More U.S. cities go green and ban the use of plastic bags in retail outlets. The ban on plastic bags continues as Seattle bans single-use plastic shopping bags at all businesses in the city, according to an Examiner report. The ban went into effect on Sunday, as was approved by the Seattle City Council in December.…
Preparing Sandwiches The Ways Consumers Want Them
Technomic Inc. reports that sandwiches prove to be more successful items on lunch and dinner menus for the past two years. Sandwiches are a staple food item for both lunch and dinner menus at limited- and full-service restaurants, and more consumers report purchasing sandwiches away from home today compared to two years ago. “Today’s consumer…
Small Shopper Concentrations Drive Product Launch Success
Findings from a new Catalina report underscore the importance of reaching and motivating the right customers when introducing new products. A new report published by Catalina, a provider of precise consumer-driven marketing, finds that only a tiny fraction of shoppers determine the success of new Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) product launches. The report explores the…
C-Stores Missing Significant Snack Sales Opportunities
Consumer research from MSA and Paradigm Sample suggest the majority of customers looking to buy salty snacks leave the store empty-handed, a serious no-no for convenience stores. By Trish Temmerman, Management Science Associates (MSA). Nearly eight in 10 convenience store customers looking to buy salty snacks on a shopping occasion have left the store without…
Cultivating Loyal Customers
Savvy c-store operators are using loyalty programs to improve merchandise planning and forecasting to spur long-term growth. By Howard Riell, Associate Editor. Loyalty programs, when administered well, offer c-store retailers solid benefits—the ability to react to trends quickly, make more informed decisions, improve cost effectiveness and aid in merchandise planning and sales forecasting. “Loyalty programs…
Consumers Focus On Healthful Foods
IDDBA’s “What’s in Store” report shows customers are looking to eat healthier, shopping more but buying less on trips. Consumers are buying less food less frequently, making value that includes health the crux of their shopping ethos, according to “What’s in Store 2012,” the published trends report from the International Dairy-Deli-Bakery Association (IDDBA). Spending on…
C-Store Industry To Reach $856.5 Billion By 2014
New report shows c-stores have greatly benefited from the growth of the overall retail industry. Research and Markets has announced the addition of the “US Convenience Stores Forecast to 2014” report to its offering. The U.S. convenience stores industry, one of the world’s largest and fastest growing sectors, presents lucrative investment opportunities for new players.…
Lessons in Retail Leadership
Despite fast-changing customer expectations, shortened product and retail life cycles and rapid technological advancements, many retailers have not taken advantage of opportunities to innovate. By applying new perspectives to established ways of doing business, convenience store retailers can strengthen their competitive and financial positions, improve the customer experience and create a new life cycle of…
Most Innovative Consumer Packaged Goods of 2012 Unveiled
In collaboration with TNS, 50,000 shoppers select the nation’s 22 most innovative products of the year. Product of the Year USA, the largest consumer product award that rewards innovation and is voted on by consumers, brought together executives from iconic consumer brands, such as Proctor & Gamble, Colgate-Palmolive, PepsiCo, ConAgra Foods and Johnson & Johnson…
Out-of-Stocks Drive Customers To Your Competitors
Nearly one-third of U.S. shoppers found empty shelves this holiday season, an Aldata survey finds. Holiday shopping wasn’t a cheerful experience for many Americans this holiday season. According to a new survey of more than 1,000 U.S. in-store shoppers, 31% discovered that the product(s) they were looking for this holiday season were out of stock.…