Tuesday 16 August 2011

Snack Foods in the U.S., 4th Edition

Published: June 2011
No. of Pages: 257
Price: $ 3300







U.S. retail sales of packaged snacks rose to nearly $64 billion in 2010, and Packaged Facts projects sales to approach $77 billion by 2015, a total market increase of over 20%. Despite the lingering effects of global recession, American consumers are snacking more than ever, thanks to less frequent restaurant dining, frenzied lifestyles that encourage on-the-go eating, and a growing tendency to replace meals with several smaller snacks. Additionally, marketers have responded to concerns about the growing impact of obesity on the health of the nation, and have made great strides in developing healthier snack foods that still taste good. While value is still one of the primary drivers of snack purchases, the economy has recovered to an extent that consumers are once again making health, convenience, and even indulgence top priorities as well.

This fully updated Packaged Facts report U.S. Snack Market examines the market for packaged sweet and salty snacks within the context of broader food industry trends in new product development and marketing. To accommodate the complexities of the U.S. market within shifting socioeconomic contexts, the report investigates not only the sales data, new product introductions and market positioning strategies, but also the lifestyle patterns that contribute to the rise and fall of snacking trends. This completely revised edition provides an omnibus approach to the market, examining snacks via two broad classifications, sweet and salty/savory, while providing greater detail for dozens of categories and segments in which market activity dictates closer inspection.


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A new feature of this study is data from Packaged Facts’ new Food Shopper Insights Survey, conducted in March 2011. Gauging the shopping patterns and attitudes of adults who have shopped for groceries within 24 hours of being surveyed, these data paint a detailed picture of U.S. snack trends by broader consumer health goals and nutrition concerns, ingredient concerns such as low-sugar and gluten-free, purchase motivators such as “family favorite” and “product looked appetizing,” snack occasions and timing (e.g., “between meals,” weekday vs, weekend, at home vs away from home), brand loyalty by product type, store-brand appeal, and coupon usage. Additional data sources include multi-year Experian Simmons Market Research Bureau data, which provides a detailed look at category-level and brand penetration levels; InfoScan Review data, which quantifies marketer and brand shares across numerous product categories; and new product tracking data from Product Launch Analytics, a Datamonitor service. In addition, category-specific marketer and brand focus discussions help to define the relationship between consumer attitudes and product development.
 

Thursday 11 August 2011

Omega-3 Foods and Beverages in the U.S., 3rd Edition

Published: June 2011
No. of Pages: 210
Price: $ 3500







Omega-3 fatty acids are emerging as some of the most widely beneficial compounds in human health. The three omega-3 fatty acids commonly recognized in the scientific literature as having health benefits are docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and to a lesser extent, alpha linolenic acid (ALA). These omega-3s are derived mostly from marine and plant sources, typically fish, algae or flax.
First touted it contributions to cardiovascular health, omega-3 is now associated with the prevention of disorders ranging from eye disease to depression, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children to muscle degeneration in the elderly. Even as medical research is uncovering new health benefits to consumption of omega-3, novel production technologies are allowing for the addition of omega-3 oils to an expanding number of food and beverage products and product categories.

Marketers really did not start touting the omega-3 enhanced foods until late 2004, after the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved a qualified health claim for omega-3 fatty acids (EPA and DHA) after reviewing the clinical data that illustrated their cardiovascular benefits. This ruling legitimized and propelled the market. In 2007, the FDA published a proposed rule on the nutrient content claims of EPA and DHA. A final ruling has not yet been made, but industry participants believe that when the Institute of Medicine (IOM) establishes a daily reference intake (DRI) for long-chain omega-3 fatty acids, a final ruling from the FDA will follow shortly.

Although some expected high-omega foods and product sales to begin leveling off by 2009, in the wake of a wave of market activity, retail sales have continued to post significant growth. Moreover, three factors indicate that another boom phase for omega-3-enhanced products is on the horizon: 1) an ongoing release of scientific studies supporting the health benefits of consuming omega-3, 2) innovative product introductions, and 3) strong consumer awareness and demand. Omega-3 remains one of the most successful and promising functional ingredients in the food and beverage industry. In addition to an increasingly educated and enthusiastic consumer base, several other drivers are propelling this market. These include innovative formulations and technology advancements that are expanding the products amenable to enhancement with omega-3. Also, methods of stabilizing omega-containing products to inhibit oxidation (which causes the fishy smell associated with fish-oil-based omega-3) have resulted in improved taste as well as extended shelf life. More than 20,000 scientific papers have been published that support the health contributions provided by omega fatty acids, and more papers were published on this topic in 2010 than in any previous year. New regulations in Europe and elsewhere are removing some of the variables for food companies incorporating omegas into their products. As a result, there has been a resurgence in new product launches from these markets. Success in omega-3-enhanced foods relates strongly to differentiation among the growing number of products on the market.

Omega-3 Foods and Beverages in the U.S. contains comprehensive data on the U.S. market for foods and beverages enhanced with omega-3. Historical retail sales data (2006-2010) and forecast data (2011-2015) are provided for the U.S. market. The report discusses key trends affecting the marketplace, trends driving growth, and consumer demographics and psychographics. The report profiles major suppliers and marketers of high omega-3/omega-enhanced products in the U.S. market, as well as innovative companies in both of these sectors.

Scope of Report
This report U.S. omega-3 food and beverage market focuses on retail food and beverage products (excluding fish products) that are marketed as bearing high omega-3 or DHA content, which predominantly means products that are enhanced or fortified with omega-3 fatty acids. A number of marine and non-marine food sources inherently contain omega-3 fatty acids, such as fish oil, algal oil, canola oil, soybean oil, flaxseed, and walnuts. These and other high omega-3 ingredients are commonly added to food and beverage products to enhance their omega content, and the resulting products are those included in data and discussions in this report. In addition, this report includes as part of the market products such as breads, nut milks, and hemp milk that naturally contain omega-3 and are flagged as high omega-3 or high DHA, regardless of whether the product formulations are “naturally” high-omega or are specifically formulated or fortified as such.

This report also includes a qualitative discussion of the various omega-3 ingredients available to food formulators, including an overview of the marketers of these ingredients.
Fish products (fresh, canned and frozen) are excluded from the scope of this report, although fish products may bear high-omega claims to boast of their inherent omega content. In addition, this report generally excludes dietary supplements and infant formulas in quantitative discussions, since both are regulated very differently than foods and beverages.

Report Methodology
The information contained in this report was obtained from primary and secondary research. Primary research entailed participation in GOED Exchange 2011, the first international conference held by Global Organization for EPA and DHA Omega-3 (GOED Omega-3); a Packaged Facts March 2011 Food Shopper Insights survey of U.S. consumers; consultations with manufacturers and industry insiders; and an on-site examination of retail outlets and products. Secondary research included extensive Internet canvassing and research- and data-gathering from relevant consumer business and trade publications; company information including annual reports, press releases, and conference calls; company profiles in trade and consumer publications; government reports; and other food and nutrition market reports by Packaged Facts. Sales estimates are based on analysis of data from the above sources. Analysis of consumer attitudes and product purchasing draws on various data sources, including proprietary Packaged Facts survey data and national consumer surveys conducted by Experian Simmons.

What This Report Provides
Omega-3 Foods and Beverages in the U.S. offers market and trend analysis to allow succinct assessment of this evolving sector. The report balances insight into qualitative aspects of this market with comprehensive quantitative analysis, including proprietary Packaged Facts survey data on U.S. grocery shopper health and nutrition psychographics and the percentage of U.S. grocery shoppers who are purchasing products with high-omega claims, in relation to other key nutritional concerns and functional ingredients.
This report also includes a lengthy qualitative discussion of the various omega ingredients available to food formulators, including an overview of the suppliers of these ingredients and well as competitive activity among the marketers of retail products.

Benefits of this Report
This report provides a valuable, timely and comprehensive exploration of the U.S. omega-3 beverage and food market that is aimed at companies already participating in this sector, companies that are considering entering this booming market, or those who are tracking activities and trends in this sector. The current market is assessed in detail, with market sales and trends projected through 2015.

This report will assist:

• Business development executives in understanding the dynamics of the market and identify possible rivals or partners
• Research and development professionals in keeping up-to-date on competitor initiatives
• Marketing managers in identifying market opportunities and developing targeted plans for omega-3 food and beverage products
• Advertising agencies working with clients in the financial and retail industries to understand the product end user in developing successful marketing, advertising, and promotional programs
• Information and research center librarians in providing market researchers, brand and product managers and other colleagues with vital information for projects and decision-making
 

Wednesday 10 August 2011

Underbanked and Unbanked Consumers in the U.S.: Successfully Targeting Consumers of Alternative Financial Services

Published: July 2011
No. of Pages: 167
Price: $ 3750







Underbanked and Unbanked Consumers in the U.S. provides market size, industry and product revenue forecasts and analyzes the legislative and regulatory challenges driving the growth of alternative financial services (AFS). Increasingly, these products are seen as a viable alternative to banks by the 26% of U.S. households that are underbanked or unbanked.

This report U.S. Consumers Market analyzes the retail financial services activities and the macro and micro economic trends that have resulted in the percentage of households that are unbanked to rise for the first time since the Federal government began tracking consumer banking relationships. It also provides detailed demographic portraits of both underbanked and unbanked consumers while diving deeply into their financial behaviors and consumer psychographics. These consumers, buffeted by both the economy and the profit maximization strategies of retail banks, have been prime targets of non-traditional financial services providers offering transparent pricing, convenient retail locations and bespoke products that can be used according to the consumers’ needs and preferences.

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The report examines the efforts of banks and non-banks to market to underbanked and unbanked consumers and provides analysis of AFS pure-play and retailer product introductions, feature enhancements and pricing strategies.

The report also delves deeply into AFS initiatives in international markets and focuses on the technologies, new products, marketing and branch-level strategies realizing success abroad and transforming vendors and institutions into must-knowns to U.S. bank executives, AFS strategists and industry regulators.

Underbanked and Unbanked Consumers in the U.S. presents historical data and 5-year revenue forecasts for the alternative financial services market and each major AFS product: Prepaid cards, remittances, money orders, check cashing and payday lending. We anticipate those revenues increasing from $338 billion in 2010 to $520 billion in 2015.

About the Author: Elizabeth Rowe was the Group Director of Banking Advisory Services at Mercator Advisory Group, a banking and payments consultancy. Previously, she was the senior banking consultant at Guideline, Inc., a consultancy/business advisory firm. For the past 17 years, she has worked with the nation's largest banks, retailers and solutions providers as they assess emerging consumer, technological, regulatory and competitive challenges, trends and opportunities. She has taught at the ABA School of Bank Card Management and frequently speaks at industry, federal regulator and client conferences. She has been widely quoted in the financial press including The Economist, The Wall Street Journal, American Banker, Forbes, Independent Banker and CNN.

 

Monday 8 August 2011

Trends in U.S. Foodservice Contracting

Published: July 2011
No. of Pages: 162
Price: $ 3995



 




Unlike restaurants and food retailers, foodservice contractors may not be household names, but they participate in one of the most successful areas of the food and foodservice industry. As detailed in Packaged Facts’ Trends in U.S. Foodservice Contracting, we believe its future is bright, forecasting enviable growth in education, healthcare, military, and sports and recreation markets, with more significant challenges ahead for the business and industry segment.

Trends in U.S. Foodservice Contracting provides insight on opportunities for contractors providing food services to commercial, non-commercial and government locations. We provide in-depth segment analysis for six key market verticals, including market size and forecasting, innovation leadership case studies, and opportunity analysis.
 
The report also includes thorough competitive analyses of the four major foodservice contracting players: Aramark Corp, Sodexo Inc., Compass Group PLC, and Delaware North Companies. Each profile analyzes foodservice strategies and innovations, as well as sales trends, by market segment. The report also includes profiles of growing mid-size firms such as Guckenheimer Enterprises, Inc. Guest Services, Inc. Centerplate, and Thompson Hospitality.

While certain aspects of foodservice are common to each market vertical, each presents unique differences and challenges.
• We view K-12 foodservice contracting trends momentum as positive, as foodservice contractors can leverage the need for money-losing school districts to provide meal service options that adapt to sweeping health and nutrition-driven regulatory changes. Balancing nutritional requirements with boosting breakfast and lunch participation.
• Momentum in college & university foodservice contracting is also positive, driven by a mixture of solid fundamental growth metrics and contractor innovation in addressing student needs and expectations. To leverage opportunity, foodservice contractors should focus on providing students with flexibility, variety and convenience; healthful and sustainable options; and refashioned dining halls fit for the 21st century.
• Healthcare foodservice contracting trend momentum is also positive, as healthcare continues to grow revenue and employment while serving an aging population more apt to use its services. While opposition among some members of the hospital foodservice community is strong, we believe contract relationships built on serving the patient while controlling costs will grow solidly. Foodservice contractors should target the following key areas for innovation: wellness and nutrition (from targeted menu planning, to rebranding healthy restaurant concepts,) customer service, individualized care and room service; and grab-and-go options.
• Corporate foodservice contracting trend momentum is negative. For Business and Industry foodservice contractors, reliance on larger companies and declining usage provide significant obstacles to growth. However, solutions abound, from catering to smaller sites to targeting by generation to tapping into wellness. This report frames these “solutions” with rationales and examples.
• Military foodservice contractors are on the cusp of significant growth, as the federal government seeks to increase efficiencies and consolidate contracts. This report analyzes the evolving foodservice contracting relationships and opportunities with the Armed Forces, framed against “trend applications” we believe are important to growing military foodservice sales.



Natural and Organic Foods and Beverages in the U.S., 3rd Edition

Published: July 2011
No. of Pages: 294
Price: $3750
 


 

 
U.S. retail sales of natural and organic foods and beverages market rose to nearly $39 billion in 2010, an increase of 9% over the previous year’s sales of $35 billion, far outpacing growth in conventional groceries, which crept ahead less than 2%. Despite the continued sluggish economic recovery, Packaged Facts projects sales to more than double by 2015, to exceed $78 billion. Growth will be jump-started in 2011, in great part due to snack king Frito-Lay’s switching half its snack portfolio to all-natural formulations. In addition, attracted by the higher growth rates of natural/organic foods and beverages and in response to consumer demand, other major consumer product companies are becoming more deeply committed to natural and organic products, either through acquisition or internal development. Such deep-pocketed marketers are in a good position to fast-track their products into retail stores and onto consumer tables via their massive product development capabilities, far-reaching distribution networks, and huge advertising and marketing budgets.

This completely revised report, Natural and Organic Foods and Beverages in the U.S., 3rd Edition, examines sales and growth potential, identifying key issues and trends that will affect the marketplace through 2015. Extensive analysis via both proprietary primary data from Packaged Facts’ February 2011 Online Consumer Survey and via Experian Simmons’ national consumer panel data gauges consumer attitudes and behaviors toward natural/organic foods and beverages, retail shopping patterns, and media usage and preferences, both traditional and social.

Also included is comprehensive coverage of new product trends across dozens of categories, drawing on new product data from Datamonitor’s Product Launch Analytics database; dozens of images of products and print ads; and profiles of trend-making marketers and retailers. Interviews with industry experts round out this forward-looking market analysis, along with the context of the broader social, economic and psychographic drivers of consumer behavior and shopping preferences.