From The Fall 2005 Issue of Natural Grocery Buyer

Statshots

Snack attacks get fresh
Are kids finally listening to their moms? Children ages 2 to 12 say their most frequent snack is fresh fruit, The NPD Group marketing firm reports, with yogurt coming in second among kids ages 2 to 7. Other favorite snacks include potato chips, gum, chocolate and cookies, according to NPD’s SnackTrack data service.

“As people age, fruit drops down a little on the list, but it still remains one of the most popular snacks at any age,” says Harry Balzer, vice president of Port Washington, N.Y.-based NPD. Adults report their favorite snack is gum, which is both portable and not prone to spoil. “People are just walking around waiting for this snack to happen,” Balzer says. “How long will a banana last in your purse or briefcase?”

Balzer predicts marketers will take a second look at new gum and candy products targeted at adults, whose other favorites include chocolate, fresh fruit, potato chips, mints, ice cream, nuts and cookies. And Americans over age 65 are going for nuts in large numbers, with 28 percent of men and 24 percent of women snacking on nuts at least once a week, compared with 13 percent of younger folks.

—L.E.

Food for women grows 80 percent a year
Food and beverage products designed specifically for women will be a $58.7 billion category by 2009, predicts Packaged Facts in a new report, “The U.S. Market for Women’s Food and Beverages.” It’s a $4.6 billion business now, growing from just $430 million in 2000, and targeting mature categories such as breakfast cereal and juice, says Packaged Facts Acquisitions Editor Don Montuori.

Chronic illness creates demand
Chronic ailments force permanent lifestyle changes, including substantial shifts in eating habits. A new report from Information Resources Inc. shows how the growth of obesity (now afflicting 30 percent of adults), high cholesterol (17 percent) and diabetes (6 percent) will alter food purchase patterns as the baby boom generation ages.

The latest IRI Times & Trends report, “Chronic Disease: Capitalizing on Growth Potential through Patient Marketing,” suggests that supermarkets not only beef up their pharmacies, since three-quarters of people with diabetes or high cholesterol take prescription medication to control symptoms, but focus on these people’s daily food, supplement and information needs. “From channel selection to product selection, chronic sufferers are strongly influenced by their ailment,” the report says.

“A large number of chronic ailment sufferers purchase categories with disease-management benefits, such as low-calorie soft drinks, vitamins and minerals,” it adds. “However, because these consumers also make room for more indulgent foods and beverages, marketing efforts should reflect the whole shopping basket and not be limited to products with disease-management characteristics.”

In other words, low-carb dieting was just a fad, but to a diabetic, a tasty, sugar-free cheesecake will always be a joy to behold.

—L.E.