Following is a selection of recent news articles that referenced information from The NPD Group or NPD expert commentary.

NPD Fashionworld

Edging Toward Style: Put on the shelf by rivals, Wal-Mart tries out trends with familiar items
The Washington Post* (August 13, 2005)
"This is the trend that keeps on giving," said Marshal Cohen, the chief analyst at market research NPD Group. NPD has found that a typical appliance consumer would rather buy five or six hip-looking blenders for $19.99 over the next 10 years than a single sturdy one for $89. "Sure, they know they are getting one that may break down in a few years," Cohen said, "but they will be able to keep getting the latest."

NPD Funworld

The Positive Side of Video Games
The Baltimore Sun* (September 11, 2005)
Anita Frazier, who monitors video games for the NPD Group, says "Dance Dance Revolution" "opened up the industry's minds in terms of the kinds of games that could find an audience." But to succeed, the game has to be fun, she says.

NPD Houseworld

Maytag's Blues
Time Magazine (August 7, 2005)
"People will pay for products they understand the benefits to," says Peter Greene, an analyst with the NPD Group. The most successful new products are "consumer driven, not engineering driven," he says.

NPD Techworld

Will Flash Bring Cash for Gateway?
BusinessWeek Online (August 15, 2005)
To grow, Gateway will have to steal share from HP, which has been entrenched in retail chains longer. "They've got big obstacles in their way," says Stephen Baker of the NPD Group. "I don't know that anything has been missing, [but] you just can't take over the world in one day."

Prepaid Cell Phone Plans
The New York Times* (August 11, 2005)
"They're for people who feel burned by contracts or service plans in the past and want predictable, controllable wireless service," said Clint Wheelock, vice president for wireless research at the NPD Group.

*Source where story originated