News Archive

Who would have thought vinyl record collections would still be going strong after all these years! I recall many years ago when I moved out of my parents’ home, I took my record collection with me and stored it away, maybe taking some out once in a while for a spin (of course, I had to buy a record player first!). Just looking though my collection brings back so many memories.

Vinyl resurgence

Many factors play a role in the resurgence of vinyl records. According to stagemusiccenter.com, vinyl records are a great way for people to connect to the past. They bring back feelings of nostalgia, and also provide a unique listening experience unmatched by digital music. Another reason for the resurgence of vinyl records is the high-quality sound they produce. Vinyl records can also be seen as a way to slow down and appreciate music.

We all know vinyl records are collector’s items, particularly the rare or limited-edition ones. The revival of vinyl has also led to a renewed interest in independent record stores. They offer a wide selection and unique atmosphere where you can browse through stacks of records and maybe find that one special album you’ve been searching for.

Vinyl records and CDs

According to Popular Science magazine, after decades of being a music lover’s “go-to”, the popularity of the vinyl record was taken over by the CD back in 1987. For the next 35 years CDs were the preferred method of listening to music, mainly due to their convenience, portability, and durability. It was easy to keep CDs in good shape and easy to travel with them. As vinyl record owners know, it’s not easy keeping an album in “perfect” condition.

Vinyl record sales

According to theverge.com, a report from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) indicated that 43 million vinyl records were sold last year! That’s 6 million more than the number of CDs sold in 2023. This marks the second time since 1987 that this has happened, and reflects the steady 17-year-running growth of vinyl sales.

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NCP Blog: Spotlight on Panel Members in Arkansas

NCP panel members represent consumers all across the country by sharing their shopping experiences and opinions. If you’re not a panel member and you’re interested in joining NCP to share your shopping experiences, earn great rewards, and influence what you see on store shelves, click here or go to the Join NCP section of the blog!

Arkansas was admitted to the Union on June 15, 1836, as the 25th state. The state capital is Little Rock, which is also the state’s largest city.

According to the 2020 US Census Bureau, the estimated population of Arkansas is just over three million people. It’s the 34th most populous state in the country, and the 29th largest state by land area.

Official Arkansas State Symbols

Every state has their own unique symbols, from birds to flowers to songs and more! Here are some of Arkansas’ official state symbols:

– Bird: Mockingbird
– Flower: Apple Blossom
– Insect: Honeybee
– Tree: Pine tree
– Vegetable: South Arkansas vine ripe pink tomato
– Beverage: Milk
– Food: Pecan
– Gemstone: Diamond

Find more information about Arkansas’ state symbols here.

Fun Facts about Arkansas

You can dig for diamonds in Arkansas! The state is home to the only public diamond mine in the country: Crater of Diamonds in Murfreesboro. Park rangers provide digging tips, and you get to keep anything you find.

Mispronouncing the state’s name is actually illegal, though there’s no penalty for saying it incorrectly. It’s pronounced Ar-kan-saw, even though it looks like “Kansas.”

Arkansas is home to several famous businesses. Walmart was founded in Rogers in 1962. The world’s largest poultry producer, Tyson Foods, is headquartered in Springdale.

According to CoolKidFacts, the world’s first cheese dip was invented in Hot Springs, Arkansas, in 1935. The World Cheese Dip Championship is held annually in Little Rock.

Famous people from Arkansas include Johnny Cash, the author John Grisham, Bill Clinton, and Maya Angelou.

NCP Panel Members in Arkansas

Want to learn more about your fellow panel members in another state? Here’s how our Arkansas panel members answered some of our survey questions!

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NCP In The Know: Favorite Pastimes

The results are in regarding panel members’ favorite pastimes! From reading and music to puzzles and word games, our survey revealed your top hobbies, interests, and games. Get ready to be inspired and discover what makes our NCP community so dynamic!

Top Interests of Panel Members

According to our survey results, these are the top five interests of panel members who responded:

Music
Food and drink
Books
Shopping
Entertainment

Hobbies

Do you have any hobbies? We asked panel members what their favorite hobbies are, and these are the top results:

Reading
Music
Traveling
Games
Crafts

Favorite Games

And finally, we wanted to know what types of games our panel members enjoy! The top five games for our respondents are:

Puzzles
Cards
Word games
Board games
Trivia

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NCP Blog: Spotlight on Panel Members in Arizona

Up next in our new series on the NCP Blog, Spotlight on States, is Arizona!

Arizona was admitted to the Union on February 14, 1912 as the 48th state. Phoenix is the state capital and the state’s largest city. Arizona is bordered by the states of Nevada, Utah, New Mexico, and California.

According to the US Census Bureau, the estimated population of Arizona is 7,431,344 (2023 est.), making it the 14th most populous state.

Official Arizona State Facts and Symbols

– Nickname: The Grand Canyon State
– State Bird: Cactus Wren
– State Flower: Saguaro cactus blossom
– State Tree: Palo Verde
– State Song: The Arizona March Song
– State Motto: “Ditat Deus” (God Enriches)

You can find more information about Arizona’s state symbols/facts here.

Fun Facts about Arizona

Let’s take a look at some fun facts about Arizona that you may not know from The Fact Site:

– Arizona was a part of Mexico before it was a US state

– One of the best-preserved meteorite craters is in Arizona, the Barringer Meteor crater (known as the “Meteor Crater”) is one of the best-kept of such sites in the world.

– Arizona doesn’t observe daylight savings time.

– The Saguaro cactus is native to the Sonoran desert, Arizona, and can grow to 40 feet tall! Arizona state law protects the Saguaro and harming them in any manner is illegal.

– Arizona’s climate tends towards the extremes. The city of Phoenix, Arizona, holds the record for the most days in a year over 100 degrees Fahrenheit.

NCP Panel Members in Arizona

Let’s learn about your fellow panel members in Arizona! Here’s how our Arizona panel members answered some of our state highlight survey questions.

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NCP Blog: The Flowers of Spring

(Originally posted by the Food Institute)

Plant-based milk brands largely stole the spotlight at the recent Specialty Coffee Expo, organized by the Specialty Coffee Association.

It’s no longer just vegan and vegetarian coffee drinkers who seek plant-based options, with 44% household penetration for plant-based milks in the U.S., according to 2023 National Consumer Panel (powered by Circana) data. Plant-based options are growing in coffee shops for health and sustainability reasons.

Dairy alternatives are benefiting from a growing awareness that a large proportion of the U.S. population suffers from lactose intolerance – about 30 to 50 million Americans are believed to be lactose intolerant. In addition to the familiar oat and almond milks, exhibitors in Chicago offered plant-based milks made with bananas, chickpeas, coconut, macadamias, and pistachios.

Read the full article…

On Thursday, April 18th, a selection employees of National Consumer Panel attended the “Best Companies to Work for in New York” awards ceremony in Albany New York.

Already honored to be a recipient of the award ten years in a row, the team was equally excited to discover this year NCP placed eighth out of 33 small companies — our best ranking yet.

“It’s a testament to our team’s dedication to our clients, panel members and one another that we’ve been acknowledged these last ten years,” said National Consumer Panel COO John Toomey, “But now to reach the top ten is truly a double honor. Congratulations to everyone. Here’s to the next ten!”

About Best Companies to Work for in New York State

The annual list of the 2024 Best Companies to Work for in New York was created by the New York State Society for Human Resource Management (NYS-SHRM) and Best Companies Group.

This statewide survey and awards program is a research-driven program from Best Companies Group designed to identify, recognize and honor the best places of employment in New York, benefiting the state’s economy, its workforce and businesses. The assessment process examines company practices, programs and benefits and also surveys employees for their perspective. Businesses that meet certain criteria are then considered the Best Companies to Work for in New York.

An organization must meet the following requirements to be considered for participation:

· Be a publicly or privately held business

· Be a for-profit, not-for-profit business or government entity

· Have a facility in the state of New York

· Have a minimum of 15 full-time or part-time employees working in New York

· Must be in business a minimum of one year

Best Companies Group is an independent firm that manages Best Places to Work programs on state, regional and national levels around the world. It conducted the survey, and then evaluated the results and determined the best places of employment in the Empire State. The 2023 Best Companies to Work for in New York list is made up of 90 companies.

For more information on the Best Companies to Work for in New York State program and to register to attend the awards dinner, please visit
www.BestCompaniesNY.com.

About National Consumer Panel

The National Consumer Panel is an operational joint venture between the two leading longitudinal consumer insights providers in North America – Circana and NielsenIQ. NCP’s panel – comprised of U.S. consumers carefully selected across a multitude of key demographics – provides the highest actionable consumer data available to support the needs of both Circana and NielsenIQ.

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NCP Blog: The Flowers of Spring

There are so many beautiful flowers blooming now! It’s uplifting to see all the varieties and colors to remind us that warmer weather is on the way.

Our office building has a nice atrium area where tulips bloom at this time every year. It’s so pretty, I took a picture to show you!

Tulips

Spring Gardens

According to realsimple.com, for most gardens, a mix of perennials and annuals is usually the best in terms of cost, as well as time and effort. So what’s the difference between annuals and perennials? Annuals die off when temperatures get too cold, which requires you to plant new ones the following spring. Perennials will come back and regrow year after year.

I’m not very good at gardening, but I do love to stroll around gardens and arboretums and look at (and photograph) all the beautiful plants, trees, and flowers. It’s a peaceful escape for me. Are there any arboretums or gardens in your area that you like to visit? Do you have a garden at home? If so, please leave a comment for me, I would love to hear from you.

Spring Flowers

Let’s take a look at some of the more popular spring flowers from pioneerwoman.com. Each with their own unique colors and features.

Tulips – A classic spring flower, it’s ideal to plant them in the fall so they’re ready for spring. Tulips come in many colors and shapes.

Daffodils – Cheerful yellow flowers that are a sure sign spring has arrived. They require very little care. Plant them in the fall in a spot that gets lots of sun exposure.

Grape Hyacinth – A tiny-but-mighty little bulb, produces charming purple or white flowers every year.

Crocus – Have cup-shaped, colorful blooms, some of the first to appear in spring.

Lily of the Valley – An old-fashioned perennial, its tiny white bells dangle on long stems and have a sweet scent in mid-spring.

Iris – Comes in many different forms and colors, they have sword-like foliage and dramatic-looking flowers.

Forsythia – Brilliant yellow flower that is a low-maintenance and fast-growing shrub. It starts blooming in early spring, but is best planted in the fall in full sun.

Azalea – One of the most popular flowering shrubs. These trumpet-shaped flowers can be found in lavender, white, salmon, and red.

Lilacs – Cone-shaped clusters of four-petalled flowers. These fragrant blooms will likely bring bees to your yard in springtime.

Snowdrop – Small, bell-shaped, fragrant flowers with white outer petals and green tips. One of the first to bloom in the spring, often blooming when there’s still snow on the ground.

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NCP Blog: Celebrate Earth Day with Reusable Products

(Originally posted by Animals 24-7)

Both dairy & almonds are big water users. One California industry or the other has to go.

The California watershed may not be big enough for its two most profitable farm commodities, cow’s milk and almond milk.

Already engaged in a shootout for consumer preference on grocery store shelves, either the dairy industry or the almond industry may bite the dust, at least in California, if other agricultural production and the Sacramento River salmon runs are to survive.

Cows with guns

Dairy farmers and almond growers are not yet literally facing off with loaded six-shooters in the legislative corridors of Sacramento, the California state capital, but––heading toward another in a long series of dry summers occasioned by global warming––a showdown may be just ahead as state agencies and government are forced into hard choices they would prefer not to make.

Both the California dairy and almond industries are already gigantic and getting larger.

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Earth Day is next week on April 22!

On April 22, 1970, an estimated 20 million Americans took to the streets and parks to demonstrate for a healthy, sustainable environment in massive coast-to-coast rallies. Since that first Earth Day, the celebration has evolved into the largest civic event in the world as billions of people work to protect our planet.

The theme for this year’s Earth Day is Planet vs. Plastics. According to earthday.org, their goal is to phase out single-use plastic items and to encourage a 60% reduction in all plastic products by 2040. So, today I want to share with you some ideas for reducing single-use plastics in our daily lives by investing in their reusable counterparts.

Easy reusable product swaps

Have you ever thought about all the items you use on a daily basis, and where they end up? So much of what we buy ends up in landfills, such as plastic packaging used on products to food waste and more. There are lots of options for replacing disposable items with reusable options! Here are a few I’ve incorporated in my household.

Water Bottles: Instead of buying bottled water, I have several reusable water bottles on hand at home. Many places now offer water bottle filling stations, so you can refill your bottle. Many convenience stores will now let you refill your own cup or bottle with soda from their fountain machines instead of using their plastic or styrofoam cups.

Shopping bags: Reusable shopping bags have been popular for quite some time, and many cities have started banning plastic bags at stores. It can be hard to get in the habit of keeping bags in your car- and putting them back in the car after unloading groceries in your house! But, once you get used to it, it’s a great way to cut down on your use of plastic bags.

Produce bags: You can also buy reusable produce bags to carry in the grocery store, replacing the plastic bags used for bagging individual fruits and vegetables!

Straws: Reusable straws are another popular item to help reduce plastic waste. You can find them made of metal, silicone, glass, and other materials. Plus, there are many types of folding reusable straws that are easy to keep in your car, purse, or pocket. Just remember to clean them after you use them!

Paper towels or napkins: My household goes through so many paper towels, and I’m hoping to switch to reusable towels this year. It’s as simple as purchasing a package of cleaning cloths and using those instead of reaching for the paper towels. They can easily be washed and reused many times. I’ve already stopped buying paper napkins for regular daily use, and instead we use cloth napkins.

Sandwich and other plastic bags: Plastic bags are great for packing lunches, separating snacks, and storing small items. But, they can add up to a lot of plastic waste. Reusable silicone bags are a great option to replace disposable bags. They’re easy to wash, last a long time, and you can find them in almost any size.

Looking for more ideas? You can find a list of 36 reusable versions of household items in this article from Reader’s Digest.

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NCP Blog: Spotlight on Panel Members in Alabama

Welcome to a new series on the NCP Blog, our Spotlight on States! Each month, we’ll share a new post about one of the 48 states where National Consumer Panel has members.

Let’s kick off this series with Alabama!

Alabama was admitted to the Union on Dec. 14, 1819, as the 22^nd state. Montgomery has been the state capital since 1847. Alabama is bordered by Tennessee, Georgia, Mississippi, and Florida, along with the Gulf of Mexico in the southwestern corner.

According to the 2020 US Census Bureau, the estimated population of Alabama is 5,024,279, making it the 24^th most populous state.

Official Alabama State Symbols

Every state has their own unique symbols, from birds to flowers to songs and more! Here are some of Alabama’s official state symbols:

– Bird: Yellowhammer
– Flower: Camellia
– Insect: Monarch Butterfly
– Vegetable: Sweet Potato
– Fruit: Blackberry
– Tree: Southern Longleaf Pine
– Reptile: Alabama Red-Bellied Turtle
– Mammal: Black Bear

Find more information about Alabama’s state symbols here.

Fun Facts about Alabama

Huntsville, the largest city in the state, is known as the rocket capital of the world and is nicknamed “Rocket City.” It is home to NASA’s George C. Marshall Space Flight Center. The Apollo 11 rocket that launched astronauts to the moon was made in Alabama.

The world’s first electric trolley system was introduced in 1886 in Montgomery.

The first operational windshield wipers were invented in Alabama! Mary Anderson is credited with inventing them in 1903, according to The Fact Site.

According to CoolKidFacts, Alabama is the second-largest producer of peanuts in the United States with more than 900 farms. Around 400 million pounds of peanuts are farmed each year.

Famous people from Alabama include Nat “King” Cole, Henry Louis “Hank” Aaron, Helen Keller, Rosa Parks, and the actor Channing Tatum.

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NCP Blog: The Wonderful World of Toys