The dried meat snacks category overall (including jerky) celebrated a healthy 2009 ringing up more $872.48 million in total dollar sales, up about 1% compared to 2008. Unit sales, however, slipped 3% to 424.43 million for the 52 weeks ended Dec. 27, 2009, according to Information Resources (IRI) . Breaking down the category by segment, [...]
Innovation, health and pricing are some of the factors that will help or hinder c-store operators looking to make money with juices and teas in 2010. While juices and teas have struggled over the past few years, 2009 was sort of a renaissance year for the category as both segments experienced sales gains. Overall, for [...]
The first sports and energy bars in the U.S. were marketed primarily to serious athletes, through alternative channels such as health food stores. These bars did not have wide appeal or distribution as recently as 1990, but over the past two decades these products have since gained mass appeal and distribution after greatly improving flavor [...]
State of beer: Despite a strong outlook for 2010, U.S. beer shipments dropped by 2.2% in 2009. Thousands of Barrels Shipped $2,008 2,009 Change Anheuser-Busch $107,025 104,800 ($2,225.00) MillerCoors $64,500 63,300 ($1,200.00) Crown Imports $11,583 11,000 ($583.00) Heineken USA $8,960 8,575 ($385.00) Pabst $5,900 5,700 ($125.00) Selling beer, wine and other adult [...]
Despite the SCHIP tobacco taxes that hit on April 1, 2009, cigar sales continue to persevere. The federal taxes on large cigars rose from 20.719% of the wholesale price with a tax cap of 4.875 cents per cigar to 52.75% of the wholesale price with a tax cap of 40.26 cents per cigar. The tax [...]
Turning a Profit The times have changed. Just as c-store foodservice evolved to meet the needs of fresh, fast and friendly service, so have the items that star on the roller grill. “Gone are the days of the shriveled hot dog, whose origins and expiration date are unknown,” said Tim Powell, the c-store foodservice program [...]
DID YOU KNOW? After several years of decline, the frozen novelties category was up close to 2% for the 52 weeks ended Dec. 27, 2009. Retailers can expect to see more customers eating at home, searching for value on purchases and buying more healthful food items, according to the International Dairy Deli Bakery Association (IDDBA). [...]
The simple truth is that no one is certain what the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will come up with next now that it has been given de facto control of the tobacco industry. But between bureaucratic control freaks, national, state and local taxes, and even the whispered fear of retailer liability concerns ahead, many [...]
THE POWER OF PIZZA $38 Billion Estimated total annual sales in pizza restaurants. 70,000 Number of pizza restaurants across the country. $19.6 Billion Total revenue accounted for by the top four pizza chains (Pizza Hut, Domino’s, Papa John’s, Little Caesars) Source: National Association of Pizzeria Operators To do well in 2010 with pizza, convenience store [...]
In the HBC category, miscellaneous health remedies brought in $74,935,760 in dollar sales, a 4% decline from the previous year according to Information Resources Inc. (IRI) data for the 52 weeks ended Dec. 27, 2009. Meanwhile the cold allergy and sinus liquids and tablets were down 11.6% for the same period. “We’re seeing increases in [...]
TOP FIVE U.S. Chicken producers Average Weekly Production (in million pounds) Market Share % Pilgrim’s Pride 146 20.30% Tyson Foods 144 20.00% Perdue Farms 55 7.60% Sanderson Farms 42 5.80% Wayne Farms 34 4.70% Investing in foodservice is a big step for any c-store chain, but if it’s done right, the [...]
In 2010, retailers are getting creative to reach customers with the general merchandise category. As with other categories, expect customers to be focused on finding more value for their dollar. 7-Eleven Inc. sees quirky, fun products attracting customer attention at its chain in 2010. The Dallas-based chain ended the fourth quarter of 2009 with an [...]
Resilient, tough and tested. These are just a few of the words analysts and retailers alike used to describe the convenience store and petroleum industry over the past 12 months. With the economy suffering its most difficult period in some 80 years, convenience stores held up rather admirably considering how consumer confidence plunged and the [...]
Inside the Numbers: Rutter’s FARM Stores 200+ Number of prepared food combinations available at any given time. 6 New prepared food items added to Rutter’s menu in February 2010. 5 Prepared food items dropped from Rutter’s menu in February 2010. 20% Store sales from prepared foods in the 37 Rutter’s locations equipped with order kiosks. [...]
Reaping Rewards Loyalty marketing programs recognize and reward the best customers of a business. Nearly one-third of U.S. consumers (32.3%) consider their participation in retail rewards programs to be “more important” as they seek to stretch their household budgets in the recessionary economy, according to survey research from Colloquy. In another significant result from its [...]