A recent survey by The Nielsen Company, a global information and media company, found that nine out of 10 households plan to watch Super Bowl XLIV at home or at a friend’s or relative’s house instead of watching it from a restaurant or bar. And for their home viewing, only 5% of households expect…
Rutter’s Sends Valentine’s Boxes To Troops
For the fifth year in a row, Rutter’s Farm Stores and the nonprofit Support Our American Recruits will send Valentine’s Day goodie boxes to area troops serving in Iraq, Afghanistan or Kuwait. The organizations plan to send about 50 boxes – each containing enough items for a military unit of 15 to 20 people. Area…
Meaty Sales in the Snack Aisle
TOP PERFORMERS Jack Link’s Beef Jerky Slim Jim (ConAgra) Old Wisconsin Sausage HONORABLE MENTIONS Old Trapper Smoked Products World Kitchens Oberto Sausage Flavored products from hot and spicy to teriyaki and smoked are driving the meat snacks category as customers look for new varieties of their favorite snacks. Stick sales are reportedly up, and as…
Grocery Sales Going Up
Signs of the Times Overextended and anxious about the economy, consumers are responding to economic pressures by buying less, borrowing less and paying down credit card debt. The amount Americans owe on credit cards and other consumer loans plunged a record $21.6 billion in July, dimming prospects that the budding economic recovery will extend to…
Retailing on Two Wheels
With gas pumps out front, automotive supplies inside and the occasional adjacent lube shop, c-stores are geared toward the driving public. But as more commuters take to bikes for exercise, to save on gas or to support a greener environment, one c-store owner is making bicycles his business. A bike commuter and bike mechanic, Edwin…
Variety Spicing Up Salty Snacks
In the midst of the recession, more consumers are opting for at-home entertainment, which is good news for the salty snacks category. This trend may account for a jump in sales of chips and popcorn, the quintessential counterparts for an at-home movie. Last year, salty snack sales totaled $4,962 with a profit of $1,867, a…
Getting Cheesy
Utilizing its unique category focus and a new approach of utilizing its expertise to create powerful business solutions, the Kellogg Convenience Store Team is excited to launch Cheez-It Duoz baked snack crackers to its salty snack set. With two flavors in one bag, Cheez-It Duoz baked snack crackers offer consumers the tasty crunch and bold…
Packaged Healthy Snacks
TOP PERFORMERS Chex Mix (General Mills) Planters Trail Mix/Sunflower Seeds (Kraft Foods Inc.) Kellogg’s Special K Nutra Grain Bar HONORABLE MENTIONS Gardetto’s (General Mills) Keebler (Kellogg Co.) While some retailers are still debating whether they should add healthy snacks to their product mix, others are creating entire programs based on healthier concepts. Entire brands, in…
Reaching Your Target Audience
When times are good, you should advertise. When times are bad, you must advertise. There’s no doubt we’re trudging through some tough times—it’s been this way for at least the past year. And there’s certainly no “crystal ball” to tell us when it’ll all be over. We might pull out of this down cycle sooner…