Report: Nielsen to Track Consumer Behavior

Tampa, Fla. Nielsen is venturing beyond its TV ratings business to supermarkets and retail stores to help determine why customers make certain purchasing decisions, according to the Tampa Tribune. Using hidden cameras and sensors, Nielsen will be able to determine whether product displays, free samples and other marketing tools actually influence consumers to buy a certain brand over another.

Wal-Mart, Target, Kmart and Walgreens are among the retailers that have signed on to participate in the project, the report said.