Consumers Cut Back On Health, Food–But Not TVs

MediaPost Publications – Consumers Cut Back On Health, Food–But Not TVs – 09/09/2008

Nearly half (44%) of U.S adults report that their diets are becoming less healthy as food prices rise, 52% are buying fewer organic products, and 48% are spending less on health and wellness overall, according to a new study from cultural trend tracking firm Faith Popcorn’s BrainReserve.

Consumer electronics, including flat-screen TVs and video games, seems to be one of the very few category that has benefited as consumers become even more entrenched in cocooning to save money (43% report spending more on their homes, with consumer electronics on the top of the list), Popcorn points out.

Two-thirds (66%) of respondents report cutting back on overall spending, and 84% report making changes such as reducing shopping trips. Fully 90% of women and 79% of men (84% overall) report “buying less stuff,” and 90% report that they are considering opting for a simpler life.

Filed under: Consumer, economy, shopping, trends

Study: Shoppers Migrate Down, Down, Down

MediaPost Publications – Study: Shoppers Migrate Down, Down, Down – 09/03/2008

While discounters may be stealing some customers from department stores, for example, they are likely losing others to dollar stores. “As a result of shopper migration, retailers’ customer profiles are shifting,” says TNS Retail Forward’s report.

Filed under: Consumer, economy, shopping

Majority of Consumers Using More Coupons

Majority of Consumers Using More Coupons

Bad news for trees, good news for business.

A new study finds that 72% of consumers are using more coupons than
they did six months ago. Three-quarters of those respondents
claimed the economy made them do it.

Filed under: Consumer, coupons, economy

Upscale Shoppers Lead Costco Pilgrimage

Upscale Shoppers Lead Costco Pilgrimage – MarketingVOX

As the economy weakens, traffic at club stores targeting budget-conscious shoppers has increased at a rate faster than US population growth — with upscale consumers driving the increase, according to new data from Mediamark Research & Intelligence (MRI), writes Retailer Daily.

The number of people that shop at club stores like Costco, B.J.’s and Sam’s Club increased 3.6 percent from September 2006 to April 2008, while the total adult population increased just over 1 percent in the same time period, according to MRI’s Survey of the American Consumer.

Filed under: Consumer, affluent, economy, shopping

As Supercenters Gain, Wal-Mart Still Attracts The Affluent

MediaPost Publications – As Supercenters Gain, Wal-Mart Still Attracts The Affluent – 08/13/2008

While the limping economy has hurt most retailers, Wal-Mart continues to be a big beneficiary. A new report
from Information Resources Inc. finds that the Bentonville, Ark.-based company is posting market-share gains in an impressive 84% of the top 100 consumer-product goods categories.

While lower- and middle-income shoppers increased their spending at Wal-Mart when the economy started to soften, the report finds that the bigger change has been upper-income consumers who have flocked to
Wal-Mart in the last six months, as gas prices soared.

Filed under: Consumer, affluent, economy, shopping

Bookbags, Footwear Vulnerable In Back-To-School Cutbacks

MediaPost Publications – Bookbags, Footwear Vulnerable In Back-To-School Cutbacks – 08/18/2008

NPD points out that because most consumers aren’t worried about losing their jobs, consumer spending should hold up. That “most directly reflects the state of the spending psyche of consumers,” it says. “As long as they feel comfortable about their continued employment, they will continue to spend.”

Filed under: Consumer, economy, kids, shopping

Downturn Gives Rise To New Consumer Beliefs

MediaPost Publications – Study: Downturn Gives Rise To New Consumer Beliefs – 08/19/2008

While it’s certainly not news that high prices and economic fears are causing consumers to cut back, a new study from Cramer-Krasselt finds that behaviors are shifting in ways few marketers may have expected. “This downturn is like no other in generations,” the agency notes in its study, “not because of its severity, but because it has given rise to a new set of consumer beliefs.”

Filed under: Consumer, economy

Spendy Co-Eds: Digitally-Engaged, Socially Responsible

Spendy Co-Eds: Digitally-Engaged, Socially Responsible – MarketingVOX

A record-level 13.6 million college students (age 18-30) will soon
arrive on campus and account for a record $237 billion in spending this
year — up 20 percent from ‘07, according to Alloy Media + Marketing’s 8th annual College Explorer study, powered by Harris Interactive

Filed under: Consumer, Gen Y, Young Adults, college students, digital, social responsibility, students

The Overflowing American Dinner Plate

Metrics – The Overflowing American Dinner Plate – NYTimes.com

The average American’s food consumption per week has jumped from 16.4 pounds in 1970 to 18.2 pounds in 2006. Americans also consume an additional extra quarter pound of fat every week over 1970, and dairy consumption has dropped.

Filed under: Consumer, Obesity, diet, food, health

Study: Two-thirds of Consumers Reading Labels More Often

Study: Two-thirds of Consumers Reading Labels More Often

A survey released today by the Nielsen Co. found that 65% of
American consumers say they notice information on food packaging
more often compared to only two years ago.

Sixty-seven percent of U.S. consumer claim to mostly understand
what they are reading compared to 44% globally. That leaves a third
of the U.S. and more than half the world wondering exactly what
Sodium Benzoate and other ingredients and metrics actually
mean.

Filed under: CPG, Consumer, beverages, diet, food, health