Research Topic

BLUE TAGG, a dedicated private label consultancy for major retailers has opened an office in Chicago, its first in the United States.

Fewer new products are showing up on supermarket shelves this year as companies cope with the changing economy. New data from the Mintel Global New Products Database (GNPD) shows total food and drink product launches have been cut in half since last year (a 51 percent decline from the first quarter of 2008 to the first quarter of 2009).

The Food Marketing Institute (FMI) will release its latest research on how the recession impacts consumer shopping at the supermarket, and how that behavior affects retailer sales and operations, at the FMI Future Connect conference in Dallas on May 4 through May 6, 2009.

Costco last week agreed to settle a lawsuit over the sale of "hot gasoline,” -- gasoline above 60 degrees Fahrenheit that expands but is not accounted for at the pumps, resulting in consumers receiving less gasoline than they pay for.

In observance of National Alcohol Awareness Month, a coalition of public interest groups this week requested that Congress and the Obama administration issue regulation to require standardized labeling information on beer, wine and distilled spirits products, and provide the resources to address such issues as underage drinking, binge drinking and drunk driving.

According to the NPD Group, Inc., a market research company based in Port Washington, N.Y., three in 10 (32 percent) of housewares consumers are buying dinnerware as gifts, making it the No. 1 category for gifting in this industry.

Positive customer feedback and a solid client base were key factors in Sunnyvale, Calif.-based Fujitsu’s selection as a strong performer in global IT infrastructure outsourcing in a recent Forrester Research study.

Organic products -- which are often priced at a premium over non-organic products - have taken a sales hit over the last 12 months as consumers have cut back discretionary spending, according to new analysis by Nielsen’s director of industry insights, Tom Pirovano.