probably we get in Dubai. But the thing is, it is biryani. It is something which is a common, what do you call, main item, main dish for any event. Like if biryani is there, it’s festive, you know what I mean? So yeah, it is universal.  

James  

I think as well, food, it helps break down barriers, I think, because there’s nothing like gathering at the table. And as soon as you start discussing the food, and it’s a great way to just, you know, to cross, to just break away from any kind of formality or anything, you just immediately, we all just start eating and enjoying and sharing together.  

Funda  

Wow, all of this food conversation makes me hungry. So I want to change the topic a little bit. Because celebrations, we’re talking about cultural inclusivity, right? Celebrations are not limited to holidays. Let’s think of milestones like workplace achievements or other cultural observances. Each of these is a chance to make people feel included. With my DEI hat on, how can organizations ensure that these moments are inclusive for everyone, no matter the time of the year? Maria, you want to go first.  

Maria  

Sure. So, see, organizations can be inclusive year-round by building flexibility and empathy into everyday practice. That could mean acknowledging different working styles, being flexible with schedules, or recognizing achievement in ways that resonate across cultures. I mean, inclusion doesn’t necessarily need to be a special event per se. It should feel embedded in how decisions are made and how people are treated on a day-to-day basis. So, for instance, like, you know, moms, I would say, they need to do a school drop off; they need to probably pick it up. So you know that flexibility on letting them do what they are meant to do or which can give them that contentment. And then let them focus more on continuing in terms of doing their work is also one form of being inclusive. And I think NielsenIQ does fabulous in this. And the other could also be like, you know, if somebody offer prayers for that matter so that timing of, you know, letting them go, expend like another 15, 20 minutes and just offering their prayers is also one form of being inclusive. So I guess these are like, you know, it has to be on day-to-day basis throughout the year, not pertaining to any special event only. 

James  

And Aritra. 

Aritra  

Totally agree with what Maria said. I think like the key remains lies in being intentional, particularly for global companies, which work with people from varied cultures, countries, languages, religions, like we can’t take it for granted that everyone will just automatically naturally come together and there won’t be any cultural clashes. And that’s why we need to be very conscious and intentional that, okay, like how do we bring such changes and upgrades, system upgrades in place, like things that Maria mentioned, like, okay, align for schedule flexibility, which allows offering of friends, like how can we make someone feel comfortable and safe enough so that they can raise that with their managers or other stakeholders. The other piece that I think is very important is, as we are building this intentional framework, I think the article that we wrote and we had included, I think initially seven, and then we expanded it to 10 different things people can do to become more culturally inclusive. That was the starting point of a much bigger framework. And I think as we expand that, we’ll have to be agile because we can’t just say that it’s like the first draft or the first system we have. will be perfect and it will achieve a hundred percent. No, it’s not going to do that. So what’s needed for that is to build feedback loops. I think like it’s very important because I’m thinking about what Maria mentioned about, okay, like if we are able to celebrate New Year’s and as part of New Year, Christmas gifts, why did we stop celebrating Iftar? So that’s the feedback, right? I’m not getting into whether that’s right or wrong or valid or invalid, but that’s a feedback. And as an organization, we should have a  system where people can voice these and like they can share it so that these can gradually be incorporated as part of the framework that we are building. And yeah, we make it a priority and we make it happen. Yes. Just like any other business case or business priority. 

James  

Because all of that plays a role, as Maria mentioned, in affecting engagement and performance when people are, when we know from all those management studies, Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, when people feel respected and respect of their peers, et cetera, et cetera. That’s one of the things that really sort of engages people and keeps people, helps retain people within the workplace as well. And on that note, because we’ve been discussing this, how do we balance being inclusive without accidentally stereotyping or oversimplifying people’s cultural identities? It’s a tricky balance, but I’d love to hear your thoughts, Aritra. 

Aritra  

No, yeah, absolutely. It’s an extremely tricky balance. I’ll start by saying, like, I don’t, the image of your level first, like, let’s start by accepting that we are going to make mistakes. And whenever we are making mistakes, we try to learn rather than become defensive. I think that’s very important if we want to just become better at balancing this. At an organizational level, and I’m not specifically talking about NielsenIQ, I’ve seen this across many organizations, we often define a culture, we define a country, be it with the images that we are using or the festivals that we are focusing on in very broad brush strokes. And I think a big part of the problem lies there. So, for example, I always share examples from India because I’m from India. So if everyone thinks about India whenever they’re thinking about Diwali or vice versa, I think there’s some problems there because India by itself has so many other festivals happening. Now, it’s not possible for us to talk about every possible festivals, but whenever there’s an occasion, we can possibly take turns. Like, okay, this year it was Diwali, so next year it could be Holi, then the year after that could be the Navratri show. And like we take turns. And how do we do that? We do that through our ERGs. We crowdsource, ask people, okay, like what are the celebrations that are closest to your hearts? And we take them from there. So, building that sensitivity, once again, finding intentions, I think is how we balance stereotyping and oversimplifying cultural identities. 

James  

And Maria? 

Maria  

I agree with what Aritra is mentioning, like, you know, that the key is to create space for individuals. However, I would just like to add that that balance also comes from listening. Like, you know, inclusion becomes stereotyping when we assume one person represents an entire culture. okay, which is not always right. The key is to create space for individuals to define what inclusion looks for them rather than applying one size fits all solutions. So curiosity and humility go a very long way here. This is my take on this, that it has to be a balance. And like Aritra just mentioned that if there are so many festivals that maybe we could do is do it year-on-year basis. At least we know that we’ve catered for– or maybe we can do it bits and bits, quarter-wise, so at least everybody feels included. They recognize, they can share the little happiness of doing those respective things that feel closer to their heart.  

Funda  

Thank you, Maria, and thank you, Aritro. I love this. One thing that I want to reiterate is intent versus impact. The biggest danger there is assumption. If you assume one thing, you know, your intent might be one thing, but the impact is definitely going to be something different. But anyhow, this has been such a rich discussion. Thank you so much, both of you. To wrap up, I just want to leave our listeners with something actionable. What’s one piece of advice you’d give to workplaces or to Aritra’s point, ERGs, striving for cultural inclusion, not just during celebrations, but every day, day-to-day, year-round, just one example?  

Aritra  

Yes. I think, once again, it goes back to being intentional. I think what ERGs can do more in organizations which are striving for cultural inclusion is to hear more from the members and the people. One thing that I’ve often seen with ERGs is that it’s, of course, primarily driven by a few folks who are extremely passionate, but then whatever is going to happen throughout the year is decided by them. And they don’t often get feedback from other members or, and it could be a bandwidth issue. So just enabling that the leaders are talking to people and hearing from them and hearing from multiple sources, not just like one person. I think that that is very critical for building cultural inclusion. And it’s not just like the ERG that is focused on cultural inclusion. I think it goes beyond just the ERG focused on cultural inclusion. Say, for example, how LGBT+ inclusion is seen is very nuanced based on what is the cultural background or what is the religious background. And I think like that’s where the ERGs can also like interact and collaborate to bring these cultural intelligence into the things that they are doing. 

Maria  

Adding to what Aritra said, my advice would be start with empathy, then act consistently. Inclusion isn’t about getting everything perfectly done. It’s about being open to learning and willing to adjust. When people feel genuinely respected and heard, inclusion becomes part of the culture, not just a policy.  

James  

Thank you, Maria. That was very, very well said. In fact, I want to thank both of our guests today for sharing their thoughts and stories with us. I also want to thank my co-host, Funda Kalemci, our producers and editors, and I want to thank, finally, our listeners for tuning in to yet another episode of My Story, Our Voices. Be sure to join us again. Thank you for listening. 

Jake  

Hey everyone, it’s Jake again. We hope you’ve enjoyed this episode of the My Story, Our Voices podcast. Tune in next time to hear more stories from the NIQ community. 

Maria  

It’s when you don’t have to explain or defend who you are or leave part of yourself at the door to be accepted. You feel like, you know, seen and respected, not just tolerated. 

Aritra  

We should have a system where people can voice things and share so that these can gradually be incorporated as part of the framework that we are building. We make it a priority, and we make it happen.  

About NIQ

NielsenIQ (NIQ) is a leading consumer intelligence company, delivering the most complete understanding of consumer buying behavior and revealing new pathways to growth. Our global reach spans over 90 countries covering approximately 85% of the world’s population and more than $7.2 trillion in global consumer spend. With a holistic retail read and the most comprehensive consumer insights—delivered with advanced analytics through state-of-the-art platforms—NIQ delivers the Full View™.

• AI-guided analysis helps brands and retailers turn data into decision-ready insights

Dismal weather and cautious spending stunted managed hospitality groups’ growth in February, the latest NIQ RSM Hospitality Business Tracker reveals. 

The Tracker—produced by NIQ, powered by CGA intelligence, in association with RSM—indicates a 0.2% fall in like-for-like sales compared to February 2025. It extends a flat 2026 for hospitality after a 0.1% drop in January. 

Venues’ trading in February was held down by dull and wet weather in many parts of Britain, with Met Office figures showing England received 42% more rainfall than the long-term average for the month. Some consumers were also kept at home by concerns about their disposable incomes amid rising prices and economic uncertainty. These negatives outweighed modest boosts in February from Valentine’s Day and the Six Nations rugby tournament. 

Pubs in growth but restaurants down 

The NIQ RSM Hospitality Business Tracker shows pub groups outperformed restaurants for the 15th successive month. They grew like-for-like sales by 1.0%, which also marks a 13th positive month in a row for this channel—though it has risen above 4% only twice.

Restaurants found it harder to stimulate consumer spending in February, with sales dropping 1.1% year-on-year. Among other channels, bars experienced another difficult month as trading falling by 4.1%. Comparisons fell even further behind in the on-the-go segment, as sales slipped by 5.0%. 

New openings keep growth up with inflation  

While like-for-like sales dipped overall, new openings helped managed groups to haul growth roughly in line with the country’s headline rate of inflation in February. On a total sales basis—including at venues launched by hospitality groups in the last 12 months—growth rose to 2.9%. However, with inflation running higher over that period in key cost areas like food, drink and labour, profit growth remains difficult.

Meanwhile the Tracker’s regional breakdown of sales indicates an almost identical month in London and beyond. Like-for-like sales were down by 0.1% within the M25, and by 0.3% further afield. 

Karl Chessell, director – hospitality operators and food, EMEA at NIQ, said:

“Flat like-for-likes and modest total growth driven by new openings have been the twin trends for hospitality for many months now. February’s figures were more of the same, and they are another reminder of how much venues rely on the weather for footfall. March brings important trading opportunities including Mother’s Day, St Patrick’s Day and the start of Easter holidays, and operators will be hoping for long-overdue sunshine to bring people out of their homes to eat and drink.”

Saxon Moseley, head of leisure and hospitality at RSM UK, said:

“Real term growth eluded operators in February as the sector continued to struggle with poor weather and muted consumer confidence, extending a subdued start to 2026. Against this backdrop, geopolitical tensions in the Middle East present a real threat to the hospitality industry. 2022’s energy crisis tells us that consumer confidence can freefall quickly and be slow to recover. If the situation continues, we could see input costs increase across food, logistics and utilities, presenting potential headwinds of higher costs and a further slowdown in demand later this year.”

NIQ collected sales figures directly from 119 leading managed groups for February’s edition of the NIQ RSM Hospitality Business Tracker, which provides authoritative monthly insights into Britain’s restaurant, pub and bar sales. Companies participating in the Tracker receive a fuller breakdown of trading that helps to benchmark performance and understand market trends.

To join the cohort, contact Andrew Dean at  andy.dean@nielseniq.com 

Participants in the NIQ RSM Hospitality Business Tracker: Adventure Leisure Ltd, All Star Lanes, Amber Taverns, Anglian Country Inns, Arc Inspirations, Azzurri Group (Ask Italian, Coco di Mama, Zizzi), Barburrito, Barworks, Beds and Bars, Big Fang Collective, Big Table Group (Banana Tree Restaurants, Bella Italia, Chiquito, Frankie & Benny’s, Las Iguanas), Bill’s Restaurants, Bleecker St Burger, Boisdale Ltd, Boom Battle Bar, Boston Tea Party, Boxpark, BrewDog, Burger & Lobster, Buzzworks Holdings Group, Byron, Chaiiwala, Chance and Counters, Coaching Inn Group Ltd, Comptoir Group Plc, Cote Restaurants, Creams Café, Darwin & Wallace, Dishoom, Evolv Collection, Five Guys, Flat Iron, Fortnum & Mason, Fuller Smith & Turner, Gaucho Grill, Giggling Squid, Glendola Leisure, Gordon Ramsay Restaurants, Greene King (Chef & Brewer, Hungry Horse, Flaming Grill), Hall & Woodhouse, Hawthorn Leisure, Heartwood Collection, Honest Burgers, HOP Vietnamese, Kibou, Kricket, Laine Pub Co, Lane 7, Liberation, Lina Stores, Loungers, Lucky Voice, Marston’s, McMullen & Sons Ltd, Megans, Mildreds, Mission Mars, Mitchells & Butlers (Harvester, Toby, Miller & Carter, All Bar One), MJMK Restaurants, Mojo Bar, Mowgli, Nando’s Restaurants, Neos Hospitality, New World Trading Company, Nightcap Plc,  North Brewing Co, NQ64 Arcade Bars , Open House London, Parogon Pub Group, Pho, Pizza Express, Pizza Hut UK, Popeyes, Portobello Starboard Ltd, Prezzo, Public House Group, Punch Pub Co, Rick Stein Restaurants, Riley’s, Rosa’s Thai, Roxy Leisure, San Carlo, Sandbox VR, Shepherd Neame, Simmons Bars Group, Southern Wind Group (Fazenda), St Austell, Star Pubs & Bars, State of Play Hospitality, Stonegate Pub Co (Slug & Lettuce, Yates’, Walkabout, Bermondsey Pub Company), Tasty Plc, TGI Fridays UK, The Alchemist, The Fulham Shore, The Restaurant Group, Thunderbird Fried Chicken, Tonkotsu, Topgolf Ltd, Tortilla, Tossed, Treetop Golf, True North Brew Co, Upham Pub Co, Urban Pubs & Bars, Urban Village Pub Co, Various Eateries (Strada, Coppa Club), Village Hotels, Wagamama, Wasabi, Wells & Co, Whitbread (Beefeater, Brewers Fayre, Table Table), Wingstop, Yard Sale Pizza, Yolk, YO! Sushi, Young’s and Yummy Collection. 

About RSM UK

RSM UK is a leading provider of audit, tax and consulting services. As an integrated team with nearly 4,900 partners and staff operating from 31 locations across the UK, we have a culture of understanding what it means to deliver value, and to value what we do. 

As part of the RSM International network, we have access to more than 57,000 people in more than 120 countries. Our global presence helps us to meet the needs of clients who are trading and expanding internationally. 

To learn more, visit www.rsmuk.com. 

 

NielsenIQ BookData and GfK Entertainment have released their international data for 2025 at The London Book Fair.

NielsenIQ BookData and GfK Entertainment have released their international data for 2025 at the London Book Fair. The representative data shows revenue growth in 12 of the nineteen territories analyzed, driven in particular by fiction. Average book prices rose in almost all markets, though in many places the rate of increase had slowed compared with the previous year.

The international book markets paint a mixed picture for 2025: While 12 of the nineteen territories surveyed – including high-growth markets such as India (+20.7%), Brazil (+11.2%), and Mexico (+7.0%) – reported revenue increases, sales continued to decline in major European markets such as Italy (-2.1%), France (-1.5%), and the United Kingdom (-0.5%). Oceania, on the other hand, showed a notable upswing: after experiencing losses the previous year, both Australia (+3.2%) and New Zealand (+6.9%) finished significantly in the positive range.

Strong demand for fiction, children’s and young adult books

As in 2024, fiction stood out as the market’s strongest growth driver. The representative annual data shows that 15 of the territories analyzed increased their revenues in this segment. Crime authors such as Freida McFadden and thriller specialists like Dan Brown were particularly popular: One or more of McFadden’s titles appear among the top 20 bestselling books of the year in nine territories, with The Housemaid the number one bestseller overall in France, Spain and Wallonia. Dan Brown’s new novel The Secret of Secrets ranked among the three bestselling books of 2025 in five territories: Colombia, Flanders, Italy, the Netherlands, and Portugal. Science fiction and fantasy titles – including Rebecca Yarros’ Empyrean series – also enjoyed worldwide success. Children’s and young adult books mirrored this positive performance, recording revenue growth in three quarters of the markets analyzed.

The Let Them Theory performs strongly among non-fiction buyers

The non-fiction market remains under pressure, with only seven territories reporting revenue growth year on year in 2025. Bestsellers such as Mel Robbins’ behavioral guide The Let Them Theory proved resilient, becoming the bestselling book of the year in Australia, Ireland, New Zealand, and South Africa. Many readers also gravitated toward Atomic Habits (James Clear), Ikigai (Héctor García & Francesc Miralles), and The Psychology of Money (Morgan Housel).

Ten territories report growth in unit sales

When looking at unit sales – the total number of books sold – ten territories managed to grow. Here, too, the differences were considerable: South Africa (+4.6%) sold more books compared to the previous year, as did Australia (+1.4%) and New Zealand (+9.6%). Mexico also recorded 2 higher unit sales, though its growth rate slowed from +10.6% to +3.9%. Poland (-4.9%), Italy, and the Netherlands (each -3.0%) reported significant declines.

Price increases slowing in many markets

Average book prices continued to rise in 2025 – except in New Zealand (-2.5% to 21.54 NZD) and South Africa (-1.2% to 363.41 ZAR). However, half of the markets surveyed posted smaller price increases than in the previous year, including India (+1.8% compared with +8.1% the year before) and Brazil (+0.5% compared with +9.0%). The UK book market saw prices rise by 2.0% to 9.52 GBP in 2025, while France recorded a 1.0% increase to 12.83 EUR.

About study

About the study: The analysis is based on point-of-sale data on printed books for 2025 for the following territories: Australia, Belgium (Flanders/Wallonia), Brazil, Colombia, France, India, Ireland, Italy, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Poland, Portugal, Spain, South Africa, Switzerland (German-speaking and Romandy regions), and the UK. Market coverage and included genres may vary from country to country.

About GfK Entertainment

GfK Entertainment is a supplier of charts and market research data to the Books, Games, Music, and Video industries. It works closely with the relevant industry bodies and currently carries out market research in over 30 countries. For more information, visit: gfk-entertainment.com.

About NielsenIQ BookData

NielsenIQ BookData offers a comprehensive range of services to the international book industry, supporting the discovery, purchase, distribution, and sales measurement of books. We proudly manage the ISBN and SAN Agencies for the UK & Ireland, providing publishers with a suite of services, from assigning ISBNs to adding metadata to our database, along with promotional tools to help market your book effectively.

For booksellers and libraries, we offer access to our database of over 53 million book records for title look-up, enriching websites, and managing internal systems. Our research services deliver retail sales analysis for both print and e-books across 19 territories, complemented by insights from our Books and Consumers Survey, as well as Country and Genre-specific reports.
For more information: nielseniq.com/bookdata

• FMCG growth moderates to 7.8% in OND 2025 amidst GST transition and high festive base 
• Modern Trade records threefold acceleration versus previous quarter; E-commerce reaches 18% share in top 8 metros 
• Small manufacturers continue to outpace larger players in volume growth 

“This collaboration sets a new standard for the quality and accessibility of product content in Romania,” said Matei Iosep, Deputy CEO, GS1 Romania. “By combining GS1’s expertise in managing and distributing product data with NIQ Brandbank’s intelligence capabilities, we create a unified approach that becomes the industry benchmark in product content.”

This collaboration builds on NIQ Brandbank’s long‑standing commitment to delivering standardized, high‑quality digital product content for global retailers and brands. It also reinforces GS1 NDP and NIQ Brandbank’s contribution to shaping the future of commerce in Romania, in a context where data accuracy, information transparency and rapid access to content are essential factors for success.

“We are excited to collaborate with GS1 NDP to redefine how B2B2C product content is distributed,” said David Pozsgai, Director of Suppliers and Business Development, NIQ Brandbank. “Together, we help brands and retailers deliver standardized, reliable and compliant content that meets the needs of shoppers, while driving innovation and efficiency.”

About NIQ Brandbank

NIQ Brandbank, being part of NielsenIQ (NYSE: NIQ), is a leading provider of digital product content solutions enabling more than 52,000+ brands and 700+ retailers and wholesalers across the globe in over 39 countries to deliver the best shopping experience by giving them the ability to capture and share rich digital product content on all channels seamlessly. NIQ Brandbank’s end-to-end solutions connect shoppers to the most up to date and relevant digital product content making consumer goods more discoverable and engaging. 

About Serviceplan Group

At our Houses of Communication, we combine Strategy & Consulting, Creative & Content, Media & Data and Platform & Technology solutions – services tailored to your individual communication needs. Our vision & Mission – Building Best Brands Best Brands are not only commercially successful, but also spark strong emotions. These outstanding brands remain etched on the memory of the consumers as something that is innovative and positive. Transforming your brand into a Best Brand – it’s what our 6,500+ people across the globe work in a variety of specialized agencies of our Serviceplan Group.

About NIQ

NielsenIQ (NIQ) is a leading consumer intelligence company, delivering the most complete understanding of consumer buying behavior and revealing new pathways to growth. Our global reach spans over 90 countries covering approximately 85% of the
world’s population and more than $7.2 trillion in global consumer spend. With a holistic retail read and the most comprehensive consumer insights — delivered with advanced analytics through state-of-the-art platforms — NIQ delivers the Full View™. For more
information, please visit www.nielseniq.com 

• Food and drink prices in the hospitality sector remained virtually flat in January, with month-on-month inflation slowing to just 0.02%, according to the latest Foodservice Price Index from NIQ and Prestige Purchasing.  

• Total Till sales at major supermarkets grew (+3.3%) while unit growth (-0.8%) continues to decline.
• 35% of all growth in FMCG sales since the start of the year has come from ecommerce, with the rapid delivery channel capturing a 22% share of online chocolate confectionery sales over the Valentine’s Day weekend.
• Shoppers focus on purchasing fresh categories with dairy (+2.2%), produce (+1.3%) and meat/fish/poultry (+0.4%) the only supercategories experiencing unit growth.

The new offering supports a wide range of high-value use cases, including the following: 

• Early category and competitive insight: Gain earlier insights into category shifts and competitive impacts sooner, supporting faster decisions on pricing, assortment and merchandising.

• Rapid response to demand-driving events: Identify sales spikes tied to weather, holidays or viral trends early enough to redirect inventory and help capture incremental sales opportunities.

• Improved inventory and supply alignment: Use near-current demand signals to help reduce out-of-stocks, rebalance inventory and better match production to consumer demand.

• Early promotion readouts: Quickly evaluate whether promotions are underperforming or exceeding expectations and adjust tactics more quickly to optimize performance.

• Stronger new product launch tracking: Monitor early sales momentum across regions and retailers, helping teams to reallocate marketing, inventory or field resources while launches are still unfolding.

Early Market Read complements NIQ’s standard nine-day weekly reporting. Together, the NIQ measurement capabilities provide speed and precision, supporting immediate action while enabling deeper validation and longer-term planning.

“In a world barreling toward agentic commerce, signals matter more than ever,” said Liz Buchanan, President of NIQ North America. “Early Market Read gives manufacturers and retailers a faster pulse on what’s happening, allowing them to turn time into a competitive advantage and act while opportunities are still live and before risks turn into missed sales.”

Available to CPG manufacturers, retailers, and other market participants in the U.S., Early Market Read seamlessly integrates into NIQ’s existing analytics ecosystem.

For more information on Early Market Read, visit Early Market Read – NIQ.

About NIQ 

NielsenIQ (NYSE: NIQ) is a leading consumer intelligence company, delivering the most complete understanding of consumer buying behavior and revealing new pathways to growth. Our global reach spans over 90 countries covering approximately 85% of the world’s population and more than $ 7.2 trillion in global consumer spend. With a holistic retail read and the most comprehensive consumer insights—delivered with advanced analytics through state-of-the-art platforms—NIQ delivers the Full View™.      

For more information, visit http://www.niq.com/.
 

Traditional Growth Levers Face New Pressure

As AI reshapes both innovation and discovery, traditional growth strategies are under pressure. Line extensions often redistribute share rather than expand categories, and acquisitions are becoming more complex in a market defined by shifting consumer expectations and AI-accelerated competition.

While M&A can complement innovation, it is no longer a reliable standalone path to durable growth. In an environment where discoverability and early traction determine success, brands must build relevance—not simply buy it.

Why It Matters 

The convergence of AI-driven innovation and AI-mediated discovery is raising the bar across the CPG ecosystem: 

• Large, established brands must modernize and refocus innovation pipelines to maintain momentum.
• Emerging brands can leverage AI to accelerate experimentation and trial.
• Retailers must adapt as AI integrations influence traffic, assortment, and monetization dynamics. 

With operations spanning more than 90 countries and approximately $7.2 trillion (USD) in global consumer spend, NIQ combines structured retail data, behavioral intelligence, and advanced analytics to help brands align AI acceleration with real consumer demand.

The full analysis is available here.

About Kearney 

For 100 years, Kearney has been a leading management consulting firm and trusted partner to three-quarters of the Fortune Global 500 and governments around the world. With a presence across more than 40 countries, our people make us who we are. We work impact first, tackling your toughest challenges with original thinking and a commitment to making change happen together. By your side, we deliver—value, results, impact. 

About NIQ 

NielsenIQ (NYSE: NIQ) is a leading consumer intelligence company, delivering the most complete understanding of consumer buying behavior and revealing new pathways to growth. Our global reach spans over 90 countries covering approximately 85% of the world’s population and more than $ 7.2 trillion in global consumer spend. With a holistic retail read and the most comprehensive consumer insights—delivered with advanced analytics through state-of-the-art platforms—NIQ delivers the Full View™.      

For more information, please visit:  www.niq.com
 

CHICAGO, February 27, 2026 – NIQ Global Intelligence plc (NYSE: NIQ) (the “Company”, or “NIQ”), a leading global consumer intelligence company, today announced financial results for the fourth quarter and full year ended December 31, 2025.  

Fourth Quarter 2025 Results 

Revenue: 

• Total revenue grew 9.2% year-over-year to $1,139.1 million. Organic constant currency revenue grew 5.7%, led by EMEA and Americas, which grew 7.5% and 5.7%, respectively. 
• Intelligence revenue (as reported) grew 10.9%, or 7.7% in organic constant currency. Activation revenue (as reported) grew 3.4%, or a 1.2% decrease year-over-year in organic constant currency.  
• Annualized Intelligence Subscription revenue grew 6.6% to $2,877.1 million with 105% Intelligence Subscription Net Dollar Retention and 98% Gross Dollar Retention.  

Earnings: 

• Net loss and Adjusted Net Loss improved by $140.7 million and $58.5 million year-over-year.  

• Adjusted EBITDA growth accelerated to 30.2% resulting in $289.2 million. Adjusted EBITDA margin expanded by 410 basis points year-over-year to 25.4%.  

• Net cash provided by operating activities was $188.7 million and increased $120.4 million year-over-year driven by higher profitability as well as reduced interest payments resulting from our transformed capital structure post-IPO. Net working capital contributed $45.8 million of net cash inflows driven by improved days sales outstanding (“DSOs”).  

• Unlevered free cash flow of $149.7 million increased $79.2 million year-over-year driven by higher profitability, improved net working capital and increased capital efficiency.  

“Q4 exceeded expectations and capped a defining year for NIQ,” said Jim Peck, Executive Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. “We entered the public markets, executed with discipline, and delivered durable organic growth, significant margin expansion, and $315 million of levered free cash flow in the back half—achieving positive free cash flow ahead of schedule.”  

“In 2026, we’re harnessing AI to fundamentally strengthen NIQ’s competitive position. As enterprises move from experimentation to operational AI, trusted, governed, and decision‑grade data becomes mission‑critical—and that is where NIQ excels. Our data moat is built on proprietary datasets at global scale. We are embedding AI across our data, products, and workflows to widen our moat, accelerate innovation and drive monetization, and structurally lower our cost base. Our inflecting free cash flow—together with cost‑efficiency actions supporting our improved 2026 margin outlook—potentially mark a prominent next phase of profitable growth for NIQ.” 

“We achieved all of the key financial priorities we set at our IPO—consistent organic growth, expanded margins, positive free cash flow, and reduced leverage,” added Mike Burwell, Chief Financial Officer. “In 2026, we expect to build on this momentum with 5‑plus percent organic revenue growth, continued margin and free cash flow expansion, and disciplined capital allocation—including growth‑focused capex, investments in our AI capabilities, and tuck‑in M&A.”

Full Year 2025 Results 

Revenue: 

• Total revenue grew 5.7% year-over-year to $4,198.4 million. Organic constant currency revenue grew 5.7%. Revenue growth was led by EMEA and Americas, which grew 7.2% and 5.9% respectively. 
• Intelligence revenue (as reported) grew 6.6%, or 7.1% in organic constant currency. Activation revenue (as reported) grew 2.1% and was flat year-over-year in organic constant currency.  

Earnings: 

• Net loss and Adjusted Net Loss improved $444.7 million and $211.1 million year-over-year. Adjusted EBITDA growth accelerated to 23.8% resulting in $916.5 million. Adjusted EBITDA margin expanded by 320 basis points year-over-year to 21.8%.  

• Net cash provided by operating activities was $298.7 million and grew $224.8 million year-over-year driven by lower payments on interest and higher profitability.  

• Unlevered free cash flow of $334.5 million grew $147.9 million year-over-year driven by higher profitability and increased capital efficiency.  

Summary Fourth Quarter & Full Year 2025 Business Highlights:  

Key client developments, including: 

• Landed five eight-figure Intelligence renewals with enterprise clients and drove continued strong Consumer Panel takeaways in Western Europe and LATAM 
• Cross-sold eCommerce solutions to 29% of Intelligence clients in 2025 (up from 19% in 2024), and grew Full View Measurement clients to more than 190, and accelerated eCommerce revenue growth 32% in 2025  
• Increased client Net Promoter Score to 49, our highest reading ever—up 11 points year-over-year—driven by strong gains in Western Europe and Asia Pacific 
• Selected by Kellanova Europe—the global snacking powerhouse behind favorites like Pringles®, Cheez-It®, Pop-Tarts®, and Rice Krispies Treats®—to help power its consumer understanding and decision-making across 29 European markets 
• Selected by EURONICS, one of the largest retail cooperatives in the Technical Consumer Goods sector, to deliver Online Price Monitoring across their digital shelf – giving its members clear, real-time visibility into market pricing and consumer trends to track competitive pricing, detect early market shifts, and activate strategies that drive growth  

New AI-enabled product launches & capabilities, including: 

• Reached 4 trillion data records captured per week in our AI-powered Connect data engine 

• Beta-launched agentic AI Analyst feature in Discover spanning key client persona use-cases across Account Performance, Pricing, Distribution, and Shopper Analysis 

• Expanded BASES AI Product Developer to 35 clients and 40 countries and BASES AI Screener to 36 clients and 209 categories in 2025 

AI-enabled cost efficiency, including:

• Reduced cash data costs to 15% of revenue in 2025 

• Embedded AI across engineering, data operations, sales, and corporate support functions is boosting productivity, improving delivery and lowering cost‑to‑serve; 

Fourth Quarter Revenue Discussion 

Revenue increased 9.2% on an as-reported basis, while organic constant currency revenue grew 5.7%. Our Q4 organic constant‑currency growth was driven primarily by value‑based pricing, along with strong upselling and cross‑selling of new capabilities and solutions, and continued expansion into adjacent and high‑growth markets. 

Americas: Q4 segment revenue increased by $37.2 million, or 9.0% on an as-reported basis. Reported revenue growth was led by Intelligence, which rose 9.0% driven by strong renewals, expansion within core services, effective cross‑selling of new capabilities, and continued traction in adjacent and high‑growth markets. Activation grew 9.3% on an as-reported basis, supported by higher project demand and volume increases. The acquisition of M-Trix and Gastrograph provided an additional 0.9% to reported growth, while foreign‑currency movements added 2.4%. Organic constant currency growth was 5.7%. 

EMEA: Q4 segment revenue increased by $57.3 million, or 12.8% on an as-reported basis. Reported revenue growth was led by Intelligence, which rose 15.6% driven by strong renewals, expansion within core services, effective cross‑selling of new capabilities, and continued traction in adjacent and high‑growth markets. Activation decreased by 0.1% on an as-reported basis, driven by lower project demand and volume decreases. The sale of our ownership interest in Netquest reduced reported growth by 2.0%, while foreign‑currency movements added 7.3%. Organic constant currency growth was 7.5%. 

APAC: Q4 segment revenue increased by $1.8 million, or 1.0% on an as-reported basis. Reported revenue growth was led by Intelligence, which rose 2.6% driven by strong renewals, expansion within core services, effective cross‑selling of new capabilities, and continued traction in adjacent and high‑growth markets. Activation decreased by 3.3% on an as-reported basis, driven by lower project demand and volume decreases. There were no inorganic contributions, while foreign‑currency movements decreased reported revenue growth by 0.2%. Organic constant currency growth was 1.2%. 

Cash Flow

Cash flows provided by operating activities for the year ended December 31, 2025 were $298.7 million, compared to $73.9 million in 2024, primarily driven by higher profitability and our debt refinancings from July 2024, January 2025, and August 2025 offset by timing related to items in net working capital. Net working capital was impacted by temporarily higher DSOs related to the GfK integration and higher annual performance-based compensation driven by company over-performance in 2024. Capital expenditures for the year ended December 31, 2025 decreased to $262.9 million compared to $298.7 million in 2024 due to increased capital efficiency related to our new tech platform. Free cash flow for the year ended December 31, 2025 increased by $260.6 million, to $35.8 million compared to a $224.8 million deficit in 2024. Free cash flow for the three months ended December 31, 2025 increased by $114.9 million to $90.9 million compared to a deficit of $24.0 million in 2024 driven primarily by year-over-year increases in revenue flow-through to Adjusted EBITDA, increased capital efficiency, lower transformation costs, improved tax efficiency and lower interest expense as a result of our IPO and our debt refinancings from July 2024, January 2025, and August 2025, the last of which is outlined below in “Liquidity, Capital Resources & Recent Financings”.

Liquidity, Capital Resources & Recent Financings

At December 31, 2025 the Company had Cash and cash equivalents of $518.8 million and $750.0 million of available capacity under its Revolver, for a total of $1,268.8 million of available liquidity. On July 11, 2025, we increased our Revolver capacity to $750.0 million. On July 24, 2025, the Company completed its IPO, in which the Company issued 50,000,000 ordinary shares at the initial public offering price of $21.00 per share. The Company received aggregate net proceeds of $985.1 million after deducting underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by the Company and used a portion of these proceeds to repay approximately $533.4 million of outstanding borrowings under its Revolver. On August 12, 2025, we used approximately $387.4 million of the net proceeds from our initial public offering to repay in full the 2021 CAD Term Loan in the amount of C$122.6 million (approximately $89.0 million USD) and to repay €255.0 million (approximately $298.4 million USD) of the EUR Term Loan. This transaction reduced debt and extended the Term Loans’ maturities by 2.5 years to October 2030 and reduced the Company’s annualized interest expense run rate by approximately $100.0 million. 

The average unhedged and hedged interest rates at the end of the fourth quarter of 2025 were 5.4% and 5.6% respectively, which resulted in a total weighted average rate of 5.4%. The convergence of the all-in rates is due to the lower spreads post refinancing and the declining interest rate environment. Our interest rate hedging program is intended not only to provide protection against dramatic interest rate increases but also allow us to participate meaningfully in an improving interest rate environment with greater predictability of cash flows.  

Reorganization Pursuant to IPO

On July 22, 2025, in connection with the IPO, NIQ became the direct parent of various entities that were created by Advent International to acquire the business of NIQ from Nielsen Holdings, including AI PAVE Dutchco I B.V. (“AI PAVE”) and the indirect parent of other intermediate holding companies, including AI PAVE Dutchco II B.V., AI PAVE Dutchco III B.V. (collectively, with AI PAVE, the “AI PAVE Entities”), and Intermediate Dutch Holdings B.V., a private company with limited liability organized under the laws of the Netherlands (“Dutch Holdings”) (the “Reorganization”). All holders of equity interests in AI PAVE became shareholders of NIQ. 

The “Company,” “NIQ,” “we,” “us” and “our” means, prior to the Reorganization, Dutch Holdings and its consolidated subsidiaries and, after the Reorganization, NIQ Global Intelligence plc and its consolidated subsidiaries. Prior to the effects of the Reorganization and IPO, the unaudited consolidated financial statements present the historical financial information of Dutch Holdings. Subsequent to the Reorganization and IPO, the financial statements were recast to reflect the consolidated financial statements of NIQ Global Intelligence plc and its consolidated subsidiaries, including Dutch Holdings and the AI PAVE Entities, as a transaction between entities under common control. The recast presentation began with the condensed consolidated financial statements as of and for the nine months ended September 30, 2025, the first reporting period following the Reorganization and IPO. All subsequent reporting periods, including the accompanying consolidated financial statements herein, will similarly reflect the recast presentation.

 2026 Restructuring Program 

In February 2026, the Company approved an incremental cost realignment program (the “2026 Program”) intended to further streamline the organization and drive operational efficiency. The 2026 Program is designed to generate additional annualized cost savings of approximately $55 million to $65 million by the end of fiscal year 2026.  

The 2026 Program supports the Company’s ongoing efforts to enhance margin performance through continued optimization of its workforce, enhancements to its sales organization and other support functions, and simplification of overall business processes. Investments in automation and artificial intelligence (“AI”) are anticipated to accelerate the Company’s optimization efforts as it begins its journey to operationalize these digital tools throughout the organization. Collectively, these actions are expected to improve efficiency, customer satisfaction, product innovation, and productivity. The 2026 Program is intended to further reduce costs primarily within selling, general and administrative expenses. 

The Company expects to incur total pre-tax restructuring charges of approximately $50 million to $60 million, the substantial majority of which would result in cash expenditures. The Company expects that execution of the 2026 Program will occur primarily in the first half of 2026, subject to local laws and consultation requirements. 

First Quarter and Full Year 2026 Outlook

Our outlook is based on a number of assumptions that are subject to change, many of which are outside of the control of the Company. The extent to which external factors affect our business and results of operations are inherently uncertain and depends on numerous evolving factors that we may not be able to accurately predict. There can be no assurance that the Company will achieve the results expressed by this guidance. 

• Constant currency growth rates assume foreign currency exchange rates are consistent between years. This allows financial results to be evaluated without the impact of fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates. 

• Organic constant currency growth rates are constant currency growth excluding inorganic growth. Inorganic growth represents growth attributable to the first twelve months of activity for recent business acquisitions.  

• For a reconciliation of the above non-GAAP financial measures to the most directly comparable GAAP financial measures, refer to the “Non-GAAP Financial Measures” section of this Earnings Release. 

Earnings Webcast Information

In conjunction with this release, NIQ will host a conference call and webcast today at 8:30 a.m. Eastern Time to discuss business results for the quarter and certain forward-looking information. The live webcast and a replay of the webcast will be available at the Investor Relations section of NIQ’s website: investors.nielseniq.com. (live and replay). 

About NIQ

NIQ is a leading consumer intelligence company, delivering the most complete understanding of consumer buying behavior and revealing new pathways to growth. Our global reach spans 90 countries covering approximately 82% of the world’s population, more than half of global gross domestic product, and more than $7.4 trillion in global consumer spend as of December 31, 2025. With a holistic retail read and the most comprehensive consumer insights—delivered with advanced analytics through state-of-the-art platforms—NIQ delivers the Full View™. For more information, please visit www.niq.com.

Availability of Information on NIQ’s Website

Investors and others should note that NIQ routinely announces material information to investors and the marketplace using SEC filings, press releases, public conference calls, webcasts and the NIQ Investor Relations website. While not all of the information that the Company posts to the NIQ Investor Relations website is of a material nature, some information could be deemed to be material. Accordingly, the Company encourages investors, the media and others interested in NIQ to review the information that it shares on investors.nielseniq.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains “forward-looking statements.” These forward-looking statements generally can be identified by references to future periods or the use of words such as “intends,” “designed,” “anticipate,” “expect,” “plan,” “could,” “may,” “will,” “believe,” “estimate,” “forecast,” “goal,” “project,” and other words of similar meaning. These forward-looking statements address various matters including financial guidance and projected estimates including expectations regarding revenue, leverage, Adjusted EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA margin, Adjusted EPS, and free cash flow; statements about the Company’s financial position, operating results, and capital allocation priorities, including growth-focused capital expenditures, investments in AI capabilities, and potential tuck-in acquisitions; statements regarding the 2026 Restructuring Program, including expected annualized cost savings, anticipated pre-tax restructuring charges, timing of realization, and expected improvements in efficiency, customer satisfaction, product innovation, and productivity; and statements regarding expected annualized cost savings and timing of realization, anticipated one-time charges and cash expenditures, the Company’s ability to achieve margin expansion, improve operating efficiency, and generate future cash flow, the impact of technology-enabled initiatives including automation and AI on long-term competitiveness, including expectations that AI will strengthen the Company’s competitive position, widen its competitive moat, accelerate innovation, and structurally lower its cost base; the Company’s interest rate hedging strategy and its expected impact on cash flow predictability, and the Company’s strategic priorities and future financial performance. Each forward-looking statement contained in this press release is subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such statement. Applicable risks and uncertainties include, among others, the workforce reduction may take longer or result in more significant charges or cash expenditures than anticipated or otherwise negatively impact the Company and its business plans during and after the period during which the workforce reduction is being executed; that we derive a significant portion of our revenues from sales of our subscription-based products; if we are unable to attract and retain members of our management team, we may not be able to compete effectively and will not be able to expand our business; that design defects, errors, failures or delays associated with our products or services could negatively impact our business; that we rely on third parties to provide certain data, services and information technology and operations functions in connection with the provision of our current products and services; that we have identified material weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting; uncertainty in the U.S. political and regulatory environment if we are unsuccessful at investing in growth opportunities, our business could be materially and adversely affected; that the market for consumer measurement and business solutions products and services is highly competitive; if we cannot compete effectively, our revenues could decline and our business could be harmed, if we are not able to maintain a proprietary panel of a sufficient size and scope, or if the costs of establishing and maintaining our panel increase, our business could be harmed; that we have incorporated and are incorporating traditional AI, machine learning and generative AI into some of our products and that technology is new and developing and may present operational and reputational risks or result in liability or harm to our reputation, business or results of operations; that our international operations are exposed to risks which could impede growth in the future; that we are dependent on our relationship with our former parent company for certain aspects of our business; that our significant indebtedness could adversely affect our financial condition; that the terms of our indebtedness restrict our current and future operations, particularly our ability to respond to change or to take certain actions; and the risks identified under the heading “Risk Factors” in our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, as well as the other information we file with the SEC. We caution investors not to place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements contained in this press release. You are encouraged to read our filings with the SEC, available at www.sec.gov, for a discussion of these and other risks and uncertainties. The forward-looking statements in this press release speak only as of the date of this document, and we undertake no obligation to update or revise any of these statements. Our business is subject to substantial risks and uncertainties, including those referenced above. Investors, potential investors, and others should give careful consideration to these risks and uncertainties. 

Contacts

Investors: investor.relations@nielseniq.com

Media: media@nielseniq.com

Select Defined Terms

Subscription Revenue: Defined as Annualized Revenue from subscription services associated with annual and multi-year contracts, and renewal licensing services within our Intelligence solutions; it excludes contracts and products, that are short-term in nature, which we define to mean less than 12 months in duration. 

Annualized Revenue: Defined as average annualized monthly contract value revenue over the trailing twelve months. Newly acquired client revenue is calculated by (i) annualizing the first month with positive contract value, then (ii) annualizing the monthly average contract value between the second month and eleventh month with positive contract value, and then (iii) annualizing the average contract value across the trailing twelve months. Annualized Revenue is not a forecast and the active contracts at the end of a reporting period used in calculating Annualized Revenue may or may not be extended or renewed by our clients.

Net Dollar Retention (NDR): Represents the amount of annualized revenue that we generate from our existing clients.  

Gross Dollar Retention (GDR): Represents the amount of prior period annualized revenue we have retained from existing clients in the current period. The calculation reflects only client losses and does not reflect client expansion or contraction. 

Non-GAAP Financial Measures

We present Organic Constant Currency (“Organic CC”) Revenue and Revenue Growth, EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA Margin, Free Cash Flow, Unlevered Free Cash Flow, Adjusted Net Loss and Adjusted Net Loss per Share in the tables below as supplemental measures of our operating performance and liquidity. We consider them to be important supplemental measures of our performance and liquidity and believe they are useful to securities analysts, investors, and other interested parties in their evaluation of our operating performance and liquidity. These measures reflect the results from the primary operations of our business by excluding the effects of certain items that we do not consider indicative of our core operations and ongoing operating performance.  

Our financial statements are prepared and presented in accordance with GAAP. These non-GAAP financial measures are not presentations made in accordance with GAAP and should not be considered as an alternative to net income or loss, income or loss from operations, or any other performance measure prepared and presented in accordance with GAAP, or as an alternative to cash provided by operating activities as a measure of our liquidity. Consequently, our non-GAAP financial measures should be considered together with our unaudited consolidated financial statements, which are prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP.

This release includes forward-looking guidance for Adjusted EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA margin, and free cash flow. We are not able to provide, without unreasonable effort, a reconciliation of the guidance for Adjusted EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA margin, and free cash flow to the most directly comparable GAAP measure because we do not currently have sufficient data to accurately estimate the variables and individual adjustments included in the most directly comparable GAAP measure that would be necessary for such reconciliations, including (a) costs related to potential debt or equity transactions and (b) other non-recurring expenses that cannot reasonably be estimated in advance. These adjustments are inherently variable and uncertain and depend on various factors that are beyond our control and, as a result, we are unable to predict their probable significance. Therefore, because our management cannot estimate on a forward-looking basis without unreasonable effort the impact these variables and individual adjustments will have on its reported results in accordance with GAAP, it is unable to provide a reconciliation of the non-GAAP financial measures included in its fourth quarter and full year 2025 guidance. 

Management has defined the following items to exclude in calculating certain non-GAAP financial measures presented in the tables below: 

• Transformation costs – Consists of costs related to consultancy and advisory fees incurred to evaluate and improve organization efficiencies and operations. We exclude these costs as expenses may not be comparable during the transformation initiative as we progress toward an optimized operating model. These costs are primarily included in selling, general and administrative expenses. 
• Merger and acquisition related costs –Represents non-recurring acquisition-related costs. We exclude these expenses as we believe they are not directly correlated to the underlying performance of our business operations and vary depending upon the timing of such transactions. These costs are primarily included in selling, general and administrative expenses. 
• One-time compensation costs – Reflects acquisition-related retention bonus costs from acquisitions completed in 2021 and 2022. We exclude these expenses as we believe they are not directly correlated to the underlying performance of our business operations and vary depending upon the timing of such transactions. These costs are primarily included in selling, general and administrative expenses. 
• Other one-time costs – Represents real estate costs due to office closures, software license redundancy expenses and other one-time costs. We exclude these expenses as we believe they are not directly correlated to the underlying performance of our business operations and vary depending upon the timing of such transactions. These costs are primarily included in selling, general and administrative expenses. 

Organic Constant Currency Revenue and Organic Constant Currency Revenue Growth

Organic Constant Currency Revenue Growth is calculated by dividing (a) our Revenues for the applicable period after (i) excluding the impact of acquisitions and similar transactions until the one-year anniversary of such acquisition or similar transaction, (ii) excluding the impact from lost sales related to the Russia Deconsolidation, (iii) excluding the impact of divestitures, and (iv) excluding the impact of foreign currency exchange rates by translating local currency results to U.S. dollars at current period exchange rates as compared to prior period exchange rates, by (b) our Revenues for the prior comparable period. We believe Organic Constant Currency Revenue Growth provides investors with useful supplemental information about our revenue growth to assist in understanding the growth attributable to our core business, excluding the impact of currency fluctuation given the significant variability in revenues that can be driven by foreign currency exchange rates.  

The following tables present Organic Constant Currency Revenue Growth for the three and twelve months ended December 31, 2025 and 2024. We present Organic Constant Currency Revenue and Organic Constant Currency Revenue Growth as supplemental measures of our operating performance because they eliminate the impact of certain items that we do not consider indicative of our ongoing operating performance. Organic Constant Currency Revenue and Organic Constant Currency should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for performance measures calculated in accordance with GAAP.  

EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA Margin

EBITDA is defined as net loss attributable to NIQ excluding interest expense, net, income tax expense from continuing operations and depreciation and amortization. Adjusted EBITDA is defined as EBITDA adjusted for Transformation Program costs, GfK integration costs, acquisition and transaction related costs, impairment of long-lived assets, foreign currency exchange (gain) loss, net, loss (gain) from discontinued operations, nonoperating items, net, share-based compensation expense, and other operating items, net. Specifically, Adjusted EBITDA allows for an assessment of our operating performance without the effect of charges that do not relate to the core operations of our business. Adjusted EBITDA Margin is calculated by dividing Adjusted EBITDA by Revenue. The following table shows EBITDA, and Adjusted EBITDA for the periods presented, and the reconciliation to their most comparable GAAP measure, Net Loss Attributable to NIQ, and Net Loss attributable to NIQ divided by Revenue, for the periods presented: 

Free Cash Flow and Unlevered Free Cash Flow

Free Cash Flow is defined as net cash used in operating activities less cash paid for capital expenditures. Unlevered Free Cash Flow is defined as Free Cash Flow less cash paid for interest. Management believes Free Cash Flow and Unlevered Free Cash Flow, in conjunction with Cash from Operations, can be useful to investors as an indicator of liquidity since capital expenditures are a necessary component of ongoing operations. Management believes that capital expenditures are essential to our innovation and maintenance of our operational capabilities. The following tables show Free Cash Flow and Unlevered Free Cash Flow for the periods presented, and the reconciliation to its most comparable U.S. GAAP measure, net cash used in operating activities, for the periods presented. 

Free Cash Flow increased by $114.9 million and increased by $260.6 million for the three and twelve months ended December 31, 2025, as compared to the three and twelve months ended December 31, 2024 due to improved profitability as evidenced by a higher Adjusted EBITDA, lower transformation costs, lower additions to intangibles, and lower cash paid for interest from post-IPO refinancing. See the “Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows” in the unaudited consolidated financial statements for additional information.  

Adjusted Net Income (Loss) and Adjusted Net Income (Loss) Per Share  

Adjusted Net Income (Loss) is defined as Net Loss Attributable to NIQ excluding special items deemed not to be reflective of ongoing or core operations. Adjusted Net Income (Loss) per Share is defined as Adjusted Net Income (Loss) divided by the Weighted Average Shares Outstanding.  

Adjusted Net Income (Loss) and Adjusted Net Income (Loss) Per Share are used by management and can be useful to investors as an indicator of our core business performance. Management uses these metrics to analyze business operations and to adjust net loss for items we believe do not accurately reflect our core business or that relate to non-cash expenses or noncontrolling interests.  

The following tables show Adjusted Net Income (Loss) and Adjusted Net Income (Loss) Per Share, for the periods presented, and the reconciliation to their most comparable GAAP measure, Net Loss attributable to NIQ and Earnings Per Share, respectively, for the periods presented: 

About the survey

Press Contact
For further details or an interview, please contact Greenfields Communications:

• The data in the GfK Consumer Confidence Barometer (CCB), powered by NIM, is collected by GfK. The CCB has been published jointly by GfK and the Nuremberg Institute for Market Decisions (NIM), the founder of GfK, since October 2023.
• This month’s survey was conducted among a sample of 2,003 individuals aged 16+ in the UK.
• Quotas are imposed on age, sex, region, and social class to ensure the final sample is representative of the UK population.
• Interviewing was conducted between February 2^nd and February 16^th.  
• The figures in the GfK CCB powered by NIM have an estimated margin of error of +/-2%.
• The Overall Index Score is calculated using underlying data that runs to two decimal points.
• The press release dates for 2026 (all dates fall on a Friday) are: 27^th March, 24^th April, 22^nd May, 19^th June, 24^th July, 21^st August, 25^th September, 23^rd October, 20^th November and 18^th December.  
• Any published material must include a reference to the GfK Consumer Confidence Barometer, e.g. ‘Source: GfK Consumer Confidence Barometer powered by NIM’.
• This study has been running since 1974. Back data is available from 2006.
• The table below is an overview of the questions asked to obtain the individual index measures:

Personal Financial Situation (Q1/Q2)	This index is based on the following questions to consumers: ‘How has the financial situation of your household changed over the last 12 months?’ ‘How do you expect the financial position of your household to change over the next 12 months?’ (a lot better – a little better – stay(ed) the same – a little worse – a lot worse)
General Economic Situation (Q3/Q4)	This index is based on the following questions to consumers: ‘How do you think the general economic situation in this country has changed over the last 12 months?’ ‘How do you expect the general economic situation in this country to develop over the next 12 months?’ (a lot better – a little better – stay(ed) the same – a little worse – a lot worse)
Major Purchase Index (Q8)	This index is based on the following question to consumers: ‘In view of the general economic situation, do you think now is the right time for people to make major purchases such as furniture or electrical goods?’ (right time – neither right nor wrong time – wrong time)
Savings Index (Q10)	This index is based on the following question to consumers: ‘In view of the general economic situation do you think now is?’ (a very good time to save – a fairly good time to save – not a good time to save – a very bad time to save) (Commented on but not included in the Index Score)

About the GfK Consumer Confidence Barometer powered by NIM

There is no other consumer research project with the longevity, rigor, and reliability of GfK’s Consumer Confidence Barometer (CCB). Each month since January 1974, it has provided a snapshot of how UK consumers feel about the crucial economic topics today and their outlook for the next 12 months. It has provided insight into the UK’s thinking through boom and bust, the Brexit vote, and most recently the coronavirus pandemic. The CCB data collected by GfK has been published jointly with the Nuremberg Institute for Market Decisions (NIM) since October 2023. NIM is the founder of GfK.

About NIQ

NielsenIQ (NIQ) is a leading consumer intelligence company, delivering the most complete understanding of consumer buying behavior and revealing new pathways to growth. Our global reach spans over 90 countries covering approximately 85% of the world’s population and more than $7.2 trillion in global consumer spend. With a holistic retail read and the most comprehensive consumer insights—delivered with advanced analytics through state-of-the-art platforms—NIQ delivers the Full View™.      

For more information, please visit www.niq.com.   

About GfK – a NielsenIQ company

For over 90 years, we have earned the trust of our clients around the world by solving critical questions in their decision-making process. We fuel their growth by providing a complete understanding of their consumers’ buying behavior, and the dynamics impacting their markets, brands and media trends. In 2023, GfK combined with NIQ, bringing together two industry leaders with unparalleled global reach. With a holistic retail read and the most comprehensive consumer insights – delivered with advanced analytics through state-of-the-art platforms – GfK drives “Growth from Knowledge”. For more information, visit nielseniq.com

About NIM

The Nuremberg Institute for Market Decisions (NIM) is a non-profit research institute at the interface of academia and practice. NIM examines how consumer decisions change due to new technology, societal trends or the application of behavioral science, and what the resulting micro- and macroeconomic impacts are for the market and society as a whole. A better understanding of consumer decisions and their impacts helps society, businesses, politics, and consumers make better decisions with regard to “prosperity for all” in the sense of the social-ecological market system. The Nuremberg Institute for Market Decisions is the founder of GfK. For more information, visit www.nim.org/en and LinkedIn.

Forward-Looking Statements Disclaimer

This press release includes forward-looking statements that reflect NIQ’s current expectations and projections about future market trends and consumer behavior. These statements are based on available information and reasonable assumptions but are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ. NIQ does not undertake to update these statements, except as required by law.

Responsible under press legislation:
Marketing, GfK
Anna Paszek-Weglarz
7/F Blue Fin Building
110 Southwark Street London SE1 0SU Anna.Paszekweglarz@nielseniq.com

Britain’s leading contract caterers ended 2025 with near-double digit growth in sales, the latest Contract Catering Tracker reveals. 

The Tracker—which is produced by NIQ, powered by CGA intelligence, and supported by Bidfood and UKHospitality—shows sales in the fourth quarter of the year were 9.0% ahead of the same period in 2024, reflecting high demand in the run-up to Christmas. 

It extends an impressive run of growth for contract caterers, with comparisons above 8% in every quarter of 2025, though the figure was slightly down from the total of 12.2% in the third quarter. Groups’ MAT growth—for sales over the whole of 2025 compared to 2024—stood at 8.4%, which is more than double the UK’s rate of inflation throughout the 12 months.  

The Contract Catering Tracker shows a more modest increase in the number of outlets served by Britain’s leading operators, which rose by 1.3% quarter-on-quarter. This indicates that the bulk of caterers’ sales growth in 2025 was organic rather than driven by new sites. 

The Contract Catering Tracker from NIQ, Bidfood and UKHospitality aggregates sales from leading operators to provide quarterly reports with year-on-year analysis. It offers businesses a valuable benchmarking tool to measure performance across various metrics and market groupings, and participants in the Tracker receive additional analysis in return for their contributions.  

Karl Chessell, director – hospitality operators and food, EMEA at NIQ, said:

“In a tough trading environment, contract caterers did exceptionally well to touch double-digit growth throughout 2025. Crucially the fourth-quarter performance was driven not just by new clients or raised prices but by high volumes, which will have helped to offset some sharp increases in key costs. The figures reflect the broad appeal and high quality of Britain’s catering sector, and it can look forward to more growth in 2026.”

Debra Morrell, business development controller for B&I at Bidfood, said:

“We’re delighted to see that the sector has enjoyed a strong last quarter of 2025, sitting ahead of the wider out of home market and ahead of inflation. Consumer confidence remains fragile, and with the gap between wages and inflation narrowing, the pressure will continue in 2026 to deliver value for money in the face of a strong competition and promotional activity from the high street.  Innovation, quality, value and great service have all been at the heart of the sector’s growth over the last few years, and these strengths will lend us the resilience to see us through another year of rising costs, operational challenges and regulatory change.”

Allen Simpson, chief executive of UKHospitality, said:

“Contract caterers continue to deliver excellent growth, across both sales and outlets served. 

In the face of acute cost challenges, this consistent performance demonstrates the sector’s resilience and its significant contribution to the economy.” 

NIQ’s partners on the Contract Catering Tracker include: ABM Catering, Bartlett Mitchell, BaxterStorey, Blue Apple, CH&CO, Compass UK, Elior UK, Harrison Catering Services, Olive Catering and Sodexo UK. 

Britain’s top restaurant groups have started 2026 with strong growth in delivery sales but another sharp drop in takeaways, the latest NIQ Hospitality at Home Tracker shows.

The Tracker, powered by CGA intelligence, reveals like-for-like delivery sales in January were 7.4% ahead of the same month in 2025. This is a sharp increase from growth of 4.1% in December, and the Tracker’s joint second highest figure since the start of 2025. Deliveries were boosted in January by widespread and persistent rain, which led many people to stay inside rather than eat out.

Restaurants’ at-home sales have also been boosted by rollouts of new delivery offers. Total delivery sales in January—including from restaurants opened in the last 12 months, or ones where deliveries have been introduced for the first time—were 13.9% ahead of the same month in 2025.

However, revenue from takeaways and click-and-collect orders dropped 9.1% on a like-for-like basis in January, as some consumers tightened their spending after Christmas and others switched to the convenience of deliveries. Takeaway sales have now fallen year-on-year for ten successive months.

With deliveries and takeaways combined, the NIQ Hospitality at Home Tracker indicates that restaurant groups’ like-for-like at-home sales in January were 2.7% ahead of January 2025. This is fractionally below the UK’s 3.0% rate of inflation, as set by the Consumer Prices Index. Total sales were 11.8% ahead.

The growth of at-home sales means deliveries accounted for 13.8 pence in every pound spent with restaurants in January. Takeaways and click-and-collect orders generated 5.0 pence.

Karl Chessell, director – hospitality operators and food, EMEA at NIQ, said:

“The bright start to 2026 for delivery sales is a contrast to eat-in trends and a welcome source of growth for restaurant operators. With nearly one pound in every seven spent with restaurants now going on deliveries, this is clearly now a valuable and mature channel. However, it’s not a risk-free increment to sales, and restaurants need to stay alert to protecting both the profitability and quality of their delivery offers. With consumers still cautious with their spending, operators will have to keep working hard to sustain at-home demand in 2026.”

The NIQ Hospitality at Home Tracker is the leading source of data and insight for the delivery and takeaway market. It provides monthly reports on the value and volume of sales, with year-on-year comparisons and splits between food and drink revenue. It offers a benchmark by which brands can measure their performance, and participants receive detailed data in return for their contributions.  

Partners on the Tracker: Azzurri Group, Big Table Group, Bills, Bleecker St Burger, Byron, Coco di Mama, Cote, Creams Café, Dishoom, Five Guys, Gaucho Grill, Honest Burgers, HOP Vietnamese, Kricket, Megan’s, Mission Mars,  Mitchells & Butlers, Mowgli, Nando’s, Pizza Express, Pizza Hut UK, Popeyes, Prezzo, Rosa’s Thai, Tasty Plc, TGI Fridays UK, Tortilla, Tossed, Wagamama, Wasabi, Wingstop, YO! Sushi and Yolk.

Anyone interested in joining the Tracker should contact Karen Bantoft at karen.bantoft@nielseniq.com.  

Tight consumer spending after festive celebrations led to a 0.1% drop in like-for-like sales at Britain’s top managed restaurant, pub and bar groups in January, according to the latest NIQ RSM Hospitality Business Tracker. 

The Tracker, produced by NIQ, powered by CGA intelligence, in association with RSM, highlights the challenging trading environment facing the sector in 2026. A slow start to the year follows a flurry of spending in December, when sales rose 2.9% year-on-year, which may have left many consumers keeping a close lid on their outgoings in January. Trading was also impacted by prolonged wet weather in many parts of the country, and by participation in ‘Dry January’. 

Fractional growth for pubs and restaurants 

The NIQ RSM Hospitality Business Tracker reveals pub groups achieved marginal like-for-like sales growth of 0.4% in the first month of 2026. This was fractionally ahead of managed restaurant operators, where sales edged up 0.3%. It means pubs have outperformed restaurants every month since the start of 2025.  

Among other channels, bars sustained a long run of negative numbers with sales slipping 4.9% behind the levels of January 2025. In the on-the-go segment, trading dropped 3.2%.

New openings keep growth up with inflation  

There was more encouraging news in the Tracker on a total sales basis. Adding in venues opened by hospitality groups in the last 12 months, growth rose to 3.1%—in line with the country’s rate of inflation in recent months. However, sharp increases in the costs of labour and other key inputs mean operators’ profit margins have been very tightly squeezed in recent months. 

Other insights from the Tracker include a marginally better month for groups outside of London. Like-for-like sales nudged up 0.1% beyond the M25, but dropped 0.4% inside it. 

Karl Chessell, director – hospitality operators and food, EMEA at NIQ, said:

“January is always a tough month for hospitality, and many venues struggled for footfall as the post-Christmas pinch and rain kept many people at home. New openings and higher prices mean hospitality growth is just about keeping up with inflation, and businesses will be hoping that these latest figures represent a temporary pause on spending rather than the shape of things to come in 2026. However, with so many pressures on both sales and costs, it is likely to be another challenging year for the sector.”

Saxon Moseley, head of leisure and hospitality at RSM UK, said:

“The new year brought little respite for operators as the industry reported flat like-for-like results as low consumer confidence persisted into 2026, which was exacerbated by wet weather. With looming increases in business rates and national minimum wage, coupled with significant compliance costs associated with the new Employment Rights Act, the industry is in desperate need of growth. Recent efforts to stimulate demand through discounting might help in the short term, but with margins squeezed, a more sustainable recovery will be required to avoid further losses on the high street.”

NIQ collected sales figures directly from 117 leading managed groups for January’s edition of the NIQ RSM Hospitality Business Tracker, which provides authoritative monthly insights into Britain’s restaurant, pub and bar sales. Companies participating in the Tracker receive a fuller breakdown of trading that helps to benchmark performance and understand market trends.

To join the cohort, contact Andrew Dean at  andy.dean@nielseniq.com 

Participants in the NIQ RSM Hospitality Business Tracker: Adventure Leisure Ltd, All Star Lanes, Amber Taverns, Anglian Country Inns, Arc Inspirations, Azzurri Group (Ask Italian, Coco di Mama, Zizzi), Barburrito, Barworks, Beds and Bars, Big Fang Collective, Big Table Group (Banana Tree Restaurants, Bella Italia, Chiquito, Frankie & Benny’s, Las Iguanas), Bill’s Restaurants, Bleecker St Burger, Boisdale Ltd, Boom Battle Bar, Boston Tea Party, Boxpark, BrewDog, Burger & Lobster, Buzzworks Holdings Group, Byron, Chaiiwala, Chance and Counters, Coaching Inn Group Ltd, Comptoir Group Plc, Cote Restaurants, Creams Café, Darwin & Wallace, Dishoom, Evolv Collection, Five Guys, Flat Iron, Fortnum & Mason, Fuller Smith & Turner, Gaucho Grill, Giggling Squid, Glendola Leisure, Gordon Ramsay Restaurants, Greene King (Chef & Brewer, Hungry Horse, Flaming Grill), Hall & Woodhouse, Hawthorn Leisure, Heartwood Collection, Honest Burgers, HOP Vietnamese, Kibou, Kricket, Laine Pub Co, Lane 7, Liberation, Lina Stores, Loungers, Lucky Voice, Marston’s, McMullen & Sons Ltd, Megans, Mildreds, Mission Mars, Mitchells & Butlers (Harvester, Toby, Miller & Carter, All Bar One), MJMK Restaurants, Mojo Bar, Mowgli, Nando’s Restaurants, Neos Hospitality, New World Trading Company, Nightcap Plc,  North Brewing Co, NQ64 Arcade Bars , Open House London, Parogon Pub Group, Pho, Pizza Express, Pizza Hut UK, Popeyes, Portobello Starboard Ltd, Prezzo, Public House Group, Punch Pub Co, Rick Stein Restaurants, Riley’s, Rosa’s Thai, Roxy Leisure, San Carlo, Sandbox VR, Shepherd Neame, Simmons Bars Group, Southern Wind Group (Fazenda), St Austell, Star Pubs & Bars, State of Play Hospitality, Stonegate Pub Co (Slug & Lettuce, Yates’, Walkabout, Bermondsey Pub Company), Tasty Plc, TGI Fridays UK, The Alchemist, The Fulham Shore, The Restaurant Group, Thunderbird Fried Chicken, Tonkotsu, Topgolf Ltd, Tortilla, Tossed, Treetop Golf, True North Brew Co, Upham Pub Co, Urban Pubs & Bars, Urban Village Pub Co, Various Eateries (Strada, Coppa Club), Village Hotels, Wagamama, Wasabi, Wells & Co, Whitbread (Beefeater, Brewers Fayre, Table Table), Wingstop, Yolk, YO! Sushi, Young’s and Yummy Collection.

About RSM UK

RSM UK is a leading provider of audit, tax and consulting services. As an integrated team with nearly 4,900 partners and staff operating from 31 locations across the UK, we have a culture of understanding what it means to deliver value, and to value what we do. 

As part of the RSM International network, we have access to more than 57,000 people in more than 120 countries. Our global presence helps us to meet the needs of clients who are trading and expanding internationally. 

To learn more, visit www.rsmuk.com. 

 

• UK households shop cautiously as inflation impacts average spend per visit (+2.5%) which has increased every month since October.
• Protein (+9.6%) and fibre (+14.1%) based foods saw considerable growth in the last 26 weeks well ahead of total FMCG growth.¹
• Ocado (+14.2%) was the fastest growing retailer ahead of Lidl (+9.8%) while M&S (6.3%) and Waitrose (+6%) maintained strong sales due to Christmas and New Year spending.

• Food and drink prices in the hospitality sector rose by 1.1% in December, according to the latest edition of the Foodservice Price Index from Prestige Purchasing and NIQ, powered by CGA intelligence.

• The new global framework quantifies the disconnect between consumer intent and real‑world buying behavior, unlocking powerful paths to reclaim volume and fuel growth 

Britain’s top restaurant groups ended a soft year for at-home sales with fractional growth in December—but increased use of delivery services powered near double-digit increase on a total basis. 

The latest NIQ Hospitality at Home Tracker, powered by CGA intelligence, reveals groups’ like-for-like sales last month were just 0.3% ahead of December 2024. It was flat at 0.0% in November, as some consumers tightened their spending in the run-up to Christmas. Across 2025, at-home sales growth rose above the UK’s rate of inflation in only two of the 12 months. 

The Tracker’s data indicates a steady shift in consumers’ preferences from takeaways to the convenience of deliveries throughout 2025. Delivery sales in December rose 4.1% on a like-for-like basis, while the value of takeaway and click-and-collect orders dropped by 8.4%—the third worst figure of the year.  

The migration means direct-to-door sales are now more than double those of takeaways. Deliveries were worth 11.5 pence in every pound spent with restaurants in December, while takeaways and click-and-collect orders generated 4.9 pence. 

The NIQ Hospitality at Home Tracker reveals significantly stronger growth on a total basis. Adding in newly-opened restaurants, or sites where deliveries and takeaways have been introduced for the first time, December’s sales were 9.5% ahead of the same month in 2024. 

Karl Chessell, director – hospitality operators and food, EMEA at NIQ, said:

“December’s figures round out a challenging year for restaurants in both eat-in and at-home channels. Total sales growth paints a much brighter picture, and shows restaurants are continuing to invest in their delivery capabilities. However, any extension of at-home services comes with the risk of squeezing dine-in sales and the need to protect tight margins. Managing costs, the quality of food and relationships with third-party delivery platforms will be three top priorities for restaurant groups as they seek to revive real-terms growth in 2026.”

The NIQ Hospitality at Home Tracker is the leading source of data and insight for the delivery and takeaway market. It provides monthly reports on the value and volume of sales, with year-on-year comparisons and splits between food and drink revenue. It offers a benchmark by which brands can measure their performance, and participants receive detailed data in return for their contributions.  

Partners on the Tracker: Azzurri Group, Big Table Group, Bills, Bleecker St Burger, Byron, Coco Di Mama, Cote, Creams Café, Dishoom, Five Guys, Gaucho Grill, Honest Burgers, Hop Vietnamese, Megan’s, Mission Mars, Mitchell & Butlers, Mowgli, Nando’s, Pizza Express, Pizza Hut UK, Popeyes, Prezzo, Rosa’s Thai, Tasty Plc, TGI Fridays UK, Tortilla, Tossed, Wagamama, Wasabi, Wingstop, YO! Sushi and Yolk. 

Anyone interested in joining the Tracker should contact Karen Bantoft at karen.bantoft@nielseniq.com.  

Britain’s number of licensed premises fell by 0.4% in the last three months of 2025, the latest Hospitality Market Monitor from NIQ reveals

The country had 98,914 sites at the end of December—382 fewer than in September and equivalent to more than 4 net closures per day over the fourth quarter. It represents an abrupt end to a resilient year for hospitality, after site numbers rose by 0.2% in the first nine months of 2025. The reversal in fortunes follows relentless inflation for businesses in key cost areas, alongside fragile consumer confidence about spending.

About the survey

Press Contact
For further details or an interview, please contact Greenfields Communications:

• The data in the GfK Consumer Confidence Barometer (CCB), powered by NIM, is collected by GfK. The CCB has been published jointly by GfK and the Nuremberg Institute for Market Decisions (NIM), the founder of GfK, since October 2023.
• This month’s survey was conducted among a sample of 2,002 individuals aged 16+ in the UK.
• Quotas are imposed on age, sex, region, and social class to ensure the final sample is representative of the UK population.
• Interviewing was conducted between January 2^nd and January 15^th.   
• The figures in the GfK CCB powered by NIM have an estimated margin of error of +/-2%.
• The Overall Index Score is calculated using underlying data that runs to two decimal points.
• The press release dates for 2026 (all dates fall on a Friday) are: 27^th February,  27^th March, 24^th April, 22^nd May, 19^th June, 24^th July, 21^st August, 25^th September, 23^rd October, 20^th November and 18^th December.  
• Any published material must include a reference to the GfK Consumer Confidence Barometer, e.g. ‘Source: GfK Consumer Confidence Barometer powered by NIM’.
• This study has been running since 1974. Back data is available from 2006.
• The table below is an overview of the questions asked to obtain the individual index measures:

Personal Financial Situation (Q1/Q2)	This index is based on the following questions to consumers: ‘How has the financial situation of your household changed over the last 12 months?’ ‘How do you expect the financial position of your household to change over the next 12 months?’ (a lot better – a little better – stay(ed) the same – a little worse – a lot worse)
General Economic Situation (Q3/Q4)	This index is based on the following questions to consumers: ‘How do you think the general economic situation in this country has changed over the last 12 months?’ ‘How do you expect the general economic situation in this country to develop over the next 12 months?’ (a lot better – a little better – stay(ed) the same – a little worse – a lot worse)
Major Purchase Index (Q8)	This index is based on the following question to consumers: ‘In view of the general economic situation, do you think now is the right time for people to make major purchases such as furniture or electrical goods?’ (right time – neither right nor wrong time – wrong time)
Savings Index (Q10)	This index is based on the following question to consumers: ‘In view of the general economic situation do you think now is?’ (a very good time to save – a fairly good time to save – not a good time to save – a very bad time to save) (Commented on but not included in the Index Score)

About the GfK Consumer Confidence Barometer powered by NIM

There is no other consumer research project with the longevity, rigor, and reliability of GfK’s Consumer Confidence Barometer (CCB). Each month since January 1974, it has provided a snapshot of how UK consumers feel about the crucial economic topics today and their outlook for the next 12 months. It has provided insight into the UK’s thinking through boom and bust, the Brexit vote, and most recently the coronavirus pandemic. The CCB data collected by GfK has been published jointly with the Nuremberg Institute for Market Decisions (NIM) since October 2023. NIM is the founder of GfK.

About NIQ

NielsenIQ (NIQ) is a leading consumer intelligence company, delivering the most complete understanding of consumer buying behavior and revealing new pathways to growth. Our global reach spans over 90 countries covering approximately 85% of the world’s population and more than $7.2 trillion in global consumer spend. With a holistic retail read and the most comprehensive consumer insights—delivered with advanced analytics through state-of-the-art platforms—NIQ delivers the Full View™.      

For more information, please visit www.niq.com.   

About GfK – a NielsenIQ company

For over 90 years, we have earned the trust of our clients around the world by solving critical questions in their decision-making process. We fuel their growth by providing a complete understanding of their consumers’ buying behavior, and the dynamics impacting their markets, brands and media trends. In 2023, GfK combined with NIQ, bringing together two industry leaders with unparalleled global reach. With a holistic retail read and the most comprehensive consumer insights – delivered with advanced analytics through state-of-the-art platforms – GfK drives “Growth from Knowledge”. For more information, visit nielseniq.com

About NIM

The Nuremberg Institute for Market Decisions (NIM) is a non-profit research institute at the interface of academia and practice. NIM examines how consumer decisions change due to new technology, societal trends or the application of behavioral science, and what the resulting micro- and macroeconomic impacts are for the market and society as a whole. A better understanding of consumer decisions and their impacts helps society, businesses, politics, and consumers make better decisions with regard to “prosperity for all” in the sense of the social-ecological market system. The Nuremberg Institute for Market Decisions is the founder of GfK. For more information, visit www.nim.org/en and LinkedIn.

Forward-Looking Statements Disclaimer

This press release includes forward-looking statements that reflect NIQ’s current expectations and projections about future market trends and consumer behavior. These statements are based on available information and reasonable assumptions but are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ. NIQ does not undertake to update these statements, except as required by law.

Responsible under press legislation:
Marketing, GfK
Anna Paszek-Weglarz
7/F Blue Fin Building
110 Southwark Street London SE1 0SU Anna.Paszekweglarz@nielseniq.com

Festive celebrations helped Britain’s top managed pub groups to end 2025 on a high, the latest NIQ RSM Hospitality Business Tracker reveals.

With all channels combined, Britain’s managed hospitality groups achieved like-for-like growth of 2.9% in December. It the Tracker’s highest point since April, and only the second time it topped 1% in the whole of 2025. 

The Tracker—produced by NIQ, powered by CGA intelligence, in association with RSM—shows pubs’ like-for-like sales in December were 5.1% ahead of the same month in 2024. The growth is well ahead of the country’s recent rate of inflation and was powered by celebratory visits to pubs in the run-up to Christmas and New Year.

Consumers’ December spending was softer in managed restaurants, where like-for-like sales rose by just 0.8%. It means pubs comfortably outpaced restaurants for growth in every month of 2025. Managed bars faced an even more difficult festive season, with sales down by 1.7% year-on-year. However, these figures represent the best month of 2025 for both restaurants and bars.

The Tracker’s breakdown of sales also shows a marginally better December for groups outside London. Like-for-like growth within the M25 stood at 2.8% but reached 3.0% beyond it. 

The Tracker provides a brighter picture of the sector on a total sales basis. When venues opened by groups in the last 12 months are factored in, growth rose to 6.2%—around twice the rate of inflation. 

Karl Chessell, director – hospitality operators and food, EMEA at NIQ, said:

“December’s like-for-like growth was steady rather than spectacular, and it is unlikely to have been enough to offset the extra burden of costs imposed on hospitality over the course of 2025. More positively, a late flurry of celebratory drinking-out means many pub operators ended the year on a high and start the new year with valuable extra reserves. Strong total growth also shows groups remain optimistic enough about the long-term future to invest in new sites. However, with consumers’ spending still fragile and margins so tight, the trading environment is likely to remain challenging for some time to come.”

Saxon Moseley, head of leisure and hospitality at RSM UK, said:

“2025 was a difficult year for the sector and while these results are hardly earth shattering, they were the best like-for-like performance for restaurants and bars this year, offering operators a glimmer of hope for 2026. Pubs continue to trade strongly and are best placed to capitalise on growing consumer confidence as we start the new year. However, they are also contending with significant cost pressures which are disproportionately weighing on the sector, eroding profitability and in some cases accelerating closures. The industry is very much in need of some good news in 2026.”

NIQ collected sales figures directly from 118 leading managed groups for October’s edition of the NIQ RSM Hospitality Business Tracker, which provides authoritative monthly insights into Britain’s restaurant, pub and bar sales. Companies participating in the Tracker receive a fuller breakdown of trading that helps to benchmark performance and understand market trends.

To join the cohort, contact Andrew Dean at  andy.dean@nielseniq.com 

Participants in the NIQ RSM Hospitality Business Tracker: Adventure Leisure Ltd, All Star Lanes, Amber Taverns, Anglian Country Inns, Arc Inspirations, Azzurri Group (Ask Italian, Coco di Mama, Zizzi), Barburrito, Barworks, Beds and Bars, Big Fang Collective, Big Table Group (Banana Tree Restaurants, Bella Italia, Chiquito, Frankie & Benny’s, Las Iguanas), Bill’s Restaurants, Bleecker St Burger, Boisdale Ltd, Boom Battle Bar, Boston Tea Party, Boxpark, BrewDog, Burger & Lobster, Buzzworks Holdings Group, Byron, Chaiiwala, Chance and Counters, Coaching Inn Group Ltd, Comptoir Group Plc, Cote Restaurants, Creams Café, Darwin & Wallace, Dishoom, Evolv Collection, Five Guys, Fortnum & Mason, Fuller Smith & Turner, Gaucho Grill, Giggling Squid, Glendola Leisure, Gordon Ramsay Restaurants, Greene King (Chef & Brewer, Hungry Horse, Flaming Grill), Hall & Woodhouse, Hawthorn Leisure, Heartwood Collection, Honest Burgers, HOP Vietnamese, Kibou, Kricket, Laine Pub Co, Lane 7, Liberation, Lina Stores, Loungers, Lucky Voice, Marston’s, McMullen & Sons Ltd, Megans, Mildreds, Mission Mars, Mitchells & Butlers (Harvester, Toby, Miller & Carter, All Bar One), MJMK Restaurants, Mojo Bar, Mowgli, Nando’s Restaurants, Neos Hospitality, New World Trading Company, Nightcap Plc,  North Brewing Co, NQ64 Arcade Bars , Open House London, Parogon Pub Group, Peach Pubs, Pho, Pizza Express, Pizza Hut UK, Popeyes, Portobello Starboard Ltd, Prezzo, Public House Group, Punch Pub Co,  Revolution Bars, Rick Stein Restaurants, Riley’s, Rosa’s Thai, Roxy Leisure, San Carlo, Sandbox VR, Shepherd Neame, Simmons Bars Group, Southern Wind Group (Fazenda), St Austell, Star Pubs & Bars, State of Play Hospitality, Stonegate Pub Co (Slug & Lettuce, Yates’, Walkabout, Bermondsey Pub Company), Tasty Plc, TGI Fridays UK, The Alchemist, The Fulham Shore, The Restaurant Group, Thunderbird Fried Chicken, Tonkotsu, Topgolf Ltd, Tortilla, Tossed, Treetop Golf, True North Brew Co, Upham Pub Co, Urban Pubs & Bars, Urban Village Pub Co, Various Eateries (Strada, Coppa Club), Village Hotels, Wagamama, Wasabi, Wells & Co, Whitbread (Beefeater, Brewers Fayre, Table Table), Wingstop, Yolk, YO! Sushi, Young’s and Yummy Collection.

About RSM UK

RSM UK is a leading provider of audit, tax and consulting services. As an integrated team with nearly 4,900 partners and staff operating from 31 locations across the UK, we have a culture of understanding what it means to deliver value, and to value what we do. 

As part of the RSM International network, we have access to more than 57,000 people in more than 120 countries. Our global presence helps us to meet the needs of clients who are trading and expanding internationally. 

To learn more, visit www.rsmuk.com. 

 

About Kodiak 

On a mission to “Feed Epic Days and Wilder Lives,” Kodiak inspires people to live wilder, wide-open lives by feeding epic days through real breakfasts. Mountain raised among the Wasatch Mountains of Park City, UT, Kodiak strives to make breakfast un-boring – outfitting everyone who is hungry to get out and expand the day’s range with delicious, filling, whole grain greatness while nourishing the land, lives and wildlife that sustain us. For over 30 years, Kodiak has crafted real, protein-packed breakfasts with honest and carefully selected ingredients, with no artificial preservatives, flavors, or colors. For more information about Kodiak, please visit www.kodiakcakes.com or follow the adventure on Instagram @KodiakCakes.

About NIQ 

NielsenIQ (NYSE: NIQ) is a leading consumer intelligence company, delivering the most complete understanding of consumer buying behavior and revealing new pathways to growth. Our global reach spans over 90 countries covering approximately 85% of the world’s population and more than $ 7.2 trillion in global consumer spend. With a holistic retail read and the most comprehensive consumer insights—delivered with advanced analytics through state-of-the-art platforms—NIQ delivers the Full View™.      

For more information, please visit:  www.niq.com
 

Festive celebrations helped Britain’s top managed pub operators to welcomed growth in the week of Christmas, the NIQ RSM Hospitality Business Tracker reveals. 

Across all hospitality channels, managed operators achieved modest like-for-like growth of 1.2% in the seven days from 22 December. 

Modest growth for pubs

Pubs’ like-for-like sales were up by 4.8% from the same week in 2024. The figure is well ahead of both Britain’s rate of inflation and the Tracker’s figures for most weeks of 2025. The uplift was driven by a surge in guests heading out in the final days before Christmas and an uninterrupted run of bank holidays that gave people extended time off from midweek through to the weekend. This more favourable holiday pattern likely provided a stronger boost than Christmas Day openings. 

Karl Chessell, director – hospitality operators and food, EMEA at NIQ, said:

“Pubs’ real-terms growth in the week of Christmas shows how they remain a much-loved place for people to celebrate the festive season with families and friends. However, negative figures at restaurants and bars round out a very difficult year for many operators, and confidence is running low among consumers and business leaders alike. With cash reserves depleted and rates rises in the pipeline to add to a relentless burden of costs, the sector faces a challenging start to 2026.”

Saxon Moseley, head of leisure and hospitality at RSM UK, said:

“Festive trading mirrored the broader trends seen across 2025, with pubs reporting solid sales growth while restaurants and bars saw revenue contract year-on-year, leaving little to celebrate for these beleaguered segments of the market. With results failing to live up to expectations for many operators and a raft of cost increases scheduled for 2026, there will be real concern of further casualties on the high street in the coming months.” 

NIQ collected sales figures directly from 107 leading managed groups for October’s edition of the NIQ RSM Hospitality Business Tracker, which provides authoritative monthly insights into Britain’s restaurant, pub and bar sales. Companies participating in the Tracker receive a fuller breakdown of trading that helps to benchmark performance and understand market trends.

To join the cohort, contact Andrew Dean at  andy.dean@nielseniq.com 

Participants in the NIQ RSM Hospitality Business Tracker: Adventure Leisure Ltd, All Star Lanes, Amber Taverns, Anglian Country Inns, Arc Inspirations, Azzurri Group (Ask Italian, Coco di Mama, Zizzi), Barburrito, Barworks, Beds and Bars, Big Fang Collective, Big Table Group (Banana Tree Restaurants, Bella Italia, Chiquito, Frankie & Benny’s, Las Iguanas), Bill’s Restaurants, Bleecker St Burger, Boisdale Ltd, Boom Battle Bar, Boston Tea Party, Boxpark, BrewDog, Burger & Lobster, Buzzworks Holdings Group, Byron, Chaiiwala, Chance and Counters, Coaching Inn Group Ltd, Comptoir Group Plc, Cote Restaurants, Creams Café, Darwin & Wallace, Dishoom, Evolv Collection, Five Guys, Fortnum & Mason, Fuller Smith & Turner, Gaucho Grill, Giggling Squid, Glendola Leisure, Gordon Ramsay Restaurants, Greene King (Chef & Brewer, Hungry Horse, Flaming Grill), Hall & Woodhouse, Hawthorn Leisure, Heartwood Collection, Honest Burgers, HOP Vietnamese, Kibou, Kricket, Laine Pub Co, Lane 7, Liberation, Lina Stores, Loungers, Lucky Voice, Marston’s, McMullen & Sons Ltd, Megans, Mildreds, Mission Mars, Mitchells & Butlers (Harvester, Toby, Miller & Carter, All Bar One), MJMK Restaurants, Mojo Bar, Mowgli, Nando’s Restaurants, Neos Hospitality, New World Trading Company, Nightcap Plc,  North Brewing Co, NQ64 Arcade Bars , Open House London, Parogon Pub Group, Peach Pubs, Pho, Pizza Express, Pizza Hut UK, Popeyes, Portobello Starboard Ltd, Prezzo, Public House Group, Punch Pub Co,  Revolution Bars, Rick Stein Restaurants, Riley’s, Rosa’s Thai, Roxy Leisure, San Carlo, Sandbox VR, Shepherd Neame, Simmons Bars Group, Southern Wind Group (Fazenda), St Austell, Star Pubs & Bars, State of Play Hospitality, Stonegate Pub Co (Slug & Lettuce, Yates’, Walkabout, Bermondsey Pub Company), Tasty Plc, TGI Fridays UK, The Alchemist, The Fulham Shore, The Restaurant Group, Thunderbird Fried Chicken, Tonkotsu, Topgolf Ltd, Tortilla, Tossed, Treetop Golf, True North Brew Co, Upham Pub Co, Urban Pubs & Bars, Urban Village Pub Co, Various Eateries (Strada, Coppa Club), Village Hotels, Wagamama, Wasabi, Wells & Co, Whitbread (Beefeater, Brewers Fayre, Table Table), Wingstop, Yolk, YO! Sushi, Young’s and Yummy Collection. 

About RSM UK

RSM UK is a leading provider of audit, tax and consulting services. As an integrated team with nearly 4,900 partners and staff operating from 31 locations across the UK, we have a culture of understanding what it means to deliver value, and to value what we do. 

As part of the RSM International network, we have access to more than 57,000 people in more than 120 countries. Our global presence helps us to meet the needs of clients who are trading and expanding internationally. 

To learn more, visit www.rsmuk.com. 

 

• Shoppers spend £19.6bn over the 4 weeks of Christmas to the 27^thDecember 2025. A growth of +2.5% 
• Ecommerce was the fastest-growing channel at +9.9% with 29% of UK households shopping for groceries online over Christmas 
• Ocado (+12.8%) was the fastest growing retailer for the second Christmas running, benefitting from the surge in online grocery spend, while Lidl (+9.4%) was the fastest growing store-based retailer. 

Key Insights and Emerging Trends for 2026

• Market Outlook: Consumer Tech & Durable Goods sales are projected to reach $1.3T in 2025 (+3% vs. 2024), before softening slightly in 2026 (-0.4% YoY). Growth will be led by Eastern Europe (+5%), Western Europe (+3%), MEA (+3%), and Latin America (+2%), while North America holds steady and Asia-Pacific declines (-3%, driven by China at -5%).

• Sector Trends: Small Domestic Appliances (SDA) will grow, IT & Office will see modest gains, Major Domestic Appliances remain stable, and Telecom and Consumer Electronics experience slight declines.

• Consumer & Product Dynamics: Value-for-money remains a top priority, meaning that product benefits must be both highly relevant and visible to shoppers. Replacement cycles for PCs and smartphones, combined with premiumization trends—AI-native PCs, Mini LED/OLED TVs, built-in appliances, and smart home appliances—will help drive demand. TVs get a boost from the 2026 World Cup, while open-ear headsets sustain momentum, and AI-enabled features with clear use cases offer premiumization potential.

• Strategic Considerations: Focus growth strategies on high-potential markets by volume and value. Monitor policy and trade factors, including evolving U.S. tariffs, China’s trade-in programs, and expanding competition from Chinese brands entering new markets, as affordability and accessibility drive AI adoption globally.

About NIQ 

NielsenIQ (NYSE: NIQ) is a leading consumer intelligence company, delivering the most complete understanding of consumer buying behavior and revealing new pathways to growth. Our global reach spans over 90 countries covering approximately 85% of the world’s population and more than $ 7.2 trillion in global consumer spend. With a holistic retail read and the most comprehensive consumer insights—delivered with advanced analytics through state-of-the-art platforms—NIQ delivers the Full View™.      

For more information, please visit:  www.niq.com

About Consumer Technology Association 

As North America’s largest technology trade association, CTA^® is the tech sector. Our members are the world’s leading innovators — from startups to global brands — helping support more than 18 million American jobs. CTA owns and produces CES^® — the most influential tech event in the world. Find us at CTA.tech. Follow us @CTAtech. 
 

Forward-Looking Statements 

Forward-Looking Statements Disclaimer 

This Consumer Tech Outlook release may contain forward-looking statements regarding anticipated consumer behaviors, market trends, and industry developments. These statements reflect current expectations and projections based on available data, historical patterns, and various assumptions. Words such as “expects,” “will,” “anticipates,” “projects,” “believes,” “forecasts,” “estimate,” and similar expressions are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. These statements are not guarantees of future outcomes and are subject to inherent uncertainties, including changes in consumer preferences, economic conditions, technological advancements, and competitive dynamics. Actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied in these statements. While we strive to base our insights on reliable data and sound methodologies, we undertake no obligation to update any forward-looking statements to reflect future events or circumstances, except to the extent required by applicable law. 

Note to Editors
NIQ’s Consumer Tech & Durable Goods (T&D) experts, working with the Consumer Technology Association, model their 2026 Consumer Tech market estimate using long-term and current trend data. Our market growth estimate assumes that China continues a level of financial support for their domestic market in 2026, but not to the extent seen in 2025, model their 2026 Consumer Tech market estimate using long-term and current trend data. Our market growth estimate assumes that China continues a level of financial support for their domestic market in 2026, but not to the extent seen in 2025.

Rising deliveries and falling takeaways 

The net result of rising deliveries and falling takeaways was that restaurants’ at-home sales were exactly level (0.0%) in November. It continues a pattern of flat or modest like-for-like sales growth in 2025 as consumers tightened their spending.  

The Tracker shows more positive sales trends on a total basis. Adding in newly opened restaurants, or sites where deliveries and takeaways have been introduced for the first time, last month’s sales were 6.1% ahead of November 2024.  

NIQ’s Hospitality at Home Tracker shows deliveries earned 13.4 pence in every pound spent with restaurants in November, while takeaways and click-and-collect orders attracted 4.8 pence in every pound. 

Karl Chessell, director – hospitality operators and food, EMEA at NIQ, said:

“November’s real-terms growth in delivery sales is welcome news for restaurants. However, it’s clear that much of the extra revenue has come over from directly-ordered takeaways, and it’s been powered by higher prices rather than extra volumes. Growth is also unlikely to be covering the additional costs that have been imposed on hospitality over the last 12 months, with yet more tax burdens from the Budget to come. Deliveries will be a valuable channel for restaurant groups in 2026 but maintaining profitability and ensuring at-home sales don’t cannibalise eat-out visits will be two big challenges.” 

Hospitality at Home Tracker

The NIQ Hospitality at Home Tracker is the leading source of data and insight for the delivery and takeaway market. It provides monthly reports on the value and volume of sales, with year-on-year comparisons and splits between food and drink revenue. It offers a benchmark by which brands can measure their performance, and participants receive detailed data in return for their contributions.  

Anyone interested in joining the Tracker should contact Karen Bantoft at karen.bantoft@nielseniq.com. 

Participants in the NIQ Hospitality at Home Tracker: Azzurri Group, Big Table Group, Bills, Bleecker St Burger, Byron, Coco di Mama, Cote, Creams Café, Dishoom, Five Guys, Gaucho Grill, Honest Burgers, HOP Vietnamese, Megan’s, Mission Mars, Mitchells & Butlers, Nando’s, Pizza Express, Pizza Hut UK, Popeyes, Prezzo, Rosa’s Thai, Tasty Plc, TGI Fridays UK, Tortilla, Tossed, Wagamama, Wasabi, Wingstop,YO! Sushi and Yolk.

About the survey

Press Contact
For further details or an interview, please contact Greenfields Communications:

• The data in the GfK Consumer Confidence Barometer (CCB), powered by NIM, is collected by GfK. The CCB has been published jointly by GfK and the Nuremberg Institute for Market Decisions (NIM), the founder of GfK, since October 2023.
• This month’s survey was conducted among a sample of 2,003 individuals aged 16+ in the UK.
• Quotas are imposed on age, sex, region, and social class to ensure the final sample is representative of the UK population.
• Interviewing was conducted between December 1^st and December 11^th 2025. 
• The figures in the GfK CCB powered by NIM have an estimated margin of error of +/-2%.
• The Overall Index Score is calculated using underlying data that runs to two decimal points.
• The press release dates for 2026 (all dates fall on a Friday) are: 23^rd January, 27^th February,  27^th March, 24^th April, 22^nd May, 19^th June, 24^th July, 21^st August, 25^th September, 23^rd October, 20^th November and 18^th December.  
• Any published material must include a reference to the GfK Consumer Confidence Barometer, e.g. ‘Source: GfK Consumer Confidence Barometer powered by NIM’.
• This study has been running since 1974. Back data is available from 2006.
• The table below is an overview of the questions asked to obtain the individual index measures:

Personal Financial Situation (Q1/Q2)	This index is based on the following questions to consumers: ‘How has the financial situation of your household changed over the last 12 months?’ ‘How do you expect the financial position of your household to change over the next 12 months?’ (a lot better – a little better – stay(ed) the same – a little worse – a lot worse)
General Economic Situation (Q3/Q4)	This index is based on the following questions to consumers: ‘How do you think the general economic situation in this country has changed over the last 12 months?’ ‘How do you expect the general economic situation in this country to develop over the next 12 months?’ (a lot better – a little better – stay(ed) the same – a little worse – a lot worse)
Major Purchase Index (Q8)	This index is based on the following question to consumers: ‘In view of the general economic situation, do you think now is the right time for people to make major purchases such as furniture or electrical goods?’ (right time – neither right nor wrong time – wrong time)
Savings Index (Q10)	This index is based on the following question to consumers: ‘In view of the general economic situation do you think now is?’ (a very good time to save – a fairly good time to save – not a good time to save – a very bad time to save) (Commented on but not included in the Index Score)

About the GfK Consumer Confidence Barometer powered by NIM

There is no other consumer research project with the longevity, rigor, and reliability of GfK’s Consumer Confidence Barometer (CCB). Each month since January 1974, it has provided a snapshot of how UK consumers feel about the crucial economic topics today and their outlook for the next 12 months. It has provided insight into the UK’s thinking through boom and bust, the Brexit vote, and most recently the coronavirus pandemic. The CCB data collected by GfK has been published jointly with the Nuremberg Institute for Market Decisions (NIM) since October 2023. NIM is the founder of GfK.

About NIQ

NielsenIQ (NIQ) is a leading consumer intelligence company, delivering the most complete understanding of consumer buying behavior and revealing new pathways to growth. Our global reach spans over 90 countries covering approximately 85% of the world’s population and more than $7.2 trillion in global consumer spend. With a holistic retail read and the most comprehensive consumer insights—delivered with advanced analytics through state-of-the-art platforms—NIQ delivers the Full View™.      

For more information, please visit www.niq.com.   

About GfK – a NielsenIQ company

For over 90 years, we have earned the trust of our clients around the world by solving critical questions in their decision-making process. We fuel their growth by providing a complete understanding of their consumers’ buying behavior, and the dynamics impacting their markets, brands and media trends. In 2023, GfK combined with NIQ, bringing together two industry leaders with unparalleled global reach. With a holistic retail read and the most comprehensive consumer insights – delivered with advanced analytics through state-of-the-art platforms – GfK drives “Growth from Knowledge”. For more information, visit nielseniq.com

About NIM

The Nuremberg Institute for Market Decisions (NIM) is a non-profit research institute at the interface of academia and practice. NIM examines how consumer decisions change due to new technology, societal trends or the application of behavioral science, and what the resulting micro- and macroeconomic impacts are for the market and society as a whole. A better understanding of consumer decisions and their impacts helps society, businesses, politics, and consumers make better decisions with regard to “prosperity for all” in the sense of the social-ecological market system. The Nuremberg Institute for Market Decisions is the founder of GfK. For more information, visit www.nim.org/en and LinkedIn.

Forward-Looking Statements Disclaimer

This press release includes forward-looking statements that reflect NIQ’s current expectations and projections about future market trends and consumer behavior. These statements are based on available information and reasonable assumptions but are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ. NIQ does not undertake to update these statements, except as required by law.

Responsible under press legislation:
Marketing, GfK
Anna Paszek-Weglarz
7/F Blue Fin Building
110 Southwark Street London SE1 0SU Anna.Paszekweglarz@nielseniq.com

Britain’s leading managed hospitality groups enter the crucial Christmas period on the back of flat sales in November, the latest NIQ RSM Hospitality Business Tracker reveals. 

Like-for-like trading was just 0.3% ahead of the same month in 2024, following increases of just 0.1% in October and 0.2% in September. Growth has now been below 1% or negative since April. 

Amid a soft November for hospitality, the government’s Budget brought further challenges, including a phase-out of rates relief, confirmation of extra labour costs and weak economic forecasts. It leaves businesses anxious for a surge in spending over the festive season. 

Modest growth for pubs but restaurants slip again 

The Hospitality Business Tracker—produced by NIQ, powered by CGA intelligence, in association with RSM—shows a positive November for pubs, where sales rose 2.5% year-on-year. It is a tenth consecutive month of growth for the pub sector, though most increases have been below the rate of inflation. 

In sharp contrast, sales at restaurants were 2.1% short of November 2024. This means trading has been negative in ten of the last 11 months, and that restaurants have been outperformed by pubs in every month of 2025 so far. 

Among other hospitality sectors, bars recorded a 5.2% dip in sales. It extends a difficult year for the channel, with trading behind by between 4% and 10% year-on-year in every month. 

Higher prices, openings fuel total growth 

 

With footfall down across hospitality, modest growth is being driven by higher menu prices and new openings by some of the sector’s better-performing operators. On a total sales basis—including at venues opened by groups in the last 12 months—sales were 3.1% ahead of November 2024.

However, long-term confidence about sales and openings is weak, and the latest Business Confidence Survey from NIQ and Sona found that just 26% of leaders feel optimistic about prospects for their business over the next 12 months.

London beats regions for fourth month in a row  

The NIQ RSM Hospitality Business Tracker’s breakdown of sales indicates that London delivered slightly better growth for hospitality operators than the rest of Britain in November. Like-for-like sales within the M25 were 0.7% ahead year-on-year, compared to 0.2% in regions beyond the M25. It is the third month in a row that the capital has been marginally ahead of the country as a whole.  

 

Karl Chessell, director – hospitality operators and food, EMEA at NIQ, said:

“Soft trading and high costs have been a potent combination for hospitality operators, and November’s figures extend a very difficult 2025. Reasonable growth for pubs suggests consumers remain willing to go out to drink, while a steady stream of new openings shows some operators and investors are on the front foot.

But another negative month for restaurants and bars is cause for major concern, especially in light of yet more additions to their burdens of costs in the Budget. The sector will now be pinning hopes on a surge in Christmas sales to boost depleted coffers ahead of 2026.”

Saxon Moseley, head of leisure and hospitality at RSM UK, said:

“November’s results continue a disappointing trend of lacklustre performance as consumer uncertainty in the run up to the budget hampered the industry’s recovery, despite falling interest rates and high levels of household saving in 2025.

RSM’s latest Consumer Outlook found that the majority of consumers would rather spend a surprise windfall on paying down debts or saving for the future rather than enjoying an experience, highlighting the challenge operators face in getting customers through the door. As the busiest period of trade for the sector, all will be hoping that promising festive booking data translates into a measurable uptick in spending.”

NIQ collected sales figures directly from 116 leading managed groups for October’s edition of the NIQ RSM Hospitality Business Tracker, which provides authoritative monthly insights into Britain’s restaurant, pub and bar sales. Companies participating in the Tracker receive a fuller breakdown of trading that helps to benchmark performance and understand market trends.

To join the cohort, contact Andrew Dean at  andy.dean@nielseniq.com 

Participants in the NIQ RSM Hospitality Business Tracker: Adventure Leisure Ltd, All Star Lanes, Amber Taverns, Anglian Country Inns, Arc Inspirations, Azzurri Group (Ask Italian, Coco di Mama, Zizzi), Barburrito, Barworks, Beds and Bars, Big Fang Collective, Big Table Group (Banana Tree Restaurants, Bella Italia, Chiquito, Frankie & Benny’s, Las Iguanas), Bill’s Restaurants, Bleecker St Burger, Boisdale Ltd, Boom Battle Bar, Boston Tea Party, Boxpark, BrewDog, Burger & Lobster, Buzzworks Holdings Group, Byron, Chaiiwala, Chance and Counters, Coaching Inn Group Ltd, Comptoir Group Plc, Cote Restaurants, Creams Café, Darwin & Wallace, Dishoom, Evolv Collection, Five Guys, Fortnum & Mason, Fuller Smith & Turner, Gaucho Grill, Giggling Squid, Glendola Leisure, Gordon Ramsay Restaurants, Greene King (Chef & Brewer, Hungry Horse, Flaming Grill), Hall & Woodhouse, Hawthorn Leisure, Heartwood Collection, Honest Burgers, HOP Vietnamese, Kibou, Kricket, Laine Pub Co, Lane 7, Liberation, Lina Stores, Loungers, Lucky Voice, Marston’s, McMullen & Sons Ltd, Megans, Mildreds, Mission Mars, Mitchells & Butlers (Harvester, Toby, Miller & Carter, All Bar One), MJMK Restaurants, Mojo Bar, Mowgli, Nando’s Restaurants, Neos Hospitality, New World Trading Company, Nightcap Plc,  North Brewing Co, NQ64 Arcade Bars , Open House London, Parogon Pub Group, Peach Pubs, Pho, Pizza Express, Pizza Hut UK, Popeyes, Portobello Starboard Ltd, Prezzo, Public House Group, Punch Pub Co,  Revolution Bars, Rick Stein Restaurants, Riley’s, Rosa’s Thai, Roxy Leisure, San Carlo, Sandbox VR, Shepherd Neame, Simmons Bars Group, Southern Wind Group (Fazenda), St Austell, Star Pubs & Bars, State of Play Hospitality, Stonegate Pub Co (Slug & Lettuce, Yates’, Walkabout, Bermondsey Pub Company), Tasty Plc, TGI Fridays UK, The Alchemist, The Fulham Shore, The Restaurant Group, Thunderbird Fried Chicken, Tonkotsu, Topgolf Ltd, Tortilla, Tossed, Treetop Golf, True North Brew Co, Upham Pub Co, Urban Pubs & Bars, Urban Village Pub Co, Various Eateries (Strada, Coppa Club), Village Hotels, Wagamama, Wasabi, Wells & Co, Whitbread (Beefeater, Brewers Fayre, Table Table), Wingstop, Yolk, YO! Sushi, Young’s and Yummy Collection. 

About NIQ 

NielsenIQ (NIQ) is a leading consumer intelligence company, delivering the most complete understanding of consumer buying behavior and revealing new pathways to growth. Our global reach spans over 90 countries covering approximately 85% of the world’s population and more than $7.2 trillion in global consumer spend. With a holistic retail read and the most comprehensive consumer insights—delivered with advanced analytics through state-of-the-art platforms—NIQ delivers the Full View™.      

For more information, please visit www.niq.com.  

About RSM UK

RSM UK is a leading provider of audit, tax and consulting services. As an integrated team with nearly 4,900 partners and staff operating from 31 locations across the UK, we have a culture of understanding what it means to deliver value, and to value what we do. 

As part of the RSM International network, we have access to more than 57,000 people in more than 120 countries. Our global presence helps us to meet the needs of clients who are trading and expanding internationally. 

To learn more, visit www.rsmuk.com. 

 
For all press enquiries: 

Linda Pettit, Tilburstow Media Partners 

phone: 07973 789853 

email: PR@cgastrategy.com 

London, 13 December 2025: Healthier choices, hot weather and the rising cost of living played pivotal roles in shaping UK grocery sales this year. 

Cigarettes & cigars, rolling tobacco and vapes were the biggest losers, NIQ data for The Grocer’s Top Products Survey 2025 shows. They shed volumes faster than any other grocery category, resulting in a combined year-on-year loss of just over £1bn. For the second year running the fastest falling grocery product was vaping brand Elf Bar (–£139.3m). It was followed by Lost Mary (–£72m) and SKE Crystal (–£66.5m), signalling a clear drop in the popularity of vaping – a trend further enhanced by the ban on disposable vapes 

At the same time, NIQ data shows smoking cessation was the year’s fastest growing category in volume terms – up 23.8%, or 12.4 million extra packs. That translated to a gain of £104m. 

More evidence of Brits taking better care of themselves could be seen in alcohol, where lager, table wine and spirits all shed volumes and lost £233.1m in value sales between them. Their decline may also be linked to inflation, however. Higher prices caused many shoppers to avoid the booze aisle. And even with the UK’s hottest summer on record the biggest casualties in the category were lager brands San Miguel (–£50.4m), Fosters (–£43.4m) and Carling (–£41.0m). 

The meat-free category also struggled. Concerns about ultra-processed foods contributed to a £23.2m decline for the category, making it one of the year’s biggest losers in absolute value terms. This decline reflected the ongoing shifting spend of flexitarian shoppers back into animal-based proteins, with poultry (+£218.7m), cheese (+£216.2m) and eggs (+£199.8m) among the products to register the biggest increases in value sales in 2025, although some  of the gains were the result of inflation 

The biggest inflation was felt in confectionery, where chocolate was 10.8% dearer per average kilo – due to the soaring cost of cocoa. Those higher shelf prices resulted in a £542.5m increase in value sales but those higher prices were not without consequence as 11.5 million fewer kilos of chocolate went through retailers’ tills. 

In contrast the £580.4m increase in sales of fruit – the biggest in absolute terms, NIQ data shows – were supported by a significant 4.3% uplift in volume sales. Berries were key to increased consumption: strawberries (+£125m), blueberries (+£101.3m) and grapes (+£72.8m) were among the top 10 fastest-growing products. 

Their performances were the result of ideal growing conditions, record temperatures – including the hottest summer on record – and a renewed focus on health, with 33% of consumers citing it as their top concern during the summer. 

Strong sales were also seen in morning goods & specialty breads (+£245.4m) as shoppers sought out more expensive but healthier sourdough and specialty products. Demand buoyed newer brands such as Jason’s Sourdough (+£42.4m) but had a negative effect on longstanding makers of conventional packaged bread (–£64.4m). It was among the year’s 10 fastest-falling categories, with Kingsmill (–£33.9m) experiencing one of the steepest value declines among brands. 

Sports & energy drinks also maintained strong year-on-year momentum. The category benefited from sustained demand and continued interest in functional beverages. Red Bull (+£124.4m), Monster (+£115.0m) and Lucozade (+£65.1m) were among the top 10 fastest growing products of the year. However, after experiencing huge sales growth in 2023 following its social media-fuelled launch, sales of Prime (–£58.4m) fell sharply as consumer interest normalised. The brand sold 12.3 million fewer litres. 

Beef (+£417.7m) also delivered another strong year – but it was inflation-driven as prices continued to rise. Volumes were down 700 thousand kilos. In the wider meat, fish & poultry category, salmon (+£85.3m) was among the standout products. Volume sales rose by 7.5% (4.6 million kilos) as more Brits turned to fish, largely for its health benefits. 

Julian Crane, NIQ Managing Director UK & Ireland, said:

“This year’s results point to a genuine reset in shopper behaviour. Consumers are prioritising wellbeing, buying more fresh fruit and minimally processed foods, and returning to the reliability of core proteins and specialty breads. At the same time, we’re seeing a decisive shift away from vices like smoking and vaping as regulations tighten and health concerns rise.

For retailers and brands, understanding this interplay between wellness, value consciousness, and regulation will be critical. Those who align quickly with these changing priorities will be best placed to build loyalty and drive sustainable growth into 2026.”

Adam Leyland, Editor-in-Chief at The Grocer, added:  

“This year’s Top Products Survey provides fantastic insight into the priorities and changing habits of the nation’s shoppers. It’s heartening to see the healthy switches shoppers have made. But the return of inflation is most unwelcome.

Shoppers have voted with their feet, or perhaps more accurately their hands, picking out value, but putting items down – even ones they love – if they consider the price to be exorbitant Money is tight, and shoppers are saving money by eating out less. But the decline in volume sales in categories that have seen the biggest price hikes – such as dairy, chocolate and beef – shows there are limits to price elasticity. It’s clear the shopper’s patience has snapped.” 

About NIQ 

NielsenIQ (NIQ) is a leading consumer intelligence company, delivering the most complete understanding of consumer buying behaviour and revealing new pathways to growth. Our global reach spans over 90 countries covering approximately 85% of the world’s population and more than $7.2 trillion in global consumer spend. With a holistic retail read and the most comprehensive consumer insights—delivered with advanced analytics through state-of-the-art platforms—NIQ delivers the Full View™.      

For more information, please visit www.niq.com. 

 

About The Grocer  

The Grocer launched in 1862 and is one the UK’s biggest and best-known trade media publications. The Top Products Survey launched in 1998. A joint collaboration between The Grocer and NIQ it combines NIQ’s exhaustive data with The Grocer’s award-winning journalism. This year’s survey is the biggest ever, offering invaluable shopper trends across a record 127 categories and now including data points from all the major grocery retail routes to market, including Aldi, Lidl and Amazon for the first time. 

Chris Costagli
VP Thought Leadership – F&B Insights Lead
NielsenIQ

Andrea Binder
VP Retail Account Development
NielsenIQ

Anna Mayo
VP Beauty Vertical
NielsenIQ

Sherry Frey
VP Total Wellness
NielsenIQ

• £5.7bn to be spent during the week ending 20th December, making it the biggest shopping week of the year
• 40% of UK households plan to use saved loyalty points and vouchers and 23% will shop around for promotions to maximise savings over Christmas
• Ocado (+14.0%) still leads the pack in retailer growth over the last twelve weeks, while Lidl (+9.8%) and Marks & Spencer (+9.2%) maintain good momentum

About NIQ

NielsenIQ (NYSE: NIQ) is a leading consumer intelligence company, delivering the most complete understanding of consumer buying behavior and revealing new pathways to growth. Our global reach spans over 90 countries covering approximately 85% of the
world’s population and more than $7.2 trillion in global consumer spend. With a holistic retail read and the most comprehensive consumer insights — delivered with advanced analytics through state-of-the-art platforms — NIQ delivers the Full View™. For more
information, please visit www.nielseniq.com 

Winning Innovation Starts Before Launch  

 

• Brands that invest in true innovation, not just variety or size line extensions, are 2x more likely to achieve overall sales growth. 
• Only a fraction of companies (9%) expanded innovation sales last year, underscoring the opportunity for those that follow best practices.    

Early Momentum Predicts Long-Term Vitality   

• Analysis of 300,000 Stock Keeping Units (SKU) shows performance gaps between growing and non-growing innovations as early as week four. 

• Despite this, 67% of marketers wait 12–15 weeks to assess performance, missing critical retailer decision windows. 

• Early measurement enables faster optimization of distribution, activation, and support. 

Private Label Resets the Bar 

• Private labels and smaller upstart manufacturers continue to gain share, evolving from “fast followers” to strategic portfolio players. 

• Retailers increasingly use multiple private brands to “bracket” national brands and keep shelves dynamic. 

• Many major retailers now pursue a higher cadence of 12-week assortment refresh cycles, accelerating competition for space and velocity. 

 

Cross-Functional Collaboration Drives Breakout Results  

• Top innovators are 2.5x more likely to collaborate across R&D, marketing, sales, and consumer insights functions throughout the innovation lifecycle. 
• End-to-end alignment improves agility and increases the likelihood of sustained year-two growth.