Brain Food

The Lowdown on Dieting

More than a quarter of the baby boomer generation diets, versus only 12 percent of millennial, according to The NPD Group, further confirming the generation gap regarding consumers’ health-and-wellness habits.

These trends are part of a long-term decline in dieting overall, as 19 percent of adults report being on a diet within the past year, versus 30 percent in 1991. “Dieting is not the only way to address your health these days,” said Harry Balzer, chief industry analyst at Port Washington, N.Y.-based NPD and author of Eating Patterns in America. In fact, 72 percent of adults eat reduced-fat foods, nearly 45 percent of adults eat foods with whole grains on a regular basis, and 24 percent include organic foods and beverages in their diets.
—The NPD Group

‘Fortune’-ate Fanfare

Fortune magazine released its 2014 100 Best Companies to Work For list, and PG once again congratulates the grocers that made the cut. Employees of Wegmans Foods Markets (No. 12), Nugget Market (No. 36), Whole Foods Market (No. 44) and Public Super Markets (No. 75) gave their respective companies high marks in areas of management credibility, job satisfaction, camaraderie, pay and benefits, training, recognition programs, and diversity efforts. Congrats to all!

Standing With the 1%

Consumers are highly selective regarding CPG purchases, buying on average less than 1 percent (0.7) of products available on grocery shelves during a one-year period. Even “top shoppers” — those who account for 80 percent of all store purchases — buy just 1 percent of available products.

According to Todd Morris, EVP of corporate development and marketing at Saddle Brook, N.J.-based Catalina Marketing, reaching today’s selective shoppers requires CPG marketers to “adopt a more personalized approach to the way they market and promote their products and reward their buyers. Since no two shoppers are the same,” adds Morris, “retailers and brands should tailor their communications to the specific needs and preferences of individual shoppers and households.”
—Catalina’s Engaging the Selective Shopper study

26%
The percent of “superuser” consumers that account for 61 percent of all spending on health-and-wellness products
—AlixPartners