Australians are likely to be sensible with any cash benefits they receive from the Government’s stimulus package and either put it towards their mortgage or save it, a survey by the Australian National Retailers Association has found. ANRA, which represents Australia’s leading retailers, undertook a poll of 1,000 Australians late last week, asking how consumers will spend their part of the Federal Government’s stimulus package. “Close to 40 per cent of people will put the... ...Read more »
Nearly six out of 10 Americans report they have had to cut back on the quantity or quality of food they buy because of increasing prices, according to The 2008 Hormel Hunger Survey, carried out by the Opinion Research Corporation.The study, commissioned by Hormel Foods Corporation, discovered most Americans (67%) believe that food prices have ‘increased a lot’ since last year, with 61 per cent suggesting that corn-based ethanol is at least partly responsible for higher food prices. Fifty-seven... ...Read more »
Australian shoppers are re-evaluating their shopping habits in the face of rising household costs, according to a recent study undertaken by The Nielsen Company. This has seen two out of every three Australians (66%) reduce, or plan to cutback on, purchases of non-essential grocery items, 41 per cent avoiding the purchase of certain items altogether, and more than one-third (38%) buying fewer items. The Nielsen study, which surveyed 1,500 Australian consumers, found that fuel, home loans,... ...Read more »
Today’s consumers want to have a greater say about food ingredients, safety and quality, and by the year 2020, consumers around the globe expect the way they choose and shop for food to be different, according to a recent study of consumers in five countries. The study, called ‘Food 2020: The Consumer as CEO’, examined the perceptions, expectations and considerations about food among consumers in the U.S., the U.K., Germany, Argentina and China, and sought to provide an outlook... ...Read more »
Peak retail industry body the Australian Retailers Association (ARA) left optimistic the Rudd Government is providing the leadership needed to respond to the global financial crisis following the Small Business Summit on Friday, but added that more could be done to help small business. Prime Minister Kevin Rudd and Small Business Minister Dr Craig Emerson announced a number of new measures on Friday including: 1. Small Business Support and Advice during the financial crisis from Business Enterprise... ...Read more »
Peak retail industry body the Australian Retailers Association (ARA) yesterday called on retailers to get involved with environmental debates, including the proposed emissions trading scheme and plastic bag bans. Speaking to an auditorium of over 300 at the Future’s So Bright Green conference, ARA Executive Director Richard Evans encouraged retailers to embrace the opportunity in the challenge to ‘go green’ by engaging with governments. “Whether you agree with the science... ...Read more »
Costco, one of the world’s top ten retailers by sales, remains committed to their expansion plans in Australia in spite of economic concerns. The company is due to open their first site at Docklands in Melbourne next year and Sydney is slated as the next market for the American giant to enter. They remain coy about their future expansion in the country, but are not too concerned about the softening in consumer demand witnessed in Australia this year. “We still plan to have one site in... ...Read more »
A new survey from market intelligence firm Mintel suggests adolescent’s food perceptions and actual eating habits may not be as dire as many believe. Asking why they eat what they eat, Mintel found that two in five (42%) American kids and teens reach for foods that give them more energy. Over a third (35%) purposefully eat foods that are rich in vitamins and nutrients. Approximately a quarter try to eat foods that are low in fat and 22% look for low-in-sugar foods. “The battle is half... ...Read more »
Inflation data for the year to September was released by the ABS today, with the 5% increase the greatest since 1995 (excluding the period when the GST was introduced). The inflation rate is now well above the 2-3% target range of the RBA but is not expected to stop the central bank cutting interest rates at their next meeting in November. Food inflation for the September quarter was at 1.4%, bringing the yearly rate up to 3.4% - well below the figure seen earlier this year when commodity... ...Read more »
The franchising sector has continued its strong growth in the past two years according to the results of the Franchise Australia 2008 Survey revealed at the sectors leading annual conference - the National Franchise Convention. The resultsdiscovered a continued growth rate in franchise systems of 14.6% from 2006 to mid-2008. “The survey findings are a sign of the confidence in the franchising sector at a time when global and domestic economic indicators are in decline,” FCA (Franchise... ...Read more »