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?

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: Price/Info   |   Table of Contents   |   Place an Order - (10% discount if order placed by April 1, 2011)

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

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

From pushcart to grocery cart

From a Hong Kong pushcart, General Mills has built Wanchai Ferry into a significant brand.

By MIKE HUGHLETT, Star Tribune

Last update: February 7, 2011 - 3:39 PM

The playbook for U.S. foodmakers often calls for exporting a successful U.S. product to points abroad. General Mills, for instance, has had a big hit in China with its classic Bugles corn snacks, albeit in some flavors we might not find here -- like seaweed.

Richard Sennott, Dml - Star Tribune

Both Byerly's and Lunds offer Wanchai Ferry, a General Mills brand that focuses on Chinese food. Wanchai Ferry is a brand that started in China and is big there. General Mills bought it, and decided to launch the brand here, but with different products. Comes in dry kit dinners where you add meat, and frozen entrees for two. The latter was introduced in 2009, and has so far done quite well. These pictures were shot in the St Louis Park Byerly's .

With its Wanchai Ferry brand, the Golden Valley-based packaged food company has called a reverse. The brainchild of a Hong Kong pushcart vendor, Wanchai Ferry evolved into a popular supermarket brand in China.

General Mills brought the brand to the United States, and so far, it's done well. Since the 2009 launch of Wanchai Ferry frozen dinner entrees for two, they've generated more than $50 million in annual sales and quickly grabbed a respectable slice of market share.

Multi-serving dinners are a sweet spot in the frozen meal business, but one that's also attracting a lot of competition. Within a year of Wanchai Ferry's debut, packaged food giant Unilever teamed up with restaurant chain P.F Chang's China Bistro to launch a frozen entree sporting the latter's brand. Its sales appear to have jumped ahead of Wanchai Ferry's.

Wanchai Ferry is rooted in the business of Chong Kin Wo, or Madame Chong. In the 1970s, she started selling dumplings in Hong Kong's busy Wanchai commercial area, and her wares eventually made it into grocery stores under the Wanchai Ferry brand. Pillsbury bought the brand in 1997, and General Mills inherited it with its purchase of Pillsbury in 2001.

General Mills has built the brand into one of its star assets in China. Wanchai Ferry products, including dim sum and wontons, are available in about 100 Chinese cities, carried by such major international food retailers as Wal-Mart and France's Carrefour. Wanchai Ferry sales in China in 2010 were up 20 percent over the previous year.

A new market

With success in China, General Mills sensed an opportunity on its home turf. "Chinese is the most widely eaten restaurant cuisine, but only 45 percent [of consumers] make it at home," said Jon Nudi, president of General Mills snacks division, who helped roll out Wanchai Ferry in this country.

In 2007, General Mills launched Wanchai Ferry dry dinner kits in the United States, which require consumers to add meat and cost about $4.60. In 2009 came the debut of frozen entrees, complete with meat, which can be prepared in about 15 minutes and cost $7 to $8.

While the brand name is the same as in China, the products are different, an attempt to account for American tastes, Nudi said. The frozen dinners come in eight varieties, including Orange Chicken, Shrimp Lo-Mein and Beef & Broccoli. The goal is to deliver "restaurant quality food," Nudi said.

Multi-serve dinners like Wanchai Ferry have been a bright spot in the frozen entree world, despite their relative high cost during a tough economy. They've been the only frozen meal segment posting sales gains since 2008 among food mass merchandisers excluding Wal-Mart, according to a fall report by market researcher Mintel International.

"Given that its biggest increases were during the peak of the recession, it appears that this segment has done a better job than the others in capturing dollars that might have otherwise been spent dining out," the Mintel report said.

Quick success

Wanchai Ferry's frozen food performance was better than General Mills expected, Nudi said, topping the important first-year sales mark of $50 million.

According to market researcher SymphonyIRI Group, which tracks sales in conventional supermarket channels, Wanchai Ferry carved out about a 3 percent share of both the multi-serve frozen meal business and the dry dinner mix segment by the end of last year.

The dry dinner market is dominated by General Mills' Hamburger Helper. The frozen, multi-serve meal segment is topped by Stouffer's and Bertolli, with market shares respectively of 31 percent and 10 percent, according to IRI. P.F. Chang's had captured 5 percent of the market by the end of December, according to SymphonyIRI.

Restaurant brands have long enjoyed success when transplanted to the frozen food aisles. Stouffer's itself was born from a now-defunct restaurant chain, while the Marie Callender's brand originated from a western restaurant group, according to a recent report by market researcher Packaged Facts.

General Mills got into the restaurant act itself last year by launching multi-serve frozen dinners in a partnership with Romano's Macaroni Grill. That gives General Mills a two-front offensive in the freezer: Macaroni Grill for Italian tastes, Wanchai Ferry for Asian.

Mike Hughlett • 612-673-7003

Catering Services on the Rebound, Consumers Seeking Healthier Options

January 27 2011 | Shannon Bryant | Ad-ology

Though the recession brought a period of famine to the catering foodservice industry, the feast is at hand as growth initiated in 2010 will continue through 2012 due to aggressive expansion into the catering space by limited–service establishments, the return of business event–driven spending, higher wedding spending, and a moderately healthier consumer, according to “Catering Trends in U.S. Foodservice,” by market research publisher Packaged Facts.

“Self–standing catering operations dominate sales, but full–service restaurants, limited–service restaurants and snack and beverage concepts also contribute significantly. Driven by aggressive catering launches and expansions, our experts view restaurant–based catering as a growth area into 2012,” says Don Montuori, publisher of Packaged Facts.

Catering revenue exceeded $14 billion in 2010 for an increase of 9% over a stormy 2009. Sales are expected to increase 9% and 7% in 2011 and 2012 respectively. Catering at foodservice and drinking places generated 75% of the catering market size, or $11 billion, in 2010, up 8%. Limited–service establishments are expected to lead catering sales growth through 2012 due to the segment’s ability to leverage moderate menu pricing structures, provide portable fare, and offer in-house operations capabilities.

The recession brought declines in both corporate and consumer spending on catered events. However, Packaged Facts predicts that as the economy continues to recover, businesses will be eager to build revenues again and such eagerness may indirectly fuel the catering business through increased sales meetings, business travel, and convention attendance. Recovery will also spur consumers to entertain with more catered affairs. Weddings, graduations, births, funerals, and other milestones will return as catalysts for consumer spending on catering.

Meanwhile, consumers seeking healthier options have caused a significant change in catering, offering an advantage to companies that highlight the health benefits of their products. Key among these is Subway, which has long promoted the low–fat sub sandwiches on its menu as part of its marketing plans. Other caterers are also seeing a preference for healthier choices, with consumers opting for Greek yogurt, granola, and toasted nuts instead of bagels and donuts, for instance.

More Information> https://www.packagedfacts.com/Catering-Trends-Foodservice-2848313/


[Source:  "Catering Trends in U.S. Foodservice," Packaged Facts.  11 Jan. 2011.  Web.  18 Jan. 2011.] Full Article: http://www.marketingforecast.com/archives/9777/trackback

Wellness Ingredients

Wellness Ingredients: Culinary Trend Mapping Report

Long before today’s pharmaceutical industry, civilizations treated illness with diets meant to balance one’s humors (Greeks), yin and yang (Chinese) or doshas (Ayurveda). Whatever the bodily ailment or concern, food in the form of herbs, spices, barks, teas, soups and what-have you was administered to make a body better. This age-old notion is regaining traction, and represents a growing trend in the American health and wellness arena today.

Consumers are more engaged than ever trying out new foods and diets in hopes of curing what ails them or preventing ailments to which they are susceptible. Consumers’ participation in uncovering and treating various conditions with food is part of this era’s DIY-care mentality. Hobbled with healthcare issues and economic woes, while simultaneously emboldened by innumerable Internet pages and a growing understanding and acceptance of alternative medical systems —Traditional Chinese Medicine with its acupuncture, holistic medicine and its tinctures, naturopathy and even yoga—consumers have never had more motivation or ammunition for finding new cures themselves, especially diet-related ones.
The wellness ingredients profiled in this report all have this ancient medicinal wisdom element in common. These ingredients have been consumed for healthfulness by cultures around the world for centuries, and are finding new life today in natural food stores as well as the natural food aisles in mainstream grocery stores.

• Stage 1: Healing Spices — Holy basil and turmeric are two Ayurvedic staples situated at Stage 1 but gaining momentum in the health food world as functional ingredients with therapeutic properties. Boasting digestive and mental health benefits, these spices are being incorporated into teas, nut butters and energy bars.
• Stage 2: Hemp — Although industrial hemp production remains illegal in much of the U.S., the market for hemp products is flourishing. Hemp seed is the edible part of the hemp plant, and it packs quite a nutritional punch. No wonder it’s become a healthful booster to everything from nut bars to milk to salad dressing.
• Stage 2: The New (Old) Fermented Foods — Fermented foods like miso, kasu, tempeh and pu-erh tea are rapidly gaining adherents as consumers seek out foods that are less processed and more nutrient-rich. Benefits range from an ability to improve digestion to naturally high protein content, and these imported superfoods can enhance taste, too.
• Stage 2: Sprouted Foods — Health-focused manufacturers are sprouting wheat, rice and other grains, nuts and seeds and using them as a base for wholesome grain goods that offer more nutrition and are more digestible than similar products made without sprouted grains.
• Stage 3: Grass-fed Meat & Dairy — Grass-fed Meat & Dairy has an impressive health halo as well as an improved reputation for taste. It also feeds into consumers’ desires for more authentically good-for-you products, those our grandparents and great-grandparents relied on.
• Stage 3: Agave Nectar — Agave nectar fits well with consumer desires for a more healthful plant-based sweetener. Its lower-than-white sugar glycemic index means it helps maintain even blood sugar levels, and because it is sweeter than sugar, consumers can use less of it, making it a good value.
• Stage 5: DHA — Docosahexaenoic Acid (DHA) may be the hottest long-chain fatty acid you can’t pronounce. DHA is a source of Omega-3 that is being promoted for its ability to enhance brain function and development.

• • • • •
The Culinary Trend Mapping Report is an indispensable tool for those whose job it is to stay abreast of what's hot - and what will be - in the food world.
The reports leverage the Center for Culinary Development’s (CCD) signature Trend Mapping technique, a validated method for identifying which culinary trends are gaining traction and which are simply flashes in the pan.
Each 65+ page journal is packed with trends, data, strategies and insights on the food industry that simply aren't available anywhere else.
Each Issue of the Culinary Trends Mapping Report

• Identifies the maturity level of foods and ingredients according to CCD’s unique, proprietary 5-stage trend mapping process.
• Concentrates on a theme that is affecting the food industry, and then looks at the emerging and established trends along the Trend Map that are shaping this theme.
• Delves into these trends and what they mean for you and the manufacturing, retailing, and foodservice industries.
• Gives strategic insight into how consumers are thinking of and reacting to new foods and ingredients.
• Provides business know-how regarding opportunities, challenges, and ways to implement current trends into foodservice, retail, and packaged goods operations.
• Presents a feature interview with a member chef from CCD’s exclusive 80+ member Chefs’ Council who offers expert analysis and unique perspective on a specific trend.

Trend Mapping
Trend Mapping is guided by the premise that major food trends pass through five distinct stages on their way to the mainstream:

• Stage 1: The ingredient, dish and/or cooking technique appears at upscale dining establishments, ethnic and popular independent restaurants.
• Stage 2: The item is featured in specialty consumer-oriented food magazines such as Bon Appetit plus retail stores such as Sur La Table that target culinary professionals and serious home cooks.
• Stage 3: The item begins to appear in mainstream chain restaurants—Applebee's or Chili's—as well as retail stores such as Williams-Sonoma that target recreational cooks.
• Stage 4: Publications such as Family Circle and Better Homes and Gardens pick up the buzz.
• Stage 5: Finally, the trend makes its way to quick service restaurant menus and either starts to appear or gains increased mainstream presence on grocery store shelves.

Availability
Published bimonthly, the Culinary Trend Mapping Report is available for purchase as a single issue or a six-issue subscription.

Breakfast Trends: Fierce competition sparks innovation

Think a restaurant breakfast is just an Egg McMuffin consumed mid-commute? Think again. Breakfast is being reinvented chefs and industry innovators, many of whom are interested in offering an alternative to the typical diner or quick-serve-restaurant morning meal. Though the majority of breakfast business is done on the go, these trendsetters are still making an impact, serving upgraded breakfast sandwiches and mixing organic ingredients and global flavors into the most important meal of the day.

Fact is, breakfast isn’t just hot: it’s cold, eaten in the form of whole grain cereal and customized granola; it’s gourmet, made into elaborate artisan breakfast sandwiches; it’s a beverage, served all day in the guise of salad with poached eggs and bacon or dessert waffles. Breakfast is so much more than it used to be—and it’s more popular than ever in foodservice, despite the economic downturn.

Fierce competition in every sector for the breakfast dollar is pushing innovation in today’s breakfast foods, along with a number of key drivers exemplified in the report’s trend profiles:


Artisan Breakfast: These traditional breakfast dishes are made by hand, using the freshest ingredients and incorporating global flavor twists.

Third Wave Coffee: Coffee enthusiasts are going beyond espresso to reinvent this ancient caffeinated beverage, creating a superlative cup of Joe that’s brewed with care from only the best beans.

New Whole Grains: As consumers are looking for gluten-free alternatives and better-tasting, healthful breakfast options, whole grain cereals and breakfast pastry are diversifying beyond whole wheat.
Waffles Gone Wild: Waffles can be used as a carrier or simply solo, and are taking on new savory and sweet forms everywhere from fine dining to street food.
Breakfast Pizza: America’s favorite savory pie gets a breakfast twist, topped with ingredients such as eggs, bacon--and even fruit!
Eggs All Day: Eggs are a flexible protein that can be healthful or decadent, down-home or gourmet, and they’re being adapted for all dayparts by magazines for home cooks.
Breakfast in a Bowl: Breakfast foods ranging from the savory to the sweet, combined together in a bowl for a portable, convenient, one-size-fits-all breakfast.

MORE>>

Frozen food manuf. find themselves in spot during the recession

Marketers of frozen convenience food have found themselves caught between a rock and a hard place during the economic downturn. Though fresh convenience food has gained through positioning that casts it as a less expensive alternative to restaurant food during a time of recession, frozen convenience food is frequently viewed as a more expensive, less fresh alternative to cooking from scratch at home. The frozen food categories that have been able to grow substantially in this environment are therefore the ones that have been able to elude this paradigm.

Specifically, the mammoth frozen pizza category and the spunky hand-held breakfast category have both found a way to go head-to-head with restaurants; and the prepared vegetable category has been able to triumph on the freshness front via the development of steaming techniques. According to Packaged Facts, these three categories have led the way sales-wise, enabling an otherwise ambivalent market for frozen convenience foods to grow by a modest 2.0% in 2010 to reach sales of $16.8 billion. Packaged Facts expects that marketers in other categories will soon adopt similar strategies, driving sales of fresh convenience foods up another 10% by 2015, to $18.6 billion.

Frozen Convenience Foods in the U.S. : Packaged Facts

Indulge your hunger for knowledge at Weight Management 2010 - the virtual conference and expo

Indulge your hunger for knowledge at Weight Management 2010 - the virtual conference and expo

FoodNavigator-USA.com will host the first virtual conference and expo dedicated to weight management, showcasing the latest trends and strategies in weight management for the food, beverage and dietary supplements industries.

The live one-day event called Weight Management 2010 Virtual Conference and Expo will be taking place on Thursday November 4. The conference will cover key topics from high-profile industry personalities from Nestlé, Unilever, The Federal Trade Commission, Packaged Facts, New York University, Université Catholique de Louvain and University of Sussex.

Organized in association with NutraIngredients-USA.com, the virtual event allows visitors to network, attend conferences, and visit suppliers online – without having to book flights or hotels.

Virtual versions of trade shows and conferences are becoming increasingly popular as marketing budgets come under pressure in the recession and IT companies develop new and improved platforms for online events.

Networking

Cost saving is not the only attraction of the virtual format. Visitors to Weight Management 2010 can easily navigate their way around the virtual floor and can network simply with both visitors and suppliers through forums at stands, and using a chat facility.

In addition to networking, attendees of the show can come to stands in the virtual exhibition hall to pick up product brochures, technical papers and case studies, and tune in to videos. The select group of suppliers showcasing their very latest ingredient and formulation innovations include: DSM, Roquette, Sensus, National Starch, Pharmachem, Bio-Serae, Cognis, Frutarom, Nutrition21, OmniActive, P.L. Thomas and Tate & Lyle.

Conference line-up

The program will start with an overview of the weight management sector, from Don Montouri, publisher of Packaged Facts, with special focus on dietary programs to achieve weight management, from Atkins to GI and Weight Watchers.

Pet Insurance in North America, 4th Edition

Now in its fourth edition, Packaged Facts’ Pet Insurance in North America is the most comprehensive examination of the U.S. and Canadian pet insurance markets available and a must-have for any company interested in this dynamic industry. Although sales growth slowed due to the recession, revenues (measured as gross written premiums) remained in the double digits in 2009 while delivering a 2005-2009 compound annual growth rate of 21%. Packaged Facts expects the North American market for pet insurance to continue to chart strong annual increases over the next five years, with the high level of competitive activity helping to offset the slow economic recovery and ongoing challenge of communicating the value of pet health insurance to budget-watching consumers.

As of 2010, industry pioneer Veterinary Pet Insurance (VPI) continues to lead the market. However, both the U.S. and the Canadian pet insurance markets have experienced significant market share shifts during the past five years as more than a half dozen new companies have come onto the field. Each of these companies brings with it unique strengths, in some cases including potent co-marketing affiliations with powerful brands (e.g., PetPartners and the AKC, PurinaCare with its own famous name), and in other cases including important retail channel thrusts (e.g., PetFirst with Kroger and Petfinder.com, and Trupanion with Petco). The industry is also seeing more investment backing and large insurance companies coming into the market as underwriters, including Aon with Healthy Paws, Aetna with Pets Best, and Berkshire Hathaway with PurinaCare.

Food Flavor and Ingredients Outlook 2010, 7th Edition

While Wall Street claims that the recession has ended, Main Street will continue to face financial challenges through most, if not all, of 2010. Frugal behaviors consumers adopted in 2009 are becoming engrained and reflect a new normal when it comes to shopping, dining and eating preferences for the foreseeable future. What constitutes value is being redefined and consumers are starting to make different choices than in years past that will drive their food and beverage purchases. Food Flavors and Ingredients Outlook 2010 describes the trends that Packaged Facts predicts will influence the flavors and ingredients that will drive food and beverage selection at retail and in restaurants and other foodservice establishments in the coming year and beyond.

 

The 2010 edition of this annual report (which was first published in 2004) includes coverage of eight primary focus areas impacting flavor and ingredient trends. To assess the shift in trends over time, predictions for last year are summarized along with Packaged Facts’ expectations for 2010 in relation to:

• International Flavors
• Redefining Healthy Eating
• Local Food Production and Sourcing
• Reenacted Flavors
• Savory Trends
• Sweet Trends

More Information>>

Ethnic Hair, Beauty and Cosmetics Products in the U.S., 7th Edition

No market is an island -- but why do many marketers and retailers still consider the ethnic HBC aisle as separate from the rest of the store, sleepy and low-end? In reality, ethnic haircare, makeup, and skincare products are a vibrant $2.7 billion business that reflects the upscaling of the parent HBC market.



Photo: ethnicbeautycentral.com



In 2010, African-American, Asian, Hispanic, and other folks of color already account for over a third of U.S. population; as of 2013, their spending power will have surpassed $4.2 trillion. Marketers have thus ventured beyond the usual hair relaxers, the few darker tints of makeup and heavy moisturizers, to offer premium-to-high-end beauty and grooming regimens sold through pop-prestige outlets such as Sephora, as well as through TV home shopping networks HSN, QVC, and others. Organic formulations are driving ethnic HBC sales, too -- because Americans of color actually skew more green-minded than Whites.

Yet ethnic HBC’s sell-through in the prestige, natural grocery, and TV home shopping channels, is still small in relation to its fabulous potential. As for the effect of the struggling U.S. economy, this market achieved mid-single-digit increases during the global recession of 2008-2009, and is expected to return to double-digit progress as the recovery proceeds.

More Information>>

Consumer Payment Trends in the U.S.

Photo courtesy of OnlythePearl.com

Businesses routinely seek to appeal to consumers by understanding which goods or services they want to buy. But understanding how shoppers prefer to buy—that is, which forms of payments they favor, and why—is also critically important. Marketers, retailers, card associations and other product and service providers hope to make transactions easy and convenient for consumers, but they must also balance these requirements against their own needs. Meanwhile, in the post-recession U.S. marketplace the world of payments keeps evolving as consumers back away from credit cards, debit cards move toward saturation, online payment options proliferate, and contactless payments and mobile payments move closer on the horizon.

This all-new report from Packaged Facts examines consumer payment forms of all kinds, including credit cards, debit cards, gift/prepaid cards, cash, checks, online payment and emerging forms, with a focus on how consumer preferences have changed during the past five years and vis-à-vis the economic downturn and recovery. It includes:

• Analysis of how Americans’ financial outlook influences their spending and payment preferences.
• Demographic and psychographic profiling by payment form and consumer age, gender, race, geographic region, income, educational level, etc.
• Focus chapter on cash, whose straightforwardness and immediacy makes it the payment choice of more than half of U.S. adults.
• Focus chapter on checks, which despite declining usage remain popular for bill paying and are getting new legs via “digital reinvention.”
• Focus chapter on credit cards, which have reached saturation and face other challenges including more restrictive legislation and declining usage among consumers looking to reduce their debt.
• Focus chapter on debit cards, which continue to win followers but whose rise may be diverted by laws restricting overdraft fees.
• Coverage of gift cards and other prepaid debit cards, which are creating a fast-growing “second-tier” banking system for those without access to traditional banks.
• Focus chapter on new payment methods, including contactless, cell phone and Internet-based, all of which are jockeying for position in the next wave of payment forms.

More Information>>

NEW! Artisan Foods: Culinary Trend Mapping Report

Artisan foods are everywhere, from their pervasive presence at large chain grocery store bakeries featuring in-house baked “artisan” loaves to fast casual chains such as Panera Bakery that have built an entire sandwich menu around freshly baked breads.

Manufacturers and restaurant operators have recognized that “artisan” has become another term for “quality.” It evokes small producers making traditional foods by hand, treating production as a craft and putting great care into the outcome. Larger producers are able to capture the aura of artisan with rustic-looking products, distinctive ingredients, unique cooking methods and stories that connect products to consumers.
 
This report explores the possibilities available in the world of artisan foods, and tracks some of the most exciting contemporary trends associated with this popular culinary segment.
Many artisans source their ingredients from nearby farms or grow their own, making a concerted effort to only use what’s available and in season to create a high quality, fresh-tasting product. Consumers savor these regional specialties and unique flavors. Artisan foods give consumers sustenance with a story featuring products that are more authentic and less conventional. For consumers it’s as much about nostalgia as it is about security in knowing they are feeding their families quality cuisine. Modern day artisans specialize and innovate on the traditional, producing savory and exotic ice creams, unusual types of cheese or specialized spirits to enliven and entice the palate. Like modern street food vendors, artisans make process part of their product, offering consumers a window into the traditions of the past. The current wave of artisan foodmakers is making the environment a priority, employing business strategies that minimize waste and negative impact on the earth. Reusable containers, compostable packaging and other eco-friendly practices allow consumers to be socially responsible while also enjoying an excellent product.

• Local & Seasonal Eating —
• Homemade/Authentic —
• Flavor Adventure —
• Consumer Engagement —
• Going Green —

More Information>>

Millenials in the U.S.: Trends and Opportunities Surrounding Gen-Y Adults

The 51 million adult members of the Millennial Generation (also known as Gen-Y) have been hit harder than any other age group by the recession. Millennials have the highest unemployment rate of all age groups, while those with jobs are most likely to have been asked at some point during the recession to work fewer hours, switch to part-time employment or agree to have their pay cut.

brandchannel.com

Yet, paradoxically, survey data show that Millennials are less likely than any other age segment to have cut spending during the recession, and they are more optimistic than other American consumers about the future of the American economy.

More>

New sandwiches meet consumer interests, values

Sandwiches aren't just an important part of the American diet; they are essential to it. And lucky for hungry consumers, sandwiches are undergoing exciting flavor and quality upgrades on every level -- carriers, fillings and condiments.

New sandwich trends are driven by artisan and sustainable ingredients, American regional and global flavor profiles, and even better nutrition, according to the "Sandwiches: Culinary Trend Mapping Report" from the Center for Culinary Development (CCD) and market research publisher Packaged Facts.
Read Full Article>

Food service lunch spending forecast to rise

FoodBusinessNews.net, September 8, 2010
by Keith Nunes
____________________

Consumer spending on lunch served in restaurants is forecast to rebound 2% in 2011 and reach $114 billion following two years of recession-related declines, according to “Lunch Trends in the U.S. Foodservice Market,” a report produced by research publisher Packaged Facts. After rising to $119 billion in 2008, lunch daypart sales declined 4% in 2009, and sales are projected to fall another 3% in 2010 to $112 billion.

“This has been a very tough climate for lunch food service and its counterparts, and that won’t change overnight although change is coming," said Don Montuori, publisher of Packaged Facts. “Growth in the lunch daypart still faces a few near-term challenges, including the impact of unemployment on work-driven restaurant routines, bargain-minded consumers who weigh the cost of a bagged lunch against the indulgence of eating out, and an industry environment in which players are chasing foot traffic at the expense of guest check through the extreme push of value meal deals.”

A survey of consumers conducted by Packaged Facts showed that interest in lunchtime meals priced under $5 and under $10 is stable across household income brackets, suggesting price sensitivity among a large segment of diners regardless of their personal wages. Respondents aged 18 to 24 are 60% more likely than average to choose a restaurant because it offers meals for under $3.

Limited time offers and menu options that allow consumers to bundle their meal components for a set price are two menu strategies that have proven attractive to consumers, according to Packaged Facts. Examples cited in the report include Taco Bell’s $2 Meal Deal and Jack in the Box’s Pick 3 for $3 customizable limited time offer value meal.
______________________
Read Food Business News Article

Lunch Trends in the U.S. Foodservice Market

To help foodservice industry participants face challenges unique to the lunch daypart, Lunch Trends in the U.S. Foodservice Market provides insight on the lunch goer’s decision-making process. By putting a finger to the lunch goer’s pulse, we provide insight on two keys factors to lunch-time foodservice: how and why the consumer decided on a specific restaurant from which to obtain lunch, and how and why that consumer decides what to order from the menu.

Introductory findings include the following: When deciding on a restaurant from which to obtain lunch, 37% of lunch goers cite a favorite menu item as influencing their choice, and some 36% cite a different menu item than what they have at home. But low cost has become the industry mantra—and is also important to many consumers. About 35% cite a meal priced under $5 as an influence when selecting a restaurant, and 31% say that a meal priced under $10 has influenced them to select a restaurant for lunch.

With proprietary consumer research laying the foundation, this report weaves consultative insight with analysis of lunchtime limited-time offer and value trends; current lunchtime guest check averages; planned restaurant spending; and guest traffic patterns at selected brands. We also shine a light on leading lunch-centric brands, by outlining menu strategies and related innovations, and then tying them to demographic analysis of the brand users’ diet, health, and food attitudes; and usage patterns. The report also trends lunch daypart sales by demographics such as income, age, region, and race/ethnicity. Analysis also focuses on consumers particularly important to the lunch daypart, such as the full-time and part-time employed.


While the restaurant industry is the primary focus of the report, consumer survey assessment incorporates prepared foods at grocery stores and convenience stores, and trend analysis incorporates both restaurants and food retail.

More>

Value Pricing Breakfast Menus Helps Steady Daytime Restaurant Spending, Bodes Well for Future Growth

The most important meal of the day continues to face short-term challenges related to the recession, but market research publisher Packaged Facts' Breakfast Trends in the U.S. Foodservice Market predicts consumer spending on breakfast at restaurants will rebound from an anticipated downturn in 2010 to approach $38 billion in 2011, as current value menu pricing strategies influence future spending habits.

Fast food and QSR (quick-service restaurant) operators are playing the - price equals value - card for everything it's worth. By pushing the envelope with $1 deals, they risk enabling a pool of -extreme affordability- customers. But the upshot for breakfast is that it remains a relatively untapped daypart, so that traffic gained today may translate into additional revenue tomorrow, says Don Montuori, publisher of Packaged Facts. We believe that decisions by the likes of Denny's and Bob Evans to place everyday value for quality food at the forefront of their branding initiatives make a great deal of sense. Value pricing meets the reality of today's and tomorrow's lower-to-middle and middle-income consumers who frequent family restaurants. For breakfast, they are spinning full-service value menus and value in portion size.

Packaged Facts expects McDonald's foray into $1 breakfast menus to create pressure among other fast food/QSR players to match its lead an industry-wide trend previously glimpsed with the proliferation of non-breakfast $1 value menus. Burger King, Wendy's and Subway have already made major breakfast moves. The bottom line is that low cost resonates with restaurant breakfast users, with 31% of respondents to Packaged Facts' proprietary survey claiming they have been influenced by a maximum $3 price when selecting a restaurant for breakfast, versus 16% who placed a limit at $10.

Convenience influences consumer breakfast decisions, with convenience to work or errands, routine, and the need to get somewhere else quickly factoring in. Also relevant are breakfast menu features, such as getting a favorite menu item, wide variety, and healthy menu items. And, because more than half of U.S. adults drink coffee, restaurants have created value bundles that offer coffee with breakfast food to increase foot traffic.

Even though restaurant sales fell during the recession and initial recovery, breakfast has fared relatively well and has taken market share away from both the lunch and dinner dayparts. Packaged Facts found that only 34% of restaurant goers had eaten breakfast at a restaurant in the past month and an even smaller percentage of the general population said the same, which means the industry has an opportunity to woo the more than 150 million adult consumers who do not use restaurant breakfast.

Breakfast Trends in the U.S. Foodservice Market provides unique insights into consumers' evolving relationship with the breakfast daypart, helping restaurant operators position their brands and menus for consumers in 2010 and beyond. Highlights of the study include directional consumer behavioral and attitude analysis via Packaged Facts' proprietary Consumer Restaurant Outlook Tracker; proprietary analysis of average meal spend by restaurant type and by daypart, with a focus on the breakfast daypart, to help target consumers who can bring in higher guest check averages; restaurant and menu selection analysis, driven by Packaged Facts' proprietary consumer survey results; and much more.

More>>

Gay and Lesbian Consumers Gateway to Post-recession Business Success

The expanding gay and lesbian population is providing marketers the opportunity to pick up some post-recession business, a new market research study from Packaged Facts says. The study, titled The Gay and Lesbian Market in the U.S., shows that today's 15.7 million gay and lesbian consumers are more optimistic than other consumers about the overall direction of the country, future economic growth, the job market and their own personal financial condition. This basic sense of optimism prevailing among gay and lesbian consumers suggests that they are more willing than other consumers to spend on products and services in the wake of the most severe economic downturn in 70 years.

The report currently estimates the purchasing power of gay and lesbian consumers at $743 billion but is expecting this market to grow 23% to $900 billion as the population grows to 16.4 million in 2014.Retailers in major metropolitan areas, such as New York, will see much of this good fortune due to higher number of gays and lesbians living in the area. For example, New York currently ranks first among the top fifteen gay and lesbian metro areas and claims $52 billion of this cohort's disposable income.

Metropolitan or otherwise, marketers will be interested to know that when deciding whether to stick or switch from a product or service, gay and lesbian consumers are highly alert to the perceived gay-friendliness of companies. Survey data from the report shows 32% gay men and 25% of lesbians have switched products or service providers because they found a competing company that supports causes that benefit the LGBT community. Furthermore, nearly 60% in this cohort report being 'more likely' to purchase everyday household products and services from companies that market directly to gays and lesbians.

More>>

Weight Management Trends in the U.S.

Almost 70% of adults and almost 32% of school-age children and adolescents are either overweight or obese, according to the latest government statistics. And some studies project that if current trends continue, 37% of U.S. adults will be classified as obese by 2013 and 43% by 2018.

With such new and ever-more-alarming statistics about adult and childhood obesity feeding the headlines almost daily;

--What are today’s weight loss regimens and weight maintenance mindsets?

--What roles do calories, portion control, and satiety play, with or without the benefit of weight management programs, fitness club memberships and “active lifestyles”?

--What are the most salient cohorts of weight management consumers, and which combinations of foods and beverages, weight management programs, and diet aids appeal most specifically to them?

--Which media and marketing messages resonate for these cohorts, and in what contexts?

This all-new report from Packaged Facts examines not just who the weight management cohorts are, but the all-important “why’s” behind the choices and purchases they make, and where those choices will take the market through 2015. The report also examines the competitive strategies of key players, new product and ingredient trends, and marketing and advertising positioning, all within the context of the medical, social, economic, and psychographic drivers of consumer behavior.

More »