From The April/May 2003 Issue of Natural Grocery Buyer

Trendspotting

Masculine Markets
Personal care product sales for men are growing. In 2001, men's products accounted for $4 billion of the $33.5 billion U.S. personal care market, according to Datamonitor.

Mintel Consumer Intelligence reports that 36 percent of men age 18 to 24 use hair gels, mousse and other styling products, compared to 34 percent of men age 25 to 34. Eleven percent of men age 18 to 24 use hair-coloring products compared to 6 percent of 24- to 34-year-olds and 7 percent of men age 45 to 54.

—V.U.

Organic Pizza, Anyone?
Since 1999, grocery stores have outsold natural products supermarkets in a variety of organic categories, including frozen entrees, pizza and convenience foods; milk, half and half, and cream; nondairy beverages; cold cereals; cookies; snack bars and tofu, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Economic Research Service.

And the market for nontraditional organic foods such as pizza continues to grow in conventional supermarkets. The Natural Foods Merchandiser reports that in 2000, 51.3 percent of all frozen organic entrees, pizza and convenience foods were sold in grocery stores. That number increased to 53.1 percent in 2001.

Overall, according to SPINS/ACNielsen, grocery stores sold $74 million worth of frozen organic entrees, pizza and convenience foods in the year ending June 2001. Total 2001 sales in all venues for the category were $152 million, NFM reports.

Supermarkets continue to perform in other organic categories as well. An Organic Trade Association Manufacturers' Survey reports that in 2001, 45 percent of organic manufactured products were sold in grocery stores, compared to 31 percent in 1998.

In 2000, grocery stores sold 49 percent of all organic products nationwide, the USDA reports. But natural products retailers, which comprise 1 percent of all food stores in the United States, sold 48 percent of all organic food in 2000, the USDA notes.

—V.U.

Where the Savvy Shop
More than 50,000 natural and organic products from 30 countries were featured at Natural Products Expo West in Anaheim, Calif., in March. The natural products industry's largest trade show drew a record crowd of more than 31,000 natural products retailers, natural grocery buyers, brokers, distributors and manufacturers.

Buyers shopping the show floor found 600 new products, including new organic and vegetarian frozen and shelf-stable entrees, organic cookies and snacks, gourmet teas and other beverages, natural personal care products and natural pet food.

Natural grocery buyers can plan for their next natural products shopping excursion at Natural Products Expo East and Organic Products Expo-Biofach America, which will be held Sept. 4 to 7 at the Washington Convention Center, by visiting www.expoeast.com.

—L.P.

Soy Big
Consumer demand for soy-based food and beverages has more than doubled, according to figures from Mintel Consumer Intelligence. Soy sales were $1.7 billion in 2002, up from $817 million in 1997. Mintel predicts sales will increase to $3.3 billion by 2007.

—V.U.