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December 2008
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How Much Cash Do You Carry?
A quick Google search on the amount of cash we carry in our wallets shows that for most it's little or none. In addition, research shows that more than half of us don't even keep any extra cash in the house. In the food industry, the move to plastic is undeniable as well. Grocery shoppers use debit or credit cards for an average 53.3 percent of total transactions. Cash transactions continue to drop, although they are making a slight comeback in today's economy. read more
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Channel Watch Update: "If You Can't Eat It, You Don't Need It"
Following a presentation I made to a group of Danish investment analysts on the state of the U.S. economy and the impact on U.S. consumers and retailers, a Nielsen associate in Denmark e-mailed me and said the title of my presentation should have been "If you can't eat it, you don't need it." The more I continue to examine Nielsen content to measure the impact of our economy, the more I see how my new Nielsen Viking friend was correct. read more
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Getting on the right side of ham
Should sellers of ham have taken offense to so many election-year references to 'putting lipstick on a pig?' After all, they serve it up so many ways, in center-store, deli and fresh meat departments they might feel a kinship to the animal. Some might think, 'Why muddy its reputation when it is such a popular food?'
But that depends on where in the store ham sells. In center-store, for example, sales trends have been dismal over the past four years. read more
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Could Asian foods excite with a health persona?
From the Land of the Rising Sun, the Middle Kingdom and other Asian lands come culinary adventures that most Americans have yet to experience. People who live in areas populated by Asians can enjoy their restaurants and specialized retail markets, and the incredible courtesies shopping at them (bows, smiles, samples).
For food marketers, the bigger question on a national scale remains, however: How to mainstream the likes of soba, kimchi, sashimi, seaweed, a wide range of exotic produce and more?most of which would align well with today's wellness initiatives? This seems a distant leap since one common exposure to Oriental foods here has been college students on a tight (non-existent) food budget warming up ramen noodles in a hot pot to help sustain them while studying (or partying, or both) on cold winter days. read more
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Will organics sustain in a worsened economy?
The rising tide of organics was a phenomenon for years. It symbolized so much of what Americans felt about the safety of our food supply, and their willingness to pay more, sometimes much more, for what they thought would be healthier choices for their families.
A few things happened in 2008 to start to turn that tide more in favor of locally grown foods. First was green thinking ("Even if the food is organic, how good is it for the Earth if it's flown thousands of miles?"). read more
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Kids & Sustainability: Households with Children More Engaged in Sustainability
There is no question that becoming a parent changes a family's life forever. While parents each adopt a style that fits their values and lifestyle, most parents would agree that they want to provide the best for their children - a healthy and loving home, a good education, and opportunities for their children to excel and maximize their potential.
With the burgeoning sustainability buzz, many marketers have wondered whether that nurturing extends to passing on a healthy planet to future generations. read more
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Shaving sales moderate, will shoppers balk at new technology costs?
Facial and body hair may be unsightly at times, but helping shoppers to groom, shape or eliminate it is approaching a $2 billion annual business in razors and blades alone. And thanks to nature, there will always be more hair arriving to meet its final destiny.
While the technology race between major suppliers has led to new shaving systems that boosted average transaction size through the years, it has also led to one question of relevance for consumers, "How much faster and closer do I really need to shave?" The end may not be near for technology advances, but consumer propensity to spend more on a morning chore may well be weak in this economy. read more
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Private label moves closer to consensus
Their pocketbooks pinched, people are shopping in new ways this year to save. One of their common strategies to stretch dollars is buying alternative brands that cost less money, and that includes a hefty chunk of private label.
The desire to save has already converged with greater efforts by leading chains such as Safeway, Kroger and Wegmans to market private label as their own well-conceived brands with their own image, not just as lower-cost choices to national name products. read more
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TLRTV: Are produce prices on the way up?
TLRTV is a 5-minute videocast designed specifically for the B2B Food World with a focus on Marketing Analysis, Issues & Trends. In today's videocast, Phil Lempert reports on analysis provided by Storm Exchange, this week's predicted rises in the cost of some fruits and vegetables due to negative climate changes and their effect on crop size.
In addition, learn how Ukrop's Super Markets is leading the way in sustainability. read more
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Frozen seafood has bottomless opportunities
Seafood variety in the frozen foods aisle is far more diverse than at the fresh fish service counter, which often serves as a store showpiece full of hand-picked selections and visual flair. By contrast, it is a far less sensual experience to pick up solid blocks of pre-packaged fish in either boxes or plastic wrap. You can't look in their eyes or see their true color. Buying takes a leap of faith that peak flavor and nutrition were captured farther up the supply chain and will land on your dinner table. read more
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We welcome your feedback!
F3 has been in publication now for almost six years. The food world is continually changing, and as we approach a new year, we'd love to hear from you about what topics you'd like to see us cover in the future. Feel free to send us an email and let us know your thoughts. We'd love to hear from you. Email plempert@supermarketguru.com.
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Why smaller stores matter.
We all seem to be eagerly watching the showdown between Tesco's Fresh & Easy and Walmart's Marketside. Both are small-format grocers, which stress fresh foods, convenience, and value. The U.S. retail giant opened its first four 15,000-square-foot stores (10,000 selling space) to directly confront and battle-test the 26 Fresh & Easy locations, some Marketsides are within a mile. read more
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The LOHAS Report: Consumers & Sustainability
NMI's 7th Edition of The LOHAS Report: Consumers & Sustainability report series, due to be published in January 2009, will contain seven years of trended consumer insight and data focused on the role of sustainability, health, social issues, the environment and corporate social responsibility.
NMI will offer three reports on the U.S. read more
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Facts, Figures, & the Future Newsletter
Click here for your FREE subscription to Facts, Figures, & the Future.
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The Food Retailing Industry Speaks 2008
FMI's Speaks is the annual state of the industry report ? a must-have for everyone in the food industry. The report reviews important market trends affecting food retailing and evaluates the industry's performance in sales, profits, margins and a wide variety of productivity measures. Click here for more information.
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Food, Nutrition & Science
We've just launched a brand new monthly newsletter: Food, Nutrition, & Science from The Lempert Report.
Our mission is to provide retailers and brands with the latest food news and the tools needed to better serve and empower our shoppers to make the best food choices possible. Each issue will contain interviews with leading researchers, nutritionists and trend setters. read more
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Shopping for Health 2008
This report examines shoppers' interest and attitudes, as well as in-store activities, regarding health and nutritional concerns and the ways in which these play out in purchase decisions at the grocery store. Click here for more information.
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U.S. Grocery Shopper Trends 2008
FMI's best-selling report, U.S. Grocery Shopper Trends, is the industry source for data and knowledge of the grocery shopper to gain an in-depth understanding the role of food and nutrition in today's society. Click here for more information. read more
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