Once the darling of Wall Street, Whole Foods Market spent much of the last 18 months out in the cold as it witnessed sales and profits slide in the face of the economic downturn. However, the company’s stock surged to a two-year high last Thursday after the natural and organic retailer reported strong sales and profits growth. With the economic outlook brightening, it seems Whole Foods is beginning to witness something of a renaissance. Katy Humphries reports.2009 was a disappointing year for... ...Read more »

US natural and organic retailer Whole Foods Market claimed that it is emerging from the recession “faster” than its peers as it booked a strong increase in sales for the second quarter of fiscal 2010. The company said that it had benefited from shoppers “selectively trading up” on Wednesday (12 May) when it unveiled a 13% increase in total sales, which rose to US$2.11bn in the three month period. Speaking to analysts during a conference call, co-CEO John Mackay emphasised... ...Read more »

Boom: Aussie confidence, job prospects, personal finances and discretionary spending Gloom: Rising interest rates, escalating debt levels, increasing utility costs, and voter dissatisfaction The latest findings from Nielsen’s Global Online Consumer Survey for Quarter 1, 2010 reveal a tale of two outlooks among Australians. While we are still one of the most optimistic developed markets globally; with growing confidence in the job market, personal finances, and propensity to spend on discretionary... ...Read more »

Weight Watchers International has booked a drop in earnings for the first quarter, hurt by poor weather, a slowdown in the economy and “difficult” operating conditions.For the three months ended 3 April, the company earned US$44.6m compared to $47.3m in the prior year. First-quarter revenues also declined, by 4.5% on a constant-currency basis, to $388m. Operating income amounted to $91.4m, a 5% decline on the prior year. “The first quarter of fiscal 2010 proved to be one of the... ...Read more »

As the pressures of weak consumer spending continues and major UK retailers embark on a promotional war to win shoppers, the lowly loaf of bread is at the centre of a fierce price battle on grocery shelves.And the UK’s three major players in what is a static bread category, Premier Foods plc, family-owned Warburtons and Associated British Foods, all believe they are holding their own in a category where the recovery has been a longer process than expected. ABF chief executive George Weston... ...Read more »

It really is too early to call either way. No, not the UK General Election, but whether consumer confidence is finally returning.Have British consumers shaken off the recession? After 18 months of belt-tightening, are they focusing less on price and embracing premium products once again? Or are consumers, aware of the parlous state of public finances in many developed countries, holding firm and preparing for the pain yet to come? Last week, retail analysts at Kantar Worldpanel raised eyebrows when... ...Read more »

* Pre-tax profits up 10%; trading profits rise 12% * Turnover climbs almost 7% * Asia trading profits increase 18.9% UK retail giant Tesco yesterday (20 April) booked a 10.1% rise in annual profits as earnings in Asia jumped and the company boosted its domestic business with investment in loyalty scheme Clubcard. Tesco reported underlying pre-tax profits of GBP3.34bn (US$5.13bn) for the 52 weeks to 27 February, a rise of 10.1% on the year. Trading profit was up 12.3% to GBP3.41bn, while group sales... ...Read more »

While the economy continues to negatively influence certain shopping behaviors, one category’s bubble refuses to pop. According to recent research from Mintel, the gum, mints and breath fresheners market has seen sales growing through the recession, increasing over 10% since 2007, and is expected to continue growing through 2014.”Although this market is not entirely recession proof; gum, mints and breath fresheners are faring well due to their low price points and the feeling that consumers... ...Read more »

Market research firm Mintel has taken a look at the global consumer to discover the themes behind the behaviour, with five standing out above the rest. “At the end of last year, we knew 2009 was going to be difficult for people across the globe,” Harry Foster, Global Analyst at Mintel, recalled. “But as we review our five consumer trend predictions, we see that optimism has steadily balanced out stress and economic hardship. The first half of the year was especially challenging,... ...Read more »

The global recession is giving rise to a new breed of consumer that demands greater value for money and is less likely to put up with inferior service, according to a UK report released overnight. The BDO Stoy Hayward research discovered that 74 per cent of shoppers will now leave a store if they experience bad service, while 71 per cent would look elsewhere in search of cheaper prices as consumers begin to believe retailers should feel privileged to have them in their store. Don Williams, retail... ...Read more »