On behalf of everyone here at NCP, I’d like to take this opportunity to wish you and your family all the best this holiday season and in the New Year!

Speaking of 2018, there are some great things happening next year that I want to tell you about.

We hope you enjoyed the Mystery Phrase promotion we conducted this past June. Well, we’ll have another exciting new contest early next year. (Winners will receive an Amazon Gift Card claim code!) Look for more information in January.

Also next year, the panelist website, ncponline.com, will be getting a brand-new look. You’ll find enhanced content and easier-to-use navigation. Be on the lookout for more details coming soon.

PSC Closings
FYI: The Panel Support Center will be closing at 4:00 p.m. ET on Saturday, December 23, and will be closed all day on Monday, December 25.

In addition, the PSC will be closing at 4:00 p.m. ET on Saturday, December 30, and will be closed all day on Monday, January 1, 2018.

I’ll be away next week, so the next blog posting will be during the first week of January.

Again, I want to wish you a very happy holiday and a great new year!

My family has a lot of holiday get-togethers coming up in the next few weeks. When we visit someone we usually bring an adult beverage to be consumed at the party.

As can be expected, with the holiday season upon us, sales of these beverages always soar.

For instance, according to The Nielsen Company, Christmas and New Year’s Eve are the biggest holidays for wine sales in the United States, accounting for 69% more dollar sales than the average two-week period in 2016, ringing up more than $1 billion in sales in the two-week period alone.

To be specific, sparkling wine sees a jump in sales between Christmas and New Year’s, with sales climbing 272% during the two-week period, according to Nielsen. But table wine sales also jumped 47% during the two weeks between Christmas and New Year’s Eve last year, with red table wine outpacing white table wine.

Remember to record your wine or beer or any other type of alcoholic beverage! If you’re picking up a bottle of wine or spirits on your way to a party, jot down the UPC barcode number on the receipt so that you can scan the purchase when you get home.

Have a safe and healthy holiday season!

How are you doing with your holiday shopping? I’ve started to make a dent, but I still have a long way to go. Good thing it’s still early in the month!

I went a little crazy on Cyber Monday – ok, let’s be honest, I’m still going crazy with buying things online. You can’t really beat the convenience!

A lot of people feel the same: According to a report from Adobe Insights, Cyber Monday purchases reached a record $6.59 billion, which is a 16.8% increase from last year. This makes it the largest online shopping day in U.S. history, according to Adobe Insights.

Also, more and more consumers are using their mobile devices to make purchases; according to Adobe Insights, mobile sales on Cyber Monday reached $2 billion for the first time.

From Nov. 1 through Nov. 27, $50 billion has been spent online thus far, which puts online sales on track to reach $100 billion by the end of the year, Adobe reported.

FYI: Adobe Insights measures 80% of online transactions from 100 major U.S. retailers.

I know we recently discussed how to record your online purchases a few weeks ago, but I just wanted to review some things that will help us make better use of the data you provide.

Please note: Panelists should be receiving similar information via email. In case you miss it – or just prefer reading this blog (yeah!), here’s the info.

Multiple Shipments
Sometimes online purchases come in one or multiple shipments and don’t always include a packing receipt.

• Consider printing out your email/order confirmation so you can refer back to it for each item’s price when reporting them.
• If your items do come separately, please scan the purchases as you receive them.

Covered UPC Barcode
If an item arrives with the UPC barcode covered by another label …

• Try carefully peeling off that label and scanning the UPC barcode on the item.
• If the UPC barcode is damaged, manually type the barcode number in to the scanner or the NCPMobile App, depending on what you use.

Online Or “On Line”?
If you buy something from the website of a retailer that also has a storefront …

• Report the trip as an online purchase, and not using the retailer’s “storefront” Store Name. For example, if you order something from Target’s website, select “target.com” when you record the purchase (whether the item was shipped directly to you or you picked it up at the store).

Store Names And Store Type
When recording any shopping trip, be careful to choose the correct Store Name.

• If the name of the store you shopped at is not on your store list, select the appropriate Store Type. For example, if you shopped at a local drug store that is not on your store list, just select the “Drug Stores” store type to record the purchase.

Thank you for your cooperation.

I hope you have a very pleasant shopping experience, whether it be online or “on a line.” Have a great day!