Marketing Forecast from Ad-ology

According to the NRF, holiday shoppers are expected to spend an average of $155.43 on gift cards, the highest amount since 2007 and up from $145.61 in 2010. This holiday season, total spending on gift cards will reach $27.8 billion. “With discretionary gifts expected to be popular, many consumers will view gift cards as an ‘everyday value item,’ affording their loved ones the option of buying something they really want or need,” said NRF President and CEO Matthew Shay.

Homeowners across the U.S. seem to be reaching the same conclusion. It might be a long time before the real estate market improves. As a result, they are now spending more money improving homes than at any time since 2004.

Getting restaurant industry operators and consumers on the “green” bandwagon is necessary to minimize the impact that restaurants have on the environment in the future, according to a recent Mintel report, just more than half (57%) of respondents are willing to pay more for local and sustainable fare. Although still a small percentage of patrons are impacted, local or organic ingredients are particularly of interest to those living in Western states.

Ad-ology Research recently updated their Industry Marketing Insights report for Candy Retailers. The following are the predicted Top 3 Opportunities/Challenges from the report for this industry for the upcoming 12 months:

After enjoying robust growth rates for many years, wine producers and retailers have been struggling to regain momentum since the recession upended the economy. Merchants in this sector can optimize their performance by identifying and targeting the proper consumer groups. Promoting the beverage through the channels with the highest customer loyalty can also make a difference.

The family orientation of U.S. Hispanics extends to restaurant dining, according to The NPD Group. Slightly over 40% of restaurant visits by Hispanics include children compared to 30% of non-Hispanic visits, based on the latest findings from NPD’s “CREST Hispanic foodservice market research. Hispanic restaurant consumers indicate they would visit restaurants more often if their children are made to feel welcome.