Research Topic

The U.S. retail sector, headed by specialty retailers, grocers, mass merchants and department stores, now accounts for the largest collective market for U.S. loyalty reward program memberships, outpacing Travel-Hospitality and Financial Services aggregate memberships, according to the 2009 COLLOQUY Loyalty Census shows.

According to Eric Claus, president and CEO of The Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Co. (A&P), based in Montvale, N.J., sales of bologna tend to spike during a challenging economic climate. The accompanying chart outlines sales of bologna at A&P stores from March 2007 to June 2009, which illustrates a significant increase in bologna sales over the past five months.

A new survey from Boston-based L.E.K. Consulting shows that despite optimism expressed by many economists and some media figures about the economy, U.S. consumers are actually more pessimistic currently than they were when a similar survey was conducted in October 2008.

LEED exam prep materials provider Professional Publications, Inc. (PPI) has added two new LEED Green Associate (GA) exam prep classes, which will be held June 20 in Boston and Orlando Fla.

Consumers worldwide have readjusted their priorities regarding food products, according to a new study by Ipsos Marketing, Consumer Goods, which noted that topping the list of areas that respondents thought food companies should focus on when developing new products were fresher ingredients, more health benefits and increased eco-friendly packaging.

Without stimulus checks from government this year, consumers had less money to spend last month, and the result was lower retail sales. According to the National Retail Federation (NRF), retail industry sales for May (excluding automobiles, gas stations, and restaurants) grew 0.2 percent seasonally adjusted from April but dropped 4.7 percent unadjusted over last year.

The retail landscape across Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom and the United States will undergo more changes before economic conditions improve, according to consumers polled as part of independent market analysis firm Datamonitor’s “Recession and Recovery Research Programme,” which offers a current view on the impact of the recession on consumers and business across 19 countries.

Findings from the “2009 U.S. Families’ Organic Attitudes and Beliefs Study,” which will be released next week at the Organic Trade Association’s (OTA) All Things Organic Conference and Trade Show in Chicago, indicate that U.S. families aren’t giving up on organic products despite the uncertain economy.