Marketing Forecast from Ad-ology

Despite a shopping list being a tool to stay on budget and eliminate unnecessary purchases, research shows that nine out of ten shoppers still buy items not on their list, according to new research from The Integer Group and M/A/R/C Research. Of these shoppers who purchase off-list items, 66% say the reason was a sale or promotion, 30% say they found a coupon, and 23% say they simply wanted to pamper themselves.

According to a new survey of 600 gardeners nationwide, 75% of respondents plan to grow vegetables in their gardens and 50% indicate they will be growing fruits and herbs. Gardeners cite better taste, fun activity and cost savings as the primary reason to grow their own produce. While long seen as a rural and suburban hobby, food gardening is now actively embraced by people living in urban areas as well.

Ad-ology Research recently updated their report for Health/Natural Food Stores. The following are the predicted Top 3 Opportunities/Challenges from the report for this industry for the upcoming 12 months:

Away-from-home soup and salad purchases are on the rise, as consumers seek light, healthy and affordable fare. A variety of portion sizes featuring soup/salad options on different areas of the menu allows consumers to tailor their meal specifically to their needs. According to Technomic, 62% of consumers now order soup at least occasionally during restaurant visits, up from 43% just two years ago.

U.S. consumers fuel themselves for the day with a variety of eating and drinking occasions from the time they awake in the morning until 11 a.m., according to a new study by The NPD Group. According to the study, 43% of these eating and drinking occasions consist of a beverage but no food, 24% a small/mini meal, 21% a full/complete meal, and 11% a snack. By developing versatile products and positioning products as both a meal and snack, companies can meet consumers’ varied morning meal needs.

Locally-sourced products are quickly becoming more popular at grocery stores and restaurants alike, and in some cases, trumping organic options. Yet many consumers still aren’t eating the daily recommended amount of veggies. Educating consumers on how to prepare them, as well as reminding them that eating vegetables is a healthier way to get important vitamins than taking a pill, may increase product consumption.