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organic & food-allergy marketplaces are set to be fruitful.

According to new research, both the organic market and the food-allergy market  have only just begun to bear 'fruit' and enjoy success.

According to a report from Global Industry Analysts, Inc., thanks to an increase in food sensitivies and allergies, "the global market for food allergy/intolerance products will continue to explode, reaching a projected $26.5 billion-plus by 2017." This can't be shocking for most of you; if you poll a group of 10-20 people, I can almost guarantee someone will have some sort of allergy, senstivity, intolerence, etc. In fact, in the past decade alone, food allergy incidences have risen ~10.5%. That's crazy!

This is great news for those who suffer from these allergies and issues, as it means they'll have more and more options to choose from. Suffering from ANYTHING is hard enough; having increased options to enjoy and make everyday life feel more 'normal' is a great thing.

I'm not sure if this has a halo effect on organic foods, or if organic foods is enjoying it's boom due to an increased focus on health & wellness in the U.S., but, according to the Organic Trade Association, "sales of organic products rose 9.5% in 2011 to $31.5 billion, crossing the $30 billion mark for the first time." While price is still an issue (many consumers dismiss organic foods because they consider them to be too expensive compared to generic products), as the recession's effect subside, consumers are increasingly open to investing in organics for themselves and their families.

So how does this growth break out?

- Organic food sales grew by 9.4%

- Fruit and vegetables accounting for 41% of all purchases

- Dairy products came in second with 14.6%,

- Packaged and prepared foods followed with 13.6%

-Meat, fish and poultry is the fastest-growing of the eight food categories, up 13% from 2010 (it should be noted that it still remains the smallest, accounting for just 1.8% of all organic food sales)

Of course organic (just like healthier foods) faces issues due to consumer confusion (people don't understand the difference between terms like 'organic', 'natural', 'local', etc.), but this is a great opportunity for brands to help consumer gain shopping confidence by helping them better understand the many terms they see in the grocery store, and recognize how to shop smarter and better (no matter how they define 'better').

Read more: http://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/173164/organic-heats-up-breaks-30-billion-mark.html?edition=46089#ixzz1t4B45M5g

baby boomers DO shop online.

My dad (who is celebrating his birthday today! happy brithday dad!) has what I like to call a small 'problem': he has an Amazon.com addiction. No, seriously. Every time we have a conversation about a project one of us like, a few days later there's inevitable a package from Amazon from him with said product in it. He even write product recomendations and places orders on monthly auto renewal.

I love it, and also think it's hilarious, but the point of this little story is that he, like many other Baby Boomers, DO shop online.

In fact, according to a study by the Integer Group and M/A/R/C Research, "52% of shoppers ages 50-54 are purchasing health and beauty products online, while 29% have bought food and beverage products online -- more than any other age group," debunking the myth that Boomers don't shop online.

So why are they shopping online? The same reason many of the rest of us shop online: DEALS! As Andrew Morse, director of insight and strategy at the Integer Group, explains, "The fact that the Boomer generation is buying more products online is less surprising in the context that the same group are core club store shoppers as well. We know Boomers are frugal; they seek out value for money in any situation. The same behavior is carrying through online.”

what was your favorite new product of 2011?

There's so many products launching every year sometimes it's difficult to keep track. However, like anything in life, the best tend to rise to the top.

According to the 2012 Best New Product Awards (BNPAs), "Mr. Clean Magic Eraser Bath Scrubber with Febreze won best overall product launch, as well as its category, household products. Sargento Natural Blends Cheddar-Mozzarella Cheese Snacks won for best launch within food and beverages, and Natural Johnson’s Natural Kids 3-in-1 Shampoo, Conditioner & Body Wash won best within the health and beauty category"

See the full list here.

What was really interesting was the look at consumer behaviors and attitudes towards the product categories they voted on. For example:

Food/beverage insights:

• Five in 10 -- in other words, half -- of adult shoppers consider themselves to be overweight. The same proportion say they are trying to reduce carbs in their diet, while seven in 10 are trying to reduce the amount of fat they consume.

• 86% continue to believe there’s a lot they can do with food and nutrition to prevent illness, and 65% say they are trying to reduce the risk of major health issues with their food choices (up from 62% a year ago).

Health/beauty:

• Only 25% of shoppers have been under the care of a dermatologist in the past five years.

• However, five in 10 feel that they have sensitive skin and look for appropriate products. The ingredients shoppers avoid most in skin care products are ammonia, peroxides and alcohol.

• Trust in the product can be built through dermatologists' recommendations, brand-name equity and consumer research that backs up product claims. 81% consider it extremely important than their beauty/grooming products are from a trusted brand, and 60% consider it extremely important that products are tested by dermatologists. Consumer research is trusted by 70% to 80% of shoppers, depending on the medium.

Private- label:

• More than nine in 10 shoppers have purchased private-label products in the past year.

• Seven in 10 shoppers have purchased private-label over-the-counter health products, up from just under six in 10 last year, making it the strongest category for private-label brands outside of food.

• National beverage brands are faring better than food brands. While nine in 10 shoppers have purchased private-label food products, less than half recall purchasing private-label beverages.

Environment:

• Just four in 10 shoppers are willing to pay more for environmentally friendly products, but more than eight in 10 appreciate it when the manufacturer bears the burden of producing environmentally friendly packaging.

What were you favorite product launches of 2011?

cartoons aren't only for kids; they're for lipstick (and nail polish too!).

There's an interesting trend emerging in the cosmetics category, with cartoon charachters adorning the packaging of cosmetics. This seems to be inspired (and driven) by a few things:

1. In crappy economic times women turn to makeup as a cheap pick-me-up that makes them feel better.

2. Wrapped (literally) in that splurge is the desire for physical beauty, which can be manifested in pretty packaging.

3. When the package itself projects a sense of excitement, beauty, and whimsey, the outside is almost as important as the inside!

MAC is a great example is the trend: "The brand introduced the Wonder Woman collection, with oversize compacts and lipglosses, last February; an online-only Miss Piggy collection the following November; a Venomous Villains collection in September 2010 (featuring some evil Disney characters like Cruella De Vil); and a Hello Kitty collection, with sleek black and pink packaging, in 2009."

What do you think? Is it nostalgia? Novelty? What do you think?

consumers are savvier than ever (alleviating me of my high school shame).

In high school, I remember buying this really cute tank top at Target. Full disclosure: said tank top was purchased because I had spilled a frozen caramel machiatto on myself while driving to my friends house, and, while this isn't unusual for me, I didn't have anything else to change into. I got a lot of compliments on that tank top, but, I distinctly remember awkwardly changing the subject when asked where it was from. While I thought it was a STEAL at $10 for something that garnered so much attention, I was embarrased it wasn't from Nordstroms or Express (or something more respectable in those days).

This, my friends, was before the days of "Tar-jaaaaaaay" and before it was cool to get something at a great price or on sae. Now, it's pretty much a badge of honor to say you snagged something at a thrift shop, Gilt Groupe, or that it was "totally 30% off of the 60% off and I had a coupon!"

This isn't just for apparel. According to the American Pantry Study, a Deloitte and Harrison Group, consumers are savvier than ever before, and that they "expect discounts, shop for deals, know when the deals are and like (some) private-label brands just fine."

Here's some stats:

- 80% of shoppers like to see how much money they can save via coupon use or shopper loyalty cards

- 69% are disappointed when they discover that a brand recently purchased is on sale at another store

- About 50% of the items consumers buy on stock-up trips are sale items, and about a third estimate that 70% of the items they bought on those trips were deals

- 62% said that have a good idea when products they want to buy will be on sale

- 90% said they are becoming more precise in what they buy

- 80% said they have become more efficient at getting in and out of the store

- 87% of respondents cited several store brands that they think are just as good as national brands when it comes to saving money without giving up quality

- 90% said they have already figured out which store brands and private labels work for their families

So what's the bottom line for CPG brands (and brands in other industries as well)? According to Pat Conroy, vice chairman, Deloitte LLP and consumer products sector leader, “shoppers today expect to get a deal on the products they purchase. With this mindset it is critical that consumer products companies take measures to enhance brand loyalty by connecting early and often with key audiences in environments outside of the store.”

finally, i'm not the only person buying shampoo online.

It's pathetic to admit, but my schedule is so slammed between work, school, and life that if I don't make a note to stop by Duane Reade on my way between appointments or work and school to get shampoo, I've got nothing to wash my hair with. So, I'm sure you can understand why Soap.com has changed my life (and, if you haven't tried it yet, go for it, then I DARE you to disagree with me!).

It's quite a way that consumer packaged goods (CPG) has come, huh? Despite Amazon's popularity, lots of CPG sites went bust over the past few years. However, now that people are comfortable making larger purchased online (ironically), they're now comfortable making everyday one; according to eMarketer, "online sales of everyday staples more than doubled between 2006 and 2010 and are expected to double again by 2014."

To be realistic, "online CPG sales still only account for 2% of the category’s sales overall," but, given the market, that's a whole lot of opportunity. As Krista Garcia, eMarketer analyst, explains, this is only the beginning, nothing that "CPG brands have begun to recognize the possibilities of direct-to-consumer sales. Larger, more established manufacturers are creating their own ecommerce solutions, while many others have begun partnering with pure-play sites devoted to selling CPGs online.”

Exciting! Do you buy your CPG products online? If so, which ones? Where? Why?

just how much do the ladies 'Like' CPG?

According to Vitrue, based on an analysis of 40 CPG brand pages on Facebook, "women account for 65% of CPG Likes, while they make up 55% of the U.S. Facebook population overall and account for 57% of all Likes. This lends support to the notion that women are more apt to Like a CPG brand than men."

Impressive! But why is that?

According to Fred Stuk, Vitrue’s analytics manager, “it is very interesting to note that older women make up a large percent of Likes for CPG brands than for average pages analyzed. My assumption is that older women tend to be the decision makers for CPG products in their family.” 

non-breaking news: private labels are still in.

According to the Private Label Manufacturing Association' 2011 Private Label Yearbook, "dollar market share for private-label products hit all time highs in supermarkets, drugstores and all channels," while "sales of store brands saw gains of more than 2% in U.S. supermarkets and nearly 5% in drug chains in 2010."

That not a scary enough stat for you? What about this one, claiming that "over the past decade, annual sales of private-label products have increased by 40% in supermarkets and by 96% in drug stores."

Wowza.

So, what's causing this shift?

According to the group's research, it's all about consumer satisfaction, and that "many of the consumers who experiment with more private label brands during the recession are happy with their 'no name' products." In fact, "a third of those polled reported that they are buying more store brands now compared to a year ago and over half describe themselves as frequent store brand shoppers." 

gluten free goes big(ger).

"Sales of gluten-free foods and beverages, once considered specialty items, had a compound annual growth rate of 30% in the U.S. between 2006 and 2010, according to the latest report on this category from research publisher Packaged Facts.

Packaged Facts, which previously projected that sales of gluten-free foods and beverages would reach $2.3 billion by 2011, has revised those estimates, putting the market at $2.64 billion in 2010.

Moreover, despite factors such as expected falling product prices due to a greater presence of these items in mass outlets and more private-label choices, the researcher expects gluten-free products to show average annual compound growth of 14% between 2011 and 2015, to reach sales of to $5.6 billion by 2015."

the love affair with private brands is still hot.

According to Mintel, "concerted efforts retailers have made to improve store brands -- including offering several tiers of 'generics' -- has paid off, with 44% of grocery store customers saying they believe store brand products are better today than they were five years ago. And just 19% say it's worth paying more for name-brand products. Some 34% in the survey say they don't feel like they are sacrificing anything by buying these store-branded goods.

The commitment to private-label varies by category: In dairy products, 62% believe there's no difference in quality between name and store brand; 61% in canned or shelf-stable food products, and 56% in household cleaners. The two exceptions, it finds, are drinks and personal care products. Some 60% of shoppers usually or sometimes purchase private-label bread or baked goods, and 58% usually or sometimes purchase store brand cheese.

'The lack of perceived difference can be attributed, in part, to the fact that many retailers have introduced premium private-label products in recent years that rival their branded counterparts in flavor and nutritional value, as well as the packaging design and shelf placement,' writes Fiona O'Donnell, senior analyst at Mintel. 'Even though the recession has ended, and consumers may be in a better position financially to return to name brands, it's likely that many will continue to buy store brand staples that are of equal quality.'

People are also increasingly confident that the savings private labels offer is significant. A recent study from the Private Label Manufacturers Association tracked 40 typical grocery items at a conventional supermarket, ranging from soup to pancake mix to sinus spray and cough drops, and found that buying private-label products when available saved $43.92 (a savings of 33.6%) on average on the total market basket."