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Tuesday, March 29, 2011

New Research Study:Trends in U.S. Hospital, Nursing Home and Residential Facility Foodservice

Healthy 50+ Americans: Trends and Opportunities in the Emerging Wellness Market

New Research Study:Trends in U.S. Hospital, Nursing Home and Residential Facility Foodservice


Reaching $34 billion last year, the future of hospital & nursing and residential care foodservice is bright. This marketplace is awash with change and innovation, as foodservice operators struggle to make sense of government healthcare spending while meeting personal patient food and flavor expectations.

If you are a foodservice operator in the healthcare industry, the revealing, expert analyses in this report will help you articulate better business and marketing plans going forward.
The market study will help you:

  • Leverage new marketing opportunities in women’s nutrition and tailored foodservice programs around family caregivers.

  • Learn the market value of “meal opportunity” for inpatient and outpatient hospital, assisted living, and hospital employee settings.

  • Analyze the win-win proposition for hospital foodservice with a restaurant brand that forcefully plays the health card.

  • Asses “primary” with positive momentum: Room service and individualized patient care; customer service; wellness and nutrition; variety and culinary exploration; sustainability and green initiatives; and the need for speed.

A special feature of this report is Packaged Facts' own exclusive proprietary data.


This Packaged Facts report maps key trends and policies shaping sales growth and potential, and provide in-depth profiles of hospital foodservice programs and hospital and nursing home foodservice contractors.

More information:
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Market Research: Hispanic Food and Beverages in the U.S.: Market and Consumer Trends in Latino Cuisine

Healthy 50+ Americans: Trends and Opportunities in the Emerging Wellness Market

Market Research: Hispanic Food and Beverages in the U.S.: Market and Consumer Trends in Latino Cuisine

With Hispanic foods and beverages achieving such prominence, it’s no wonder Packaged Facts analyses finds the market will aggressively grow to more than $9 billion in 2014.

If you are a food marketer, this market study will help you take your business to the next level of success with a thorough analysis of the latest trends and opportunities in the Hispanic food and beverage market.

This insightful market study will help you:

  • Develop targeted marketing promotions, personalized to the growing tastes for Hispanic foods and beverages

  • Benchmark your top competitors and their retail and foodservice initiatives

  • Explore demand based on eight product categories driving growth

  • Understand the dynamics of the market and identify possible partnerships

  • Embrace key trends such as the new 'foodie' and the mixing health aspects of Hispanic cuisine

  • Decipher the inner-workings of the Hispanic foods and beverages consumer

  • Learn which retail outlets are gaining market share and how you can incorporate

In addition to covering packaged products sold through retail, Hispanic Food and Beverages in the U.S.: Market and Consumer Trends in Latino Cuisine includes qualitative and quantitative information on foodservice sales through channels such as fast-food outlets, sit-down restaurants, mobile units, etc.

More information:
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What will be the next “big bang” in the U.S. pet market, and what can marketers and retailers do now to help expedite this all-important future sales driver?

Healthy 50+ Americans: Trends and Opportunities in the Emerging Wellness Market

What will be the next “big bang” in the U.S. pet market, and what can marketers and retailers do now to help expedite this all-important future sales driver?


This and other key questions are answered in U.S. Pet Market Outlook 2011-2012, a new report from Packaged Facts’ senior pet market analyst David Lummis. Pet Market Outlook 2011-2012 features exclusive late-breaking national pet owner survey data collected by Packaged Facts and fresh insight Lummis gathered from this month’s Global Pet Expo 2011 – where he was a featured speaker – to gauge current and future consumer attitudes on numerous topics. 

Now in its 3rd edition, Pet Market Outlook is the go-to source for an overview of U.S. pet industry trends and forecasts across all of the four core categories:  veterinary services, pet food, non-food pet supplies, and non-medical pet services (grooming, boarding, training, etc.). 

More information:
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Monday, March 28, 2011

Influencing the Hungry Consumer - Mid Stride: Using Social Media to Gain Mindshare and Revenue

Influencing the Hungry Consumer - Mid Stride: Using Social Media to Gain Mindshare and Revenue

 

The convergence of social media, mobile devices and consumer lifestyles is ushering in a new era of restaurant-consumer interaction, opening new doors for restaurant operators to build customer relationships and sales opportunities, according to Packaged Facts' Social Media and Technology in the U.S. Foodservice Industry: Trends and Opportunities for an Emerging Market.
Tethered by the Internet, restaurant operators are increasingly interacting with restaurant consumers in real-time—at work, at home or in mid stride. This provides significant opportunity to shape consumer food choices not only as they are being made, but also in proximity to a restaurant seeking that consumer's business.

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Friday, March 25, 2011

Extreme flavors becoming mainstream, says new report

Food Navigator: By Caroline Scott-Thomas, 25-Mar-2011

Extreme and edgy’ flavors are increasingly moving into the mainstream, according to a new trend report from the Center for Culinary Development (CCD) and market research organization Packaged Facts.
This new report, “Extreme & Edgy Flavors: Culinary Trend Mapping Report”, claims that Americans are always interested in new flavors as long as they are not “too far out”, and will pay attention to edgy flavor combinations as long as they taste as good as they sound interesting.

CEO of CCD Kimberly Egan said: “Consumers around the globe are thrilling to new, bigger, bolder flavors and unique flavor combinations. Our palates are being pushed in all kinds of sweet, salty, sour and bitter directions, while new flavors tempt us from the edge of the culinary ingredient spectrum.”

CCD’s collaborative reports with Packaged Facts are based on trend mapping, which it says is guided by the premise that new flavor trends often go through five distinct phases on their way to becoming mainstream.
New trends tend to emerge at upmarket dining establishments, it says, passing into specialist consumer food magazines and television programs, before being picked up by mainstream chain restaurants, then begin to appear in family-oriented consumer magazines, and finally appear in grocery stores and/or quick service restaurants.

This latest report highlights flavors and ingredients at each stage in this process, including sea buckthorn berries, with which chefs at fine dining restaurants are beginning to experiment. The Japanese citrus fruit yuzu is starting to appear on cocktail menus and in specialty food magazines, the CCD report said, while tamarind, a flavoring component of Worcestershire sauce and a common ingredient in Latin, Southeast Asian and Indian foods, is now finding its way into chain restaurants in the United States.
 
Further toward full mainstream status is the combination of rich chocolate and spicy chili, which has been picked up in both sweet and savory recipes in popular women’s magazines. The report said that wasabi is an extreme flavor that has migrated entirely into the mainstream, and can now be found in a wide range of dishes, including mashed potatoes, hummus, aioli, dressings and chocolate.

Introducing CCD’s new report, Egan wrote: “How food manufacturers and restaurant operators apply these flavors in product development depends on the target audience, of course. Young men are in it for a big kick, women for a possible health benefit on the side, Latinos and Asian for familiar flavors in new places and everyone for the rounder, more balanced flavors all of these trends offer.”
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In the post recesssion era, where financial services providers are doing their best to retain current clients while seeking lucrative potential clients, Healthy 50+ Consumers have become a top priortiy.

Healthy 50+ Americans: Trends and Opportunities in the Emerging Wellness Market

New Research Study: Healthy 50+ Americans: Trends and Opportunities in the Emerging Wellness Market

In the post recesssion era, where financial services providers are doing their best to retain current clients while seeking lucrative potential clients, Healthy 50+ Consumers have become a top priortiy.

Nest EggAs a result of their level of educational achievement and higher professional and managerial employment rate, Healthy 50+ Consumers have higher incomes. And when compared to their peers in the same age group, Healthy 50+ Consumers are more likely to have a household income of $100,000 or more.

Financial providers will benefit from the analysis and insight inside this brand-new research study. In addition to taking advantage of the latest trends and opportunities in the Healthy 50+ cohort, you will:

  • Uncover the financial management habits and attitudes of Healthy 50+ Americans, including their perceptions on financial security, economic outlook and their preferences for credit cards, life insurance, stock trading and tax preparation.

  • Craft business plans with our aggregate household income forecast through 2015.

  • Understand the attitudes of Healthy 50+ Americans regarding education, eating habits, core values and leisure and entertainment choices.

  • Gain insight into the economic profile of Healthy 50+ Americans and why this cohort will be your best bet for expansion in the five years ahead.

More information:
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MediaPost Publications Extreme Flavors Getting More Extreme 03/25/2011

Yuzu-Ranger
Extreme Flavors Getting More Extreme by Karlene Lukovitz


Like a sprig of Douglas fir in that martini? How about a sea buckthorn berry tart?

As a Wall Street Journal article declared last year, American cuisine is "adrenaline cuisine." Increasingly, that means getting sensory thrills through "extreme and edgy" tastes that push the limits of hot, sweet, salty, sour and bitter, confirms a new Center for Culinary Development (CCD) culinary trend report, published by Packaged Facts.

And yes, while you're not likely to be seeing them in your frozen entrée or dessert sections in the near future, the Douglas evergreen and sea buckthorn -- a "superfruit" berry native to Asia and Europe -- are the latest extreme flavors establishing a foothold in North American cuisine, according to CCD.

Adventurous chefs and mixologists have been using the aromatic Douglas in meat dishes, sauces, drinks and desserts for a few years, and home chefs are now picking it up at farmers' markets -- part of a trend termed "foraging" or "wildcrafting," reports CCD.

The bright orange, intensely tangy sea buckthorn, meanwhile (acai is so 2010), is already hot in Canada, as it's being cultivated in Quebec and Saskatchewan. In addition to being served as a dessert, chefs use it as a substitute for common citrus fruits in foods such as sorbet and curd.

Other extreme or edgy foods/tastes making their way through the five trend stages described by CCD (Douglas and sea buckthorn are at the earliest, or first stage):
  • Yuzu: an exotic Japanese citrus fruit with a simultaneously floral and tart flavor that's now being seen not only in fine dining restaurants but in specialty food markets, in products including soft drinks, sauces, condiments, savory snacks, confections and frozen desserts.
  • Bitter brews: Italian amari spirits are trendy as pre- and post-dinner drinks, cocktail bitters are big in retro drinks, and craft-brewed "hoppy" India Pale Ales are increasingly popular. (Example of the last: New Belgium's quickly growing Ranger IPA label.) Like yuzu, CCD puts bitter brews at the stage two trend level.
  • Tamarind: A key ingredient in Pad Thai, and now increasingly found in many specialty retail foods and pan-Asian and pan-Latin chain restaurants (putting it at stage 3).
  • Chocolate and chile: This hot-and-sweet combo sensation is well along the trend curve (stage four), and already appearing in recipes in popular women's magazines. That makes it ripe for inclusion in packaged baked goods, mainstream drink mixes and confections, and in-store bakery offerings, says CCD.
  • Wasabi: This hot, horseradish-like plant is already more or less mainstream (stage five). It's become a common ingredient in mashed potatoes, hummus, dressings and other dishes, and is also showing up in snacks and comfort foods, according to CCD.

MediaPost Publications Extreme Flavors Getting More Extreme 03/25/2011

Thursday, March 24, 2011

Trends in OTC and veterinary-dispensed pet supplements usage vs. usage of special-purpose nutritional formula pet foods and treats

Healthy 50+ Americans: Trends and Opportunities in the Emerging Wellness Market

Pet Supplements and Nutraceutical Treats

Trends in OTC and veterinary-dispensed pet supplements usage vs. usage of special-purpose nutritional formula pet foods and treats are featured in Packaged Facts' latest pet market study. Based on proprietary survey data, the report breaks the market into two categories—supplements and nutraceutical treats—with a primary focus on products for dogs, cats and horses.

Exclusive Insights Include:

New Product Trends - Spot emerging opportunities and understand the underlying market forces impacting the pet supplement and nutraceutical treat market today.

Competitive Trends - Benchmark your competitors with a detailed look at the companies making a mark on the industry.

Market Forecast - Leverage our comprehensive sales coverage to strengthen your position and identify area for growth.

Consumer Trends - Position your product to match the shopping patterns of your targeted clients. Using proprietary survey data from Packaged Facts’ fall 2010 pet owner survey, we charted the OTC usage trends and veterinary-dispensed pet supplements.

More information:
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Wednesday, March 23, 2011

Pet Food in the U.S., 9th Edition

Healthy 50+ Americans: Trends and Opportunities in the Emerging Wellness Market

New Research Study:

Pet Food in the U.S., 9th Edition

Covering cross-market trends and opportunities through 2015, Packaged Facts explores the key elements driving the pet food market including the impact of recession; private-label inroads; advertising and promotional trends; the natural and organic food movement; grain-free/non-allergenic foods; and novel ingredients such as glucosamine, omega fatty acids, antioxidants and probiotics.

With this market study you will:

  • Discover the key marketing trends vital to the pet food industry

  • Realize how recent mergers and acquisitions in the market will affect you

  • Learn how to take advantage of the highest-growth product segments

  • Leverage our in-depth coverage of product trends that will see momentum in 2011 and beyond

  • Uncover the cross-channel shopping habits and cross-product purchasing behavior of the pet food purchaser

  • Utilize our consumer brand preferences analysese to pinpoint retail trends for strategic decisions

A special feature of the report uses exclusive proprietary data from Packaged Facts’ own consumer survey.

More information:
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As boomers turn 50 and enter their 60s, they are carrying with them a firm belief that getting older means getting better and they are making health and wellness a top priority.

Healthy 50+ Americans: Trends and Opportunities in the Emerging Wellness Market

New Research Study: Healthy 50+ Americans: Trends and Opportunities in the Emerging Wellness Market

As boomers turn 50 and enter their 60s, they are carrying with them a firm belief that getting older means getting better and they are making health and wellness a top priority.

Today, large food companies are exercising strategic focus on boomers by introducing foods that enhance their health and vitality. Beverage companies are following suit with new juice and dairy- and yogurt-type drinks that enhance immune function.

Why such focus on this cohort? Besides the growing population size and large bank accounts, Packaged Facts' exclusive survey data reveals that healthy consumers 50+ are far more likely to reach into their wallets to pay extra for "better-for you" grocery products when compared to their peers in the same age group.

Food and beverage marketers will benefit from the analyzes and insight inside this brand-new research study. In addition to taking advantage of the latest trends and opportunities in the emerging wellness market you will:

  • Uncover the eating habits and attitudes of healthy 50+ Americans toward calorie counts, food and beverage choices, and managing nutrition.

  • Learn what this cohort is doing to stay healthy, hint: they prefer alternative and homeopathic medicine.

  • Craft business plans with our buying power forecast through 2015.

  • Understand the healthy 50+ American with our detailed analysis including education, finances, core values and leisure and entertainment choices.

  • Discover how this demographic will have the biggest impact on your bottom line in the five years ahead.

More information:
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Friday, March 18, 2011

60 Is The New 50! Health and Wellness #1 Priority for Americans 50+

60 Is The New 50! Health and Wellness #1  Priority for Americans 50+
The saying 'age is nothing but a number' is more true today than ever, especially among the Baby Boomer generation.  As boomers turn 50 and enter their 60s, they are carrying with them a firm belief that getting older means getting better. Many look at aging simply as another life stage filled with opportunities for reinventing themselves and experiencing new possibilities for personal growth, rather than as a signal to wind down their lives.
Changes in thinking about what it means to get old have occurred alongside a rising commitment by consumers of all ages to improve their health and pursue wellness . A February 2011 Online Consumer Survey compiled by market research firm Packaged Facts confirms the ongoing shifts in perceptions of aging on the part of 50+ consumers. Nearly 68% of 50+ consumers who are concerned with wellness have stretched their definitions of aging stating “60 is the new 50 and 70 is the new 60,”, compared to 58% of the 50+ age group as a whole.
Those pursuing wellness after 50 place a high monetary value on their personal health. They are much more likely than others their age to be willing to pay anything when it concerns their health. For marketers, this is a key element to future business initiative. According to Packaged Facts' study, Healthy 50+ Americans, healthy baby boomers are part of a major demographic trend. Between 2010 and 2015 the population of the 50+ age group as a whole is expected to grow by 11.3%, while the number of Americans younger than 50 will increase by only 2%. Translation: The 50+ age segment will account for the vast majority (73%) of population growth in the next five years.
Wellness concerns have the greatest impact on food choices of 50+ Consumers. According to Packaged Facts' survey data , more than 77% of consumers 50 and over  who claim that their daily routine is significantly affected by wellness goals  also agree that the foods they eat are determined in part by these same goals. Compared to other consumers, healthy 50+ consumers are far more likely to try to eat healthier foods (80% vs. 66%) and to limit their snacking to healthy foods. For 64% of 50+consumers living in the wellness zone the nutritional value of the food they eat is most important, compared to only 49% of other 50+ consumers.

Tuesday, March 15, 2011

QSR Magazine: What Happened to Table Service?

What Happened to Table Service?

The recession served casual-dining chains some serious blows. But quick serves and fast casuals shouldn’t get too confident. 
Table service restaurants are struggling as they balance price and menu options.

In many cases, it’s a different consumer out there today deciding where to dine when the urge hits. Throughout the recession, full-service restaurants offered so many fire-sale bargains that those little affected by the economy could almost feel guilty for practically stealing meals when they would have just as willingly paid regular price.

The meal deals that spelled survival for sit-down restaurants were like Black Friday to consumers, says David Morris, author of the report Dinner Trends in the U.S. Foodservice Market for Packaged Facts. The upshot was giddy guests (higher guest traffic) with lower guest checks. Great for the consumer, but depressing for operators who are now trying to unwind themselves from the spiral.
[CONT.]

“Going Green” Pushes the Market for Infant, Toddler and Preschool Clothing

“Going Green” Pushes the Market for Infant, Toddler and Preschool Clothing Past $18 Billion

New York, March 10, 2011 — Marketers across the consumer product spectrum have “gone green” to boost sales in the face of the recent economic downturn. For producers of clothing and footwear made for the youngest consumer, this ranks among several viable competitive tactics, according to Infant, Toddler and Preschool Clothing Market in the U.S., 3rd Edition by market research publisher Packaged Facts.

Infant, toddler and preschool (ITP) clothing/footwear is an evergreen market because the pool of newborns (and parents or grandparents eager to pamper them) is constantly renewed. Even so the market is mature, in that for decades the number of newborns has hovered around 4.0 million annually. Nonetheless, innovative marketing and design spurred retail sales of infant-to-preschool clothing and shoes to $18.4 billion in 2010 -- a figure projected to exceed $23.0 billion in 2015.

“While it seems almost trite at this point to say that ‘green’ or ‘sustainable’ products will fuel growth for a product, in the case of clothing for babies and young children, that is very significantly the case,” observes Don Montuori, Publisher of Packaged Facts. “Indeed, such products are on the verge of becoming mainstream – witness organic or recycled clothing being produced by national brands and sold by mass–merchandisers, including Walmart.”

Clothing and footwear made from fabrics of natural or organic fibers constitute a fast–growing but difficult–to–monitor niche populated by hundreds of small–scale marketers selling limited assortments of products for small-scale people. However, the niche is rapidly growing up to become a market of its own. Major ITP clothing/footwear marketers have already begun to invest more heavily in these products, thereby calling even more attention to them and further expanding consumer options, as evidenced by Faded Glory–branded organic ITP clothing sold through Walmart; Patagonia–branded ITP outerwear incorporating layers of synthetic fabrics made from recycled materials; Crocs clogs made from recycled plastic; and Summer Infant organic cotton swaddling clothes available at Babies “R” Us.

Infant, Toddler and Preschool Clothing Market in the U.S., 3rd Edition, charts the birth, societal, marketing, and licensing trends that drive sales in the mega–market for ITP clothing/footwear. The report analyzes not only the character of the ITP clothing/footwear business itself, but also the competitive personalities of players such as Brown Shoe, Carter’s, Disney, Hanesbrands, The Jones Group, and Sun Capital/Gerber Childrenswear. Experian Simmons demographic data are examined in depth. For further information, please visit: http://www.packagedfacts.com/Infant-Toddler-Preschool-2848320/.

About Packaged Facts — Packaged Facts, a division of MarketResearch.com, publishes market intelligence on a wide range of consumer market topics, including consumer goods and retailing, foods and beverages, demographics, pet products and services, and financial products. Packaged Facts also offers a full range of custom research services. To learn more, visit: www.packagedfacts.com. Follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter.
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Packaged Facts: “Going Green” Pushes the Market for Infant, Toddler and Preschool Clothing

Pet Food in the U.S., 9th Edition : Packaged Facts

In the post-recession pet food world, acquisitions and capital investments promise to reshape the U.S. pet food market. During 2010, Procter & Gamble/Iams acquired holistic pet food maker Natura, Nestlé Purina bought fast-growth treats maker Waggin’ Train, and Del Monte was snapped up by a group of investors including KKR for the tidy sum of $5.3 billion. As the early 2011 acquisition of Petmate by private equity firm Wind Point Partners makes clear, this keen interest in all things pet is industry-wide, with smaller companies also receiving capital infusions. Breathing additional dynamism into the market are health-related marketing and product development initiatives including a wave of grain-free pet foods, new weight-loss foods and programs from major market forces including Hill’s and Purina, and a flood of additional special diet and condition-specific functional foods and treats that takes the notion of pet pampering to a new level.

Pet Food in the U.S., 9th Edition : Packaged Facts

The Cold Standard


By Jennifer Strailey
The frozen case offers a host of hot trends in natural and organic foods.

One of last year's hottest food and beverage trends came out of the supermarket freezer case, and, given the current economic outlook and consumer shopping habits, industry analysts believe this cold front has moved in for the long stretch.
U.S. retail sales of frozen foods and beverages through all retail channels totaled $55.9 billion in 2010, up 1.7 percent from the previous year, according to Packaged Facts, a division of MarketResearch.com, in its recently released report, "Frozen Foods in the U.S., 3rd Edition" (January 2011). The consumer market research firm, based in Rockville, Md., expects that number to reach $70 billion in 2015.
There's no question that frozen food sales have been driven in part by the economy, which has seen a decline in Americans dining out in favor of eating at home. Frozen foods provide a more affordable alternative to eating out, while at the same time satisfying consumers' eternal craving for convenience. But more recently, manufacturers have introduced a slew of natural, organic and wellness-oriented frozen food and beverage products that has brought attention — and health cred — to the category like never before.

Friday, March 11, 2011

Report: Pet Food Ad Spend Set to Increase

by Tanya Irwin, Yesterday, 2:04 PM | Marketing Daily

Acquisitions and capital investments are reshaping the pet food market, according to market research publisher Packaged Facts.

It's likely to result in increased advertising in 2010 and 2011, as was the case in 2009, when pet food and pet care advertising surged 22% (the 2010 numbers are not yet in), according to David Lummis, senior pet market analyst for Packaged Facts.
 
"Despite consolidation and changing ownership of brands, the number of key brands should remain essentially the same," Lummis tells Marketing Daily. "And under new owners, brands like Natura will likely receive additional marketing support as they are further developed and expanded."
 
Under Procter & Gamble, Natura announced on Feb. 28 that it is expanding its pet specialty channel distribution of Innova-branded products from independents to regional and national pet specialty chain stores, which implies a much higher level of marketing support for the brand, Lummis says.
 
During 2010, Procter & Gamble/Iams acquired holistic pet food maker Natura, Nestlé Purina bought fast-growth treats maker Waggin' Train, and Del Monte was snapped up for $5.3 billion by a group of investors including KKR. Already this year, Wind Point Partners acquired Petmate, which has expanded from pet carriers to a wide-ranging line of pet accessories.
 
"More broadly speaking, brand differentiation is more important than ever in today's pet food market, because products are becoming more sophisticated in terms of ingredients and health claims, such that more information is needed to communicate their benefits vis a vis lower-priced competitor brands," Lummis says.
 
According to Packaged Facts' "Pet Food in the U.S., 9th Edition," retail sales of pet food reached $18.4 billion in 2010, up 2.8% over 2009 levels. While this rate represented a slowing of category growth (the first time since the turn of the century that sales didn't grow by 3% or more annually), it also signaled the pet food market's relative strength in the face of economic hard times.
 
Breathing additional dynamism into the market are health-related marketing and product development initiatives including new weight-loss foods and programs from major market forces including Hill's and Purina and a flood of special-diet and condition-specific functional foods and treats.
 
Packaged Facts expects to see additional acquisitions of natural pet companies by mainstream market leaders during 2011 and 2012. It would not be surprising, for example, to see PetSmart or Petco snap up a leading producer of natural/holistic pet food, in order to fast-track their own expansion into natural via an exclusive brand, which could in effect become the chain's private label.
 
Five companies stand out as possible acquisitions targets: WellPet LLC, which is currently in the hands of investment management company Berwind Corp; Natural Balance, a top marketer of natural pet food in the pet specialty channel and a top seller for Petco; Halo Purely for Pets, majority owned by private equity fund Pegasus Capital Advisors; Nature's Variety, which produces natural raw and traditional pet food (its parent corporation, M.I. Industries, is backed by investment firm Catterton Partners) and Castor & Pollux, a top organic pet food brand in the pet specialty and natural supermarket channels.

Full Article>

More Info>

Hospitals try cooking up better food for patients

Associated Press

POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y. — Haute cuisine is to hospital food as coq au vin is to mystery meat, right?
Maybe once, but a number of hospitals are breaking the old Jell-O mold, blending feeling better with tasting better as they liven up patient menus with the likes of fresh blood oranges and shrimp scampi.

The movement toward tastier — and often more nutritious — hospital food even has reached the Culinary Institute of America, the well-known school for chefs north of New York City, which is offering a first-of-its-kind course on cooking for health care patients.

Students in the elective class are taking field trips to nearby Vassar Brothers Medical Center and to Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in Manhattan. The idea is to learn first-hand the nuances of tray lines, the challenges of serving people with severe dietary restrictions and what goes into creating higher-end hospital food.

"I want to break this image. I want to embarrass people when they say 'Hospital food? Their food is awful," said Lynne Eddy, who is teaching Food Service Management in Health Care. "Let me show you what good food is in a health care facility."

But this is about more than taste. Food that is both good and nutritious can help patients heal, as well as boost their morale, said Eddy.

It's natural that the same American consumers who scout out fresh basil at the grocer and hormone-free beef at Mexican restaurants want a similar experience when they're hospitalized. And customizing meals for patients and efforts to become more "gastronomically conscious" have helped the health care food service industry grow 4 percent last year, according market researcher Packaged Facts. Growth is expected to continue as executives in the competitive health care industry become more attuned to overall patient satisfaction. [Cont.]

Full Article> http://online.wsj.com/article/APe3a653ac914f4335a6ec8a1f6defed2a.html

More on Hospital Foodservice Trends>http://www.packagedfacts.com/Trends-Hospital-Nursing-6044306/

Thursday, March 10, 2011

Extreme and Edgy Flavors: Culinary Trend Mapping Report

Extreme and Edgy Flavors:
Culinary Trend Mapping Report

Whether it’s Third-Degree Burn Doritos or lamb cooked with orange blossom and black pepper ice cream, consumers around the globe are thrilling to new, bigger, bolder flavors and unique flavor combinations.

In short, consumers are continuing their voyage down the path of gastronomic sophistication. Learn how you can leverage these flavor profiles to add adrenaline to your product offerings.

Emerging and established extreme and edgy flavors that are appearing across the Trend Map® include:

  • Stage 1 – Douglas Fir – Sea Buckthorn

  • Stage 2 – Yuzu – Bitter Brews

  • Stage 3 – Tamarind

  • Stage 4 – Chocolate & Chile

  • Stage 5 – Wasabi

More information:
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Pet Food in the U.S., 9th Edition

Pet Food in the U.S., 9th Edition

Covering cross-market trends and opportunities through 2015, Packaged Facts explores the key elements driving the pet food market including the impact of recession; private-label inroads; advertising and promotional trends; the natural and organic food movement; grain-free/non-allergenic foods; and novel ingredients such as glucosamine, omega fatty acids, antioxidants and probiotics.

With this market study you will:

  • Discover the key marketing trends vital to the pet food industry

  • Realize how recent mergers and acquisitions in the market will affect you

  • Learn how to take advantage of the highest-growth product segments

  • Leverage our in-depth coverage of product trends that will see momentum in 2011 and beyond

  • Uncover the cross-channel shopping habits and cross-product purchasing behavior of the pet food purchaser

  • Utilize our consumer brand preferences analysese to pinpoint retail trends for strategic decisions

A special feature of the report uses exclusive proprietary data from Packaged Facts’ own consumer survey.

More information:
Price/Info   |   Table of Contents   |   Place an Order

What’s For Dinner: Trends in Center of Plate Proteins

What’s For Dinner: Trends in Center of Plate Proteins

In the face of multinational competitors like Cargill, Tyson and JBS, smaller meat and poultry processors must focus on market niches. Packaged Facts' market study, What’s For Dinner: Trends in Center of Plate Proteins proprietary survey data finds the key market drivers and how you you can take advantage of them.

With this market study you can:

  • Learn the latest center-plate trends

  • Benchmark the top poultry, meat and seafood companies and brands

  • Uncover the demographic profile of center-plate protein consumers

  • Craft business plans with out forecasted sales data through 2015

  • Chart the top package tags/claims for new products

  • Respond to the latest market opportunities and marketing trends

This report covers marketer/brand share by center-plate fresh protein type, marketing and new product trends, retail and merchandising trends, and consumer trends. Custom data from Packaged Facts’ own consumer survey is included.

More information:
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Trends in U.S. Corporate Foodservice

Trends in U.S. Corporate Foodservice

Significant untapped opportunity exists in building greater synergy between corporate foodservice and wellness programs; and in meeting employees’ foodservice needs by profession and occupation in concert with demographics such as gender, generation and race/ethnicity.

Get the insights and analysis you need to understand the challenges and opportunities facing the corporate foodservice industry and the strategy to plan and execute accordingly.

With this market study you will:

  • Utilize our market size data and forecast analyses to benefit your bottom line

  • Leverage competitive factors such as restaurant and catering activity; corporate foodservice traffic, menu pricing, menu variety, per-hour meal timing; and other trends — to frame your programs for success

  • Uncover new ROI opportunities through our comprehensive trend analysis on wellness programs and healthy eating initiatives

  • Foresee market challenges using our proprietary metrics such as establishment size; employment by industry and occupation; and telecommuting trends — and plan accordingly

  • Gain Insights into the corporate foodservice strategies of national and regional managed services players — to gain strategic perspective

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Clothing and Footwear for Infants, Toddlers, and Preschoolers:

Clothing and Footwear for Infants, Toddlers, and Preschoolers:
The U.S. Market

U.S. consumers are once again buying their beloved luxury goods - including premium clothing and footwear for their young children. What opportunities can marketers seize today to ensure loyal customer following in the years ahead?

With this market study you can:

  • Discover the latest birth, societal, and licensing trends that will drive sales

  • Learn the marketing strategies of top competitors - Brown Shoe, Carter’s, Disney, Hanesbrands, The Jones Group, Sun Capital/Gerber Childrenswear, and more

  • Understand the ITP clothing and footwear consumer

  • Craft business plans through 2015 based on our in-depth retail sales forecasts

  • Learn new product trends and how you can take advantage of them

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