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We've moved to a new destination, www.myshopper360.com!

Save $300 on Shopper Insights in Action this Week Only

This is just a quick note to let you know that THIS WEEK the discount expires to save $300 off registration for the Shopper Insights in Action Conference. This event has been dubbed by your industry as “the most actionable industry event for CPG and retail researchers and marketers.”

See for yourself why an astounding 78% of companies return to this event each year...

- This is the place where next best practices are created onsite, real time
- Where new research studies are revealed, new technologies are unveiled and progress is celebrated
- More client side speakers than any other event out there
- The most comprehensive agenda on why we buy and how to take action
- All new keynotes featuring Dan Ariely, Author of Predictably Irrational, Lee Eisenberg, Author of Shoptimism, Mark Changizi, Author of The Vision Revolution. From shopper psychology to neuroscience to vision tracking, these keynotes explore every possible element of shoppers to understand and predict their next move.

We're also excited to announce a new speaker to the program:
Joe Jackman, Chief Marketing Officer, Duane Reade, a Walgreens Co.

Make sure not to miss his session Retail Relevancy: The Result When Insights Drive Innovation at the Shopper Insights in Action Conference!

Inside Duane Reade’s Transformation: What Made Walgreens Take Notice?

When the 50 year old NYC drug store chain, Duane Reade decided to rethink their brand and customer experience, they hired Joe Jackman. This career retail strategist and expert in guiding retail brand transformations became responsible for leading their overall strategy and spruce up their image. Beginning in late 2009, the brand started bringing to life the company's new brand mantra of "New York Living Made Easy" with a complete overhaul. Jackman will speak for the first time at an industry event about the insights that led to such transformation.

The ultimate result? Walgreens took notice and acquired the chain in February 2010 as part of their own Customer-Centric Initiative.

The Institute for International Research is pleased to announce that Joe Jackman, Acting Chief Marketing Officer for Duane Reade will be keynoting at the 10th annual Shopper Insights in Action Conference taking place July 11-14, 2010 in Chicago, IL. His session “Revitalizing Brands: The Power of Insights to Drive Retail Transformation” will take place on Tuesday, July 13th at 10:30 am.

Jackman was also a key member of the leadership team tasked with the recent turnaround of Old Navy, and most recently, as Acting CMO of Duane Reade, one of the leaders behind the impossibly fast and surprising reinvention of Duane Reade, New York’s iconic drugstore chain.
In his presentation, Jackman will draw from his experience with these retail brands and others, sharing his thoughts on how to craft strategies that ignite momentum before change becomes visible, the role of research to establish foundations for action and uncover what really matters, and the importance of allowing insights to be the north star for creating inspired brand expression and content.

The Shopper Insights in Action Conference Background
The 10th annual Shopper Insights in Action Conference is recognized as the industry’s #1 shopper-focused event in the world – where Brands, Retailers and their Partners analyze the changing shopper mindset, translate insights into opportunities and explore emerging trends influencing the retail world. To view the complete program and speaker roster is available for review at: www.shopperinsightsevent.com

This event is open for registration. $100 discount is available through May 14, 2010. For registration information, visit the conference website at www.ShopperInsightsEvent.com or call 888.670.8200

When registering please mention priority code: M2215PR1

With over 50 educational sessions, 75+ speakers and over 500 expected to attend, this is the most comprehensive agenda for translating insights into action. Speaking companies are best-in-class brand and retail leaders including Procter & Gamble, Stop & Shop, JCPenney, Staples, Home Depot, Office Depot, Food Lion, Kraft Foods, ConAgra, The Coca-Cola Company and more. Visionary keynotes include Dan Ariely, Author of Predictably Irrational, Lee Eisenberg, Author of Shoptimism, Kit Yarrow, Author of Gen BuY and more.

Press Contact: Hinde Liepmannsohn, hinde@iirusa.com

ConAgra's "Six Seasons" Shopper Marketing Wins Award

Last week, ConAgra took the Advertising Research Foundation David Ogilvy Awards for Excellence in Advertising Research for its shopper marketing research, "Six Seasons." The research performed involved looking at the six seasons that shoppers feel have emotional and practical needs for their family, unique to the other seasons in the calendar year. Foodprocessing.com reports that the identified seasons are Post-Holiday, Spring, Summer, Back to School, October Fling and Holiday. According to the report, by utilizing the "Six Seasons" approach, ConAgra identified a 30% increase in ROI from previous shopper marketing campaigns.

ConAgra Foods Receives Excellence in Shopper Marketing Award

Walmart Grocery Sales Up

The retailing giant has drawn half of its U.S. sales from groceries for the first time in the store's history, reports the Wall Street Journal. Writes reporter Karen Talley, "The drive to offer more groceries is appealing to certain retailers, especially as consumers are still a bit skittish about discretionary purchases. Target Corp. is making a big push into groceries by converting existing stores to sell food and incorporating fresh produce and food at newer ones."

Do you think that Walmart will continue to lead other retailers in their grocery offerings? When the recession ends will they still reign?

Shopper Insights in Action 2010 Welcomes Joe Jackman, CMO, DUANE READE, a WALGREENS COMPANY

We're thrilled to announce that Joe Jackman, Chief Marketing Officer, DUANE READE, a WALGREENS COMPANY will be speaking at Shopper Insights in Action 2010.

Join Joe his keynote presentation, "Revitalizing Brands: The Power of Insights to Drive Retail Transformation," at the event this July in Chicago.

For more information about his presentation and our great line-up of speakers, be sure to download the updated brochure today!

Can I get an Order of Wi-Fi With those Fries?

Wi-Fi is increasingly becoming a popular commodity in which most consumers require in their shopping experience. Starbucks has always offered wi-fi to its customers, but according to this article in RetailWire more companies will start to offer the same service.

McDonald's rolled out it's Wi-Fi service to 11,000 of its 13,000 locations this January. Many food service companies are beginning to feel the heat as it looks like this trend is here to stay. Rutter's Farm Stores is another food location which has offered free wi-fi as well. And in response to this, the company has received many thank you letters from customers that have expressed gratitude for this offering.

I wonder if other fast food giants like Burger King or Wendy's will quickly follow suit...

Walmart Set to Cut Grocery Prices

Blogging Stocks reports that Walmart is ready to start slashing its grocery prices, putting more pressure on its competitors. The cuts will be across all of the retailer's grocery lines.

Over the next six weeks, the mega-retailer will cut food prices and start a new advertising campaign to promote the move. Grocery stocks, on the other hand, will be running for cover over the same period. This is, as expected, a move by Walmart to keep the customer foot traffic it recruited during the recession in 2009 who now may be returning to rival competitors for purchasing their wares.

What do you think about the move by Walmart? Will we see the competitors drop their prices; and how will this effect the US economy?

Learn more: Walmart Again Vows to Slash Grocery Prices Nationwide

OFFICIAL CALL FOR PRESENTERS: Category Leadership Conference

IIR Presents the 5th Annual

Category Leadership Conference

From category management to shopper engagement.

September 27-29, 2010 • Chicago, IL

OFFICIAL CALL FOR PRESENTERS
Submission Deadline: Wednesday, March 24, 2010
[Note: Papers are accepted on a rolling basis so early submissions are encouraged.]
From: Amanda Powers, Senior Conference Producer, IIR
Re: Category Leadership Conference 2010, Call for Presenters
Event Date & Location: September 27-29, 2010, Chicago, IL
Deadline: Wednesday, March 24, 2010
READ ON FOR SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS AND GUIDELINES.

Added Bonus: Each speaker will receive free admission to the conference (a $2000+ value) including admission to all conference sessions, networking events, lunches, exhibit hall, etc.

WHAT
The producers of the Shopper Insights in Action Conference present the Category Leadership Conference, an unbiased industry event that showcases next generation best practices for using data, insights and organizational prowess to optimize the shelves and improve total store sales.

Entering its fifth year, the event producers (IIR), are working vigilantly to once again raise the bar so that the content and experience are unparalleled.

The event will showcase the latest methods for reinventing category management and working with cross functional teams in sales, shopper insights and shopper marketing to drive growth and win at retail. Whether you are new to category management, a seasoned veteran, or a proactive strategist interested in being a better collaborator, this is THE event for you.

WHO
We are currently recruiting corporate retailers and manufacturers from a diverse range of industries to share new perspectives and case studies about the next generation of category management.

TOPIC AREAS
Content areas for 2010 include but are not limited to:
Navigating Brand Needs with Category Needs during Strained Times
The Role of Brands in Stores
Driving Retailer Growth & Profits by Understanding Customer Interactions with Categories
How Lifestyles and Lifestages Affect Buying Trends by Category
Using Shopper Information to Drive Better Decisions at Retail
Turning Plans into Success at the Store Level: Getting the Implementation Right
Building Category Plans Equipped to Evolve as Customers Needs & Preferences Change
Driving Incremental Volume in Categories to Improve Total Store Performance
Beyond the Numbers: Evolving Your Category Management Practices with Shopper Insights
Managing the Assortment Amidst the Private Brand Boom
Reinventing the Store Layout to Optimize Flow & Adjacency Opportunities
Redesigning the Aisles Around Shopper Occasions
Testing Category Changes Virtually
Aligning the Innovation Pipeline with the Value Proposition
Category Management Principles in Convenience Stores
Recalibrating the Assortment Mix Models to Align with Today's Consumers
ROI: Integrating Data to Ensure Optimal Return on Investment
Innovative Solutions Delivered on the Shelf
Identifying Your Competency Models to Ensure Effective & Efficient Category Management
Streamlining Category Management Analytics & Reporting
Next Generation Sales: Insights + Collaboration=Powerful Results
How a Grocery List Can Dictate Path to Purchase

We are also currently recruiting speakers for the Shopper Marketing Fusion Summit - The intersection of category management and in-store marketing
Reorganizing the Cross-Functional Teams for Transparency and Data Sharing
Creating a Process to Move from Insights to Deployment to Implementation
Building a Shopper-Centric Marketing Team
Integrating Social Media & Social Networking
Creating Cross-Channel Synergy for a Seamless End to End Shopping Experience

** Please feel free to submit additional topics of your choice. These are only a few themes and we are not limiting submissions to these topic themes alone.

Please see template below for standard abstract format:

Sample Session Summary

Maximizing the Balances Scorecard for Agents and Site Improvements
Tom Smith, VP, Customer Analytics, ABC Company
Tom offer a dramatically different approach to using balanced scorecards for enterprise-wide business improvements. He will show how he designed his agents scorecards, implemented them and how he communicated the findings to key stakeholders to create change. He will also share his ideas to “interactive” measures versus “linear” measures so that measurements align better with the user and customer experience.

KEY TAKEAWAYS
• A new balanced scorecards design system
• More effective measurement of an organization
• Transforming into business improvements

Brief Bio: Tom has spent more than 20 years within with various Fortune 100 companies focused on building the right metrics infrastructure. He has led the customer metrics group within ABC for the past 10 years where they have measured over 30 million in cost savings improvements. He is certified in XXXX.

Speaker contact details:
Tom Smith
VP, Customer Analytics
ABC Company
123 Main Street
Cleveland, OH 10111
P: 333.444.5566
Cell: 333.444.66.777

Please indicate which format you feel would be most appropriate for the proposed topic. Format options include:
Standard case study presentation (45 minutes long)
Panel (3-4 participants debate a selected topic for approximately 1 hour)
Lead an interactive audience discussion breaking the audience into teams (45 minutes long)
Experiential workshop (3.5 hours long)
Moderated discussion (45 minutes long - submissions should be prepared to service as moderator for a discussion group)

For Practitioners Only:
For consideration, please email apowers@iirusa.com with the following information by Wednesday, March 24, 2010:
Proposed speaker name(s), job title(s), and company name(s)
Contact information including address, telephone and email
Please indicate which of the topics you plan to address. If it is the latest tools and techniques, please indicate what is new about the. (Please indicate the topic area if it is an interactive session and the amount of time you will need).
Talk title
Summary of the presentation (3-5 sentences)
What the audience will gain from the presentation (please list 3 key takeaways)

What if I am not a corporate practitioner (from a client-side company) but still would like to participate?
80% of our content will be delivered by corporate practitioners. A limited number of sessions on the program are reserved for our event sponsors. If you are a consultant or solutions provider and wish to be a part of the program, please contact Jon Saxe at 646-895-7467 or via email at jsaxe@iirusa.com for information on how you can get involved.

Due to the high volume of response, we are unable to respond to each submission. All those selected to participate as speakers will be notified shortly after the deadline.

Thank you for your interest in The Category Leadership Conference. Check back for updates on the program at www.iirusa.com/category.

All the best,

Amanda Powers
Senior Conference Producer
Institute for International Research

The Private Brand Movement: OFFICIAL CALL FOR PRESENTERS

The Private Brand Movement 2010
Building Brands at Retail. Strategy. Design. Innovation.

We invite you to submit a speaking proposal directly to Amanda Powers, Senior Conference Producer, by Wednesday, March 24, 2010. Send to apowers@iirusa.com.

IIR's FUSE Conference presents The Private Brand Movement 2010, a unique event for those focused on building brands at retail in order to drive customer loyalty, differentiation and overall profitability. Priority will be given to retail practitioners who wish to present. We also encourage you to submit team presentations, where two members of cross-functional teams co-present.

This event will take place September 27-29, 2010 in Chicago, IL and will include three days of case studies, panel discussions and interactive sessions. We are currently recruiting corporate practitioners from the RETAIL and BRAND world who can share best practices in the form of real-world case studies, stories of what's worked and what hasn't.

Who will attend this premier cross-industry conference?
Attendees will be senior-level professionals including Presidents, Vice Presidents, Sr. Directors, Directors, Sr. Managers and Managers of Brand Development, Brand Strategy, Design, Category Management, Innovation, Market Research, Advertising, Shopper/Consumer Insights/Research, Merchandising and more.

Preliminary Topic Areas for 2010:
• From Merchandisers to Brand Managers: How Today's Retailers are Stepping Up
• Brand Architecture for Today's Consumers
• Brand Sensory Equity to Strike Emotional Connections
• Developing a Strategy to Lead the Process
• Stepping Out of Name Brand Shadows
• Brand, Price and Packaging Architecture: The Right Mix for Your Customer
• Principles in Designing Across Categories
• Brand Equity Survival: Developing Packaging that Can't Be Replicated
• Distinction through Green Packaging: Less is More
• Consumer-Centric SUQ Rationalization & Category Optimization
• Savvy Retailing Amidst Organizational Challenges
• Advancing Equity and Value by Strengthening Your Brand Loyalty
• A Line Extension is Not Innovation
• Changing the Conversation from Competitor to Ally: Leveraging National Brands to Create Unique Opportunities for Retailers
• Manu-Tailing: A New Approach to Manufacturer & Retail Partnerships
• Reinventing Innovation: The Strategy Conundrum
** Please feel free to submit additional topics of your choice.

Formats Include:
1. Standard case study presentation (45 minutes long)
2. Interactive ideation, networking and brainstorming sessions (20-60 minutes long)
3. If you'd like to be a speaker on a panel, submit your interest, along with a bio - no formal topic proposals needed.

We are also interested in proposals for half day workshops. These workshops should be focused on specific techniques and skill building topics.

For Practitioners Only:
For consideration, please email apowers@iirusa.com with the following information by Wednesday, March 24, 2010:
• Proposed speaker name(s), job title(s), and company name(s)
• Contact information including address, telephone and email

Please indicate which of the topics you plan to address. If it is the latest tools and techniques, please indicate what is new about the. (Please indicate the topic area if it is an interactive session and the amount of time you will need).
• Talk title
• Summary of the presentation (3-5 sentences)
• What the audience will gain from the presentation (please list 3 key takeaways)

Added Bonus: Each speaker will receive free admission to the conference (a $2000+ value) including admission to all conference sessions, networking breaks, lunches, exhibit halls, etc.

Attention to Vendors/Suppliers interested in participating in the event.
There is a wide variety of sponsorship and exhibiting opportunities for vendors and suppliers to have a presence at the event. To inquire about exhibiting and sponsorship opportunities, contact Sarene Yablonsky, Business Development Manager at syablonsky@iirusa.com or via phone at 646.895.7474.

Due to the high volume of response, we are unable to respond to each submission. All those selected to participate as speakers will be notified shortly after the deadline.

Should retailers leave demographics behind?

Reuters reports that German consumer products maker Henkel has found that shoppers who plan their trips, scanning circulars and clipping coupons, actually spend more money than others, making them a prime target for retailers and manufacturers.

These shoppers accounted for 31 percent of spending on packaged goods in 2009, even though they only make up 26 percent of U.S. households.

Despite their bargain-hunting ways, the group -- which Henkel dubbed "Shoptimizers" -- on average spent more than $7,100 last year, buying more packaged goods while cutting back on some fresh items, Henkel said.

Consumers who do a little planning before they shop and look for deals once they are in stores, a group Henkel calls "Mainstreeters," spent close to $6,300 on average, up $81.

Carefree shoppers, who never use coupons, spent just over $5,600 in such outlets last year, up $246, Henkel found.

Despite their distinct shopping patterns, the three groups generate profit margins for retailers that are nearly identical, he said. They are also split evenly in age, income and household size.

Learn more about the survey done by Henkel ACNielsen and Information Resources Inc by visiting the original article.

Retailers should leave demographics behind

After you've reviewed the data, what do you think?

Follow Shopper 360 on Twitter!

In addition to this blog, the Shopper 360 team is engaging and learning about current shopper trends from Twitter. We encourage you to follow us @Shopper360. Tag all of your tweets with #Shopper360. We'll follow you back and we look forward to you joining the conversation!

Engaging Shoppers with Every Step, Real Time

Stop & Shop/Giant has set out to improve its customer loyalty by creating a uniquely personal and relevant shopping experience. In this session, you will learn how a customer-facing technology was leveraged to create operational enhancements and reach customers at their point of purchase. This case study showcases how real-time in-store behavior and past purchase history can be translated to deliver highly targeted promotional messaging and exclusive savings to customers while they shop. You'll learn how participating brands are experiencing saldes life and how the retailer is benefiting by giving their customer a rewarding shopping experience.

Stephen Vowles, Senior Vice President of Marketing, Stop & Shop will discuss:

• How new audience targeting tactics are revolutionizing the way retailers and brands can reach specific customers
• How Stop & Shop is driving larger baskets and increased frequency with targetd media and self-service technology
• Pitfalls to avoid when selecting & implementing customer-facing technology solutions
• How brands can effectively and measurably leverage digital in-store marketing

"Engaging Shoppers with Every Step, Real Time" Monday, July 12 at 9am

Shopper Insights in Action 2010

Brochure Download

Register Today

Study: Trying Too Hard to Track Spending Counterproductive for Grocery Shoppers

A recent report by Koert van Ittersum, assistant professor of marketing, van Ittersum sought to learn whether, when, and how grocery shoppers keep track of their in-store spending. The report found that most shoppers do overspend because they rely to heavily on calculating costs in their heads. van Ittersum said, "When shopping in a grocery store, the chaotic, information-rich environment can tax a shopper's ability to mentally calculate the total basket price. Executing many arithmetic operations with multi-digit pricing is demanding. Our findings show that shoppers tend to be more accurate when they employ short-cut strategies in their calculations."

We encourage you to read van Ittersum's report. How can you use this information in your efforts to improve the in-store experience for the shopper?

Study: Trying Too Hard to Track Spending Counterproductive for Grocery Shoppers

How to reach the Penny Pinchers

Zippy Cart recently posted an article about how to reach the customers that aren't really looking to listen: the steadfast fruglists and the involuntary penny pinchers. Both of these shopper segments are looking to save money, and may therefore be not very receptive to advertising. It's key to tap into their core motivations to overcome their frugalness. The article suggests reaching them where they are looking, in coupon ads and deal seeking newsletters. The article also looks at other ways you can reach them as well as the increase in mobile shopping. Read the full article here.

The Shopper Insights in Action 2010 Full Program is Now Available

Download the Brochure Now to preview the 70+ speakers and over 50 sessions that make this the most comprehensive agenda on why we buy and how to take action.

The top rated shopper-focused event in the world is back with ALL NEW CONTENT and KEYNOTES to help the retail and CPG industry advance and ultimately sell more.

Collaborate with the best in your industry as BRANDS, RETAILERS and their PARTNERS come together to analyze the changing shopper mindset, translate insights into opportunities and explore emerging trends influencing the retail world.

The focus for 2010:
Historically, it was the SHOPPER in the RETAIL environment. Today, it's the RETAILER in the SHOPPER'S environment. Join your industry this July to make sense of the new shopping economy.

ALL NEW KEYNOTES
OFFER A COMPREHENSIVE EXPLORATION INTO THE SHOPPER PYSCHE

• DAN ARIELY, Behavioral Economist & Best-selling Author of Predictably Irrational & Living Irrationally
• LEE EISENBERG, Author of Shoptimism
• KIT YARROW, PH.D., Consumer Psychologist, Author, Gen BuY: How Tweens, Teens and Twenty-Somethings Are Revolutionizing Retail
• DAVID BELL, Professor of Marketing, Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania
• MARK CHANGIZI, Professor of Cognitive Science, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Author, The Vision Revolution

Register by March 12th to lock in our $500 early bird discount!


Sponsorship & Exhibition Opportunities Available
Please contact Jon Saxe at jsaxe@iirusa.com or call 646.895.7467

Wal-Mart Announces Private Label Eggs to be Cage-Free

In a move to better serve their customers by offering humane products, Wal-Mart has announced that their private label "Great Value" will only offer cage-free eggs.

"By ensuring that all of its private label eggs are cage-free, Wal-Mart is helping the egg industry move away from battery cage confinement of laying hens," said Paul Shapiro, senior director of The HSUS' factory farming campaign. "Wal-Mart's move is a positive one, and we hope its competitors follow suit."

Many supermarket chains have taken steps to increase their sales of cage-free eggs, including Harris Teeter, Winn-Dixie, Trader Joe's, Whole Foods and Safeway. National restaurant chains—including Burger King, Wendy's, Denny's, Red Robin, Quiznos, Sonic, Hardee's and Carl's Jr.—have also started using cage-free eggs.

Learn more: Wal-Mart: Private Label Eggs All Cage-Free

Walgreens to Buy Duane Reade

New Yorkers no longer have their own drug store chain thanks to Walgreen's recent decision to purchase Duane Reade. The Wall Street Journal reports that the deal, an all-cash transaction that includes the assumption of $480 million in debt, is Walgreen's largest retail acquisition ever. It will tack on 257 stores in the New York area, the biggest drugstore market in the U.S. The Deerfield, Ill.-based chain had been slow to build a presence in New York, with just 13 stores in Manhattan and 70 in the broader metropolitan area.

What do you think of the acquisition by Walgreens? What will become of Duane Reade's newly minted private label line?

Using Ethnography as a Tool for Identifying Opportunities and Building Customer-Relevant Strategies at the Intersection of Lifestyle and Life Stage

We'd like to highlight a presentation by Ruth Sando, Cultural Anthropologist, BARBARA PERRY ASSOCIATES entitled, "Using Ethnography as a Tool for Identifying Opportunities and Building Customer-Relevant Strategies at the Intersection of Lifestyle and Life Stage," at The Life Stage Marketing Summit 2010

The Life Stage Marketing Summit 2010

May 10-12, 2010

Hotel Sax

Chicago

Brochure Download
Register Today and SAVE $300!

Staying current with the lives and experiences of your customers in various life stages is an on-going challenge for brands. Although we have more and more data, to really connect we need to understand that what is truly important in defining the lifestyles of your customers. How can we identify those “weak signals” that are leading indicators of true attitudinal and behavioral trends?

In this experiential workshop, you will learn by doing and having fun. We will begin at the hotel with a briefing that will cover the basic “How To’s” of ethnographic immersion and observation Then we’ll receive our top-secret team missions: small group assignments (similar to a scavenger hunt) that will send us out to explore our environment for lifestage and lifestyle insights. Next, we’ll split into teams for an afternoon of discovery and exploration in Chicago. Finally, at the end of the day, we’ll return to the hotel for an hour debriefing.

During the day, we will focus on the three critical stages of team ethnography:
1. The Get Ready Work
2. The Fieldwork Experience
3. Making Meaning of immersion data– the So What? And Now What?

We will end by exploring both what we learned and how to facilitate a team’s ability to build actionable insights from ethnographic data.
You will learn:
• Basic theory and principles of ethnographic immersion – what you’re doing and why
• How immersion and observational research fit into the bigger picture of ethnographic tools
• The skills of in-context observation, including slowing down, looking deeply and expanding perceptions
• How to use this approach, with a team, to generate new insights and creative

Private Label Stocks Soar

Seeking Alpha reports that private label food stocks are soaring in this market. Rick Shea writes, Treehouse Foods (THS), Ralcorp and AIPC are the best pure plays in the food manufacturing sector that focus on private label manufacturing. Treehouse continues to add companies and categories (recent Sturm Foods purchase) and is positioned as the top private label focused company. Ralcorp acquired Kraft Foods (KFT) Post cereal division and so far has struggled to deliver positive results.

What sort of new measures will CPGs implement to combat this out-performance by private label manufacturers? We'd like to hear your thoughts.

Meijers Scales Down with Focus on Groceries

Dana Hunsinger of The Indianapolis Star reports that the Meijer, the Midwest mega retailer is set to open smaller stores throughout the Midwest that will focus on groceries.

"We're definitely looking at markets like Columbus, Detroit and Indianapolis. And down the road, if there is an opportunity, we could definitely go into Indianapolis," said Frank Guglielmi, Meijer spokesman. "It lets us put stores where we never would have been able to put one before."

The new concept is about half the size of traditional Meijer stores, at about 100,000 square feet.

The traditional stores carry a fairly steady mix of merchandise from store to store. The new concept will try to find a niche and sell groceries that reflect the ethnicity and demographics of the surrounding neighborhoods.

Learn more: Meijer's new approach focuses on groceries, niches

What do you think of this move by Meijer? Will we see the "friendly acres" diminish in favor of smaller stores? What are the major benefits of this move?

Customers and the impact of food labels

Australian Food News reports that an study has recently concluded on the influence food labels have on shoppers in Europe. The study, which questioned 17,300 people from various European countries, both in supermarkets and at home, found that only 18% of Europeans regularly look for nutrition information on food packaging in-store.

A new finding was that people spend an average of 30 seconds selecting a product. By comparison to previous studies, this is substantially more time than previously observed. The UK was lowest at 25 seconds per product, with the highest average time clocked at 47 seconds.

How does this compare with shopper behavior in America?

Learn more: European study highlights impact of food labels

The Life Stage Marketing Summit Full Program and Early Bird Savings!

Understand and maximize your customer lifetime value by knowing your customers better than anyone else, anticipating their needs and satisfying them first.

Knowing your customers inside and out is the key to innovation. These days, we're operating in a transparent "real time" world with abundant choice and increasing customer power. Identifying and focusing on core segments is critical. Understanding needs and behaviors and translating those insights into new business opportunities becomes the real foundation for achieving growth.
Are you ready to put 2009 to rest and focus on real growth in 2010?

Attend The Life Stage Marketing Summit
Exploring the intersection of life style and life stage marketing strategies allows you to deeply understand your customer segments beyond demographics. The key to achieving customer relevance means knowing your best customers even better so you can deliver on their current and future needs while identifying new high priority segments for new growth.

Event: http://bit.ly/509XjY
Brochure: http://bit.ly/6a0Lq0
Register Today: http://bit.ly/5zOvfP


Why Life Stage Marketing 2010 is a must attend:
· Learn from the best... Practitioner speakers share real life actionable case studies on Innovation, Trends, Segmentation, Market Research and Marketing and Loyalty-
· The IIR Motto: NO COMMERCIALISM from the platform
· Featured topics include: Behavioral Economics, Applying Key Information into Actionable Strategies, Anticipating the Future, Leveraging WOM, The Power of Experience Design, Driving Brand Relevance and Growth across Multiple Categories...
· Segments covered include: Millenials (Echo Boomers), Boomers, Gen X, Hispanic and Latin Americans
· NEW 360 Degree Trends Panel and Multiple Interactive Real Time Exercises

Delve Deeper...
· ALL Day Symposia Dedicated to Social Media & Technology

· ALL DAY Ethnographic Workshop: Using Ethnography as a Tool for Identifying Opportunities and Building Customer-Relevant Strategies at the Intersection of Lifestyle and Life Stage

· NOW CO-LOCATED with The Youth & Family Marketing Mega Event! The destination for those looking to deeply connect with all segments of the contemporary family to drive innovation, make smarter decisions and ultimately create what's next first, before your competitors.

Green Fashion Goes Mainstream

This recent post on retailwire discusses how many years ago consumers did not believe that eco-friendly fashions were all that stylish, but to the contrary in today's age the opposite is actually true. More and more shoppers are wearing green and clothes made with organic fibers.

Zem Joaquin, founder of ecofabulous.com, mentions "Four years ago, there was very little in the mainstream. Now there are clothing stores devoted solely to environmentally conscious designs like Eco Citizen ... and eco-couture being sold at Barneys New York. Pact showed a beautiful example of organic underwear on the runway. It used to be hard to find, and when you did, it was saggy and unattractive."

Fashion designers are now re-thinking what materials to use in their clothes now that consumers have the environment in mind.

Kimberly-Clark CEO: People Want Value, Innovation

ABC News and the Associated Press report that Kimberly-Clark Corp. CEO Thomas Falk did things most executives ran from during the recession: He plunged money into innovation and marketing, and raised prices. But just as Falk went against traditional means of running a large corporation during a recession, ABC reports that Falk's paid off.

Part of Falk's success lies in how he conveyed value to shoppers:

Q. You said that a lot of consumers are focusing on value right now. How do you convey the message of value to them?

A. I was in the Philippines not long ago, where we do some advertising to consumers on how a Huggies diaper would last 10 hours. A mom who was buying a very low-tier diaper in a market like that would know that a private-label or a low-tier brand wouldn’t last 10 hours. You communicate it that way as a perception of value.

If you look at marketers around the world across all categories, you see more marketing dialing up value messaging. We are all trying to communicate to the consumer that we are a good value relative to their other alternatives.

For more of Falk's interview, please click here.