Despite a fragile economy, American consumers continue to see alcoholic beverages as an affordable indulgence. The Nielsen Company offers its outlook on alcoholic beverage trends as the critical holiday season approaches: Restaurants and Bars Hurting With consumers staying in and entertaining at home more often, the on-premise sector - restaurants, bars and nightclubs - is facing serious challenges. Consumers are going out to eat less often, as evidenced by a recent Nielsen survey, where two-thirds... ...Read more »

Independent South Australian Senator Nick Xenophon is planning to introduce a notice of motion to Parliament next week that will seek changes to the current GROCERYchoice website. The survey, implemented following the Grocery Price Inquiry, has been criticised by some, who claim it does not provide enough timely information for consumers and allay concerns that too much focus is on Coles and Woolworths. The grouping of all independents together has also been questioned. The ACCC has advised that... ...Read more »

The Kellogg Company is attempting to utilise consumer insights collected from virtual shopping to enhance the packaging of its breakfast cereals. Consumers are now more demanding than ever, private label is placing greater pressure on ‘national brands’ and the economic crisis is softening demand and reducing impulse purchases. As a result, virtual shopping has become an increasingly popular tool for brand marketers in the US, in particular, as the ability, and tools used, to understand... ...Read more »

Once considered a lower-price, lower-quality substitute for name brands, private label products, or home brands, are now viewed in a more positive light by the majority of American consumers, according to a new survey by The Nielsen Company. Nearly three-quarters (72 per cent) of consumers believe store brands are good alternatives to name brands and 62 per cent of consumers report they consider store brands to be as good as name brands, up three points since 2005. Private label products now account... ...Read more »

Research identifying greater concerns for the restaurant industry, as a result of a downturn in consumer spending, compared to other food industry sectors, appears to be on the mark. The latest retail trade statistics from the ABS highlight the strain any further consumer cost cutting could put on restaurants. Cafes, restaurants and takeaway food services represented the worst performed industry sector in the September quarter, with a 0.6% drop in the trend. Food retailing, meanwhile, had the largest... ...Read more »

With Britain facing its sharpest economic downturn in 30 years, the National Farmers Union (NFU) is calling on the country’s largest retailers to take the lead in a new approach to corporate social responsibility, which would see fair pricing for both customers and suppliers put at the heart of their retail policy. The plea comes after accusations of major supermarkets becoming more aggressive in their demands of suppliers. Mr Kendall will make the call for greater responsibility in a speech... ...Read more »

Recently released research by KPMG International and CIES reveals that, far from regarding corporate responsibility as a cost, many leading retailers and manufacturers see sustainability as: • a driver of innovation that can help build growth and profitability • integrated into the core business • driven by business need rather than formal requirements • having a neutral or positive impact on the bottom line • playing a crucial role in recruitment and retention The report, ‘KPMG/CIES... ...Read more »

The Chairman of Wesfarmers, Trevor Eastwood, has told shareholders that he is excited about the platform for growth of Coles, now that the senior management team is in place. Mr Eastwood was looking to appease shareholders who have watched Wesfarmers’ share price drop to less than half of what it was a year ago and rejected proposed pay rises for the company’s directors. The proposed bonus scheme could see the salary of the company’s Managing Director, Richard Goyder, increase... ...Read more »

The health and wellness boom has been inextricably linked to the beauty industry this year, as food and drink consumers happily enjoyed as part of a healthy diet (e.g. superfruits and green tea) started to regularly appear in beauty products. Next year, we can expect to see food and beauty become even more intertwined, according to market intelligence firm Mintel. Mintel expects ‘good-for-you’ food ingredients, such as probiotics, to increasingly show up in our cosmetics and skincare... ...Read more »

Power outages this summer could cost supermarkets hundreds of thousands of dollars in damaged or destroyed fresh food.A sudden brown-out or black-out, with increasing numbers of homes and buildings drawing on the power grids, will catch many owners and staff unawares forcing expensive loss of goods. An Australian company, Australian Industrial Rental (AIR), has developed a solution for supermarkets and fresh food retailers, and the fresh food industry, with a power generator that automatically synchs... ...Read more »