Both Australia and New Zealand have built a “strong self-contained” soft drinks industry, with specific product, brand and packaging preferences, according to research from global beverage market research organisation Canadean. Energy drinks in particular are a growing sector in Australia and New Zealand. Canadean said that energy drinks volumes have more than quadrupled across Australia and New Zealand in the past ten years, and continue to expand, albeit it at a lesser rate. According to Canadean,... ...Read more »

Australians are buying less cheese, and there has been a shift in preferences, with supermarket-brand blocks overtaking some old favourites in popularity, according to findings from market research organisation Roy Morgan Research. According to Roy Morgan Research, in 2012, 48 per cent of Australians aged 14 and over bought blocks of cheese in an average four-week period, down from 52 per cent five years earlier. Supermarkets-brand cheese blocks have increased their market share over the past five... ...Read more »

An Australian study which addresses the benefits of education about nutritional information in fast food is being presented at the European Congress on Obesity (ECO) in Liverpool on Monday 13th May. Professor Ian Caterson, of the Boden Institute of Obesity Nutrition, Exercise & Eating Disorders at the University of Sydney, is presenting the paper to the ECO delegates. The study concludes that information in fast food outlets helps improve awareness of and reduce energy intake amongst consumers. According... ...Read more »

Major Australian supermarkets appear to be gradually moving towards new store formats that will offer additional services or attempt to create a more ‘market-style’ environment. Woolworths recently advertised positions available for qualified butchers for its “exciting new concept stores”. Woolworths supermarkets also appear to be gradually changing their approach to the format of stores, perhaps in an attempt to emulate its rival Coles’ strategy of focusing on the customer in-store ‘experience’. In... ...Read more »

Global soft drink company Coca-Cola has said it will work to make its beverages lower-calorie, and make nutrition information more widely available on its products globally. The US-based Company already has diet drinks available in most markets around the world, but they are not always as readily available in emerging markets such as China. Coca-Cola said the goal is to have diet options available wherever regular versions are sold, and to have cans and bottles of its soft drinks display nutrition... ...Read more »

Australian-made products rated highly among Australian consumers, according to new findings from market research organisation Roy Morgan Research. The research found that 87.4 per cent of Australians more likely to buy food produced in Australia, while 88.5 per cent of Australians aged 14 plus said they were more likely to buy Australian-made products across all categories over products manufactured in other countries. The US and the UK also rated highly, with 56.2 per cent of Australians saying... ...Read more »

The proportion of consumers satisfied with German-owned Australian supermarket Aldi is once again comfortably higher than Australia’s other three major supermarket chains, according to market research organisation Roy Morgan Research. In November 2012, both Coles and Woolworths came within 1 per cent point of Aldi, making it the closest race in five years. But the latest results from the Roy Morgan Supermarket Satisfaction report show Aldi edging back toward the nine-out-of-ten mark, with 89.7... ...Read more »

Global market research organisation Nielsen has launched the first Australian ShopperLAB research facility, which has been installed in the Company’s Sydney head office. Nielsen said the lab, which will be announced this week at the Consumer 360 conference in the Blue Mountains in New South Wales, will enable manufacturers and retailers to better understand shopping behaviour and test concepts through “observation, interviews, eye tracking and neuroscience”. Aimed primarily at marketers, category... ...Read more »

Australians are expected to spend almost $1.4 billion spoiling their mums this year, according to research from market research organisation IBISWorld. This figure is an increase of 2.7 per cent from 2012, and almost three times the amount Australian spend on Father’s Day. Positive consumer sentiment, increasing disposable incomes and low unemployment are all expected to contribute to more lavish spending on Australian mums this year, according to IBISWorld. Adult Australians are expected to spend... ...Read more »

Sales of bottled water will overtake carbonates as the leading global soft drinks category in the next two years, according to data from beverage market research company Canadean. Canadean said the global trend toward bottled water is being bolstered by its healthy image, as well as necessity in areas of the world that are lacking alternative safe water supplies. Asia The main driver behind the category re-positioning is coming from Asia, according to Canadean. Volume sales in Asia are predicted... ...Read more »