65.4K
Downloads
150
Episodes
Circana’s Growth Insights podcast series delves into the data to reveal consumer, shopper, and other insights that fuel market changes and growth for those in the CPG, retail, health care and media industries. Join Circana thought leaders, industry partners and guests to learn how opportunities, trends and market disruptions will impact your business.
Episodes
Thursday Nov 02, 2023
Consumer Tech Industry Pulse and Outlook
Thursday Nov 02, 2023
Thursday Nov 02, 2023
Both the economy and the replenishment cycle of products are negatively impacting the consumer technology industry. Paul Gagnon, Circana’s consumer technology industry advisor, shares his outlook for the coming holiday season and how he hopes the industry is preparing for the time when consumers will be spending again.
- Moving to a new home is a great motivator for tech purchases, but high mortgage rates, resumption of student loan payments and high credit card interest rates are all weighing down the housing market.
- Consumers report they’re willing to spend more for consumer electronics this holiday season, with TVs and PCs identified as intended purchases. However, consumers are looking for deals and they’re willing to wait for them.
- The Consumer Electronics Show is around the corner, and Paul will be looking for genuine innovation, improvements to bundles of hardware + services, and whether home automation players finally come together in a single, simple ecosystem for the benefit of the consumer.
Wednesday Nov 01, 2023
Talking Turkey and the Reality of a Challenging Economy
Wednesday Nov 01, 2023
Wednesday Nov 01, 2023
Anne-Marie Roerink, president of 210 Analytics, talks turkey – and economic pressures – with Circana’s Joan Driggs. Times are tough and while it’s critical to be realistic about economic pressures, it’s also an opportunity to dig deeper opportunities to connect with shoppers.
Highlights:
- When facing economic challenges, consumers revert to routines to avoid buyer's remorse, even with food items.
- Retailer and manufacturers have an opportunity to lean into the small celebrations that consumers embrace throughout the year, from family milestones to sporting events.
- Thanksgiving in 2023 might be the battle of retailers, many of which will be rolling back prices. Ultimately, Thanksgiving is the biggest food holiday of the year.
- Many households will right-size portions of some of the Thanksgiving meal to permit more options. Think preparing a turkey breast instead of a full bird to accommodate another roasted meat.
Tuesday Oct 24, 2023
Causal and Consumer Factors Fuel Demand Forecasting
Tuesday Oct 24, 2023
Tuesday Oct 24, 2023
To achieve growth, companies strive to predict what the consumer is likely to do in both the near term and long term. Optimal forecasting, according to Lance Goodridge, Circana’s executive vice president of Analytics and Insights, will fit with current performance, include appropriate and predictable causal factors, and be within the bounds of company objectives. No small feat.
Highlights include:
- While there will always be situations that can’t be predicted, like an epidemic, the right mix of causal factors, including inflation, weather patterns and finance rates, along with consumer behaviors, can lead to sound demand forecasts.
- Accurate forecasts can help companies make decisions about investments in innovation, assortment, and production levels.
- What spurred demands in the past, like a promoted price, might not work as well in the future. Knowing the shopping journey can help determine specific purchase influencers.
Wednesday Oct 11, 2023
Frozen Foods Accelerate the Speed to Table
Wednesday Oct 11, 2023
Wednesday Oct 11, 2023
The unique value proposition of frozen foods is not getting the attention it deserves. Based on her webinar, Icy Hot Insights: Frozen Trends, Sally Lyons Wyatt, executive vice president and Practice Leader, Circana, outlines the many definitions of value that frozen addresses.
Highlights.
- Heavy frozen entrée buyers account for 36% more restaurant trips than the average customer. Frozen can compete on restaurant quality, cuisine type, and flavor experience, quickly and in the comfort of your own home.
- Manufacturers and retailers have opportunities to promote low cost per serving and ways frozen foods can stretch the food dollar.
- There are so many ways frozen foods aren’t being promoted, including as waste minimizers, as recipe ingredients for trending kitchen appliances, or as options that fit special diets.
- Ice cream, sherbet and frozen novelties represent an anchor that attracts a wide cross-section of consumers. Leverage the power of frozen treats to promote other frozen items.
Monday Sep 25, 2023
How Digital is Defining Grocery’s Long Game
Monday Sep 25, 2023
Monday Sep 25, 2023
In this Fresh Pulse episode, Jonna Parker, team lead, Circana’s Fresh Foods Group, highlights consumer purchasing behavior in the meat department. Promotions aren’t seeing expected lifts, purchases are designed for minimal waste, and it’s often social platforms and digital retail apps that are guiding shoppers.
Highlights:
- More consumers are using retail apps to plan shopping and load deals to their loyalty cards.
- As shoppers visit fewer stores, being part of the consideration set is critical.
- Younger shoppers are more likely than older shoppers to associate all types of channels, from Big Box to discount, as destinations for fresh foods.
- Grocery is winning in fresh by leveraging FOMO – fear of missing out.
Wednesday Sep 13, 2023
Busting the Myth that We’re Consuming Less
Wednesday Sep 13, 2023
Wednesday Sep 13, 2023
As inflation continues to press consumers, volume sales are down across food and beverage. Amid economic headwinds and a return to pre-pandemic activity levels, consumer behaviors are changing, but we are not consuming less. Circana thought leaders David Portalatin and Alastair Steel explain how shifting behaviors are illustrating new patterns in consumption across retail and foodservice.
Highlights:
- Food inflation might be easing, but we’re still paying around 30% more for retail food and beverages than we were pre-pandemic. As consumers trade down, they are also buying smaller amounts to avoid waste.
- Where disinflation is seen in retail, it’s not occurring in foodservice, where the price of a meal is more than 4 times that of food sourced from retail. Still, growth can be seen for the morning and afternoon dayparts and at quick-service restaurants.
- Consumers are looking for deals. Restaurant apps are helping get diners in the door and feeling good about the value on offer. At retail, coupons are coming back, but not at depths that are motivating shoppers.
Wednesday Sep 13, 2023
A Sneak Peek into “Inside America’s Kitchen”
Wednesday Sep 13, 2023
Wednesday Sep 13, 2023
Circana has undertaken an extensive audit of America’s kitchens, recording what’s in our pantries and refrigerators, and inventorying appliances, cookware and utensils. Findings, found in the new report, Inside America’s Kitchens, reveal that we’re stocking far fewer food items than in 2020, yet we’re making good use of tools in our meal prep. Darren Seifer, Circana Food & Beverage Industry Analyst, shares insights into behavioral changes and generational differences.
Highlights:
- With the inflation of 2023, consumers are pulling back on impulse purchases and doing their best to avoid waste. There are an average of 10% fewer pantry items in 2023 than there were in 2020.
- Convenience is a priority for all consumers, but how we realize it differs, often based on our ability to pay for speed, great taste, fresh offerings and customization.
- While coffee is nearly ubiquitous across households, there are dramatic generational differences in how it’s prepared. Generation is an indicator of other food items, as well, with older consumers more likely to have staples like cooking oil and canned tomatoes, while the youngest households are more likely to have pasta sauce and pasta on hand.
Friday Aug 25, 2023
Redefining Discovery for Cash-strapped Consumers
Friday Aug 25, 2023
Friday Aug 25, 2023
Inflation may be easing, but consumers are still paying dramatically higher prices than two years ago, and face increasing pressure resulting from the additional SNAP benefits that expired earlier this year, forthcoming student loan repayments and increasing credit card debt. Still, consumers of all household incomes are finding affordable escapes or rewards and easy entertaining ideas, courtesy of fresh foods. In this Fresh Pulse episode, Jonna Parker, principal of Circana’s Fresh Center of Excellence, and Anne-Marie Roerink, president of 210 Analytics, discuss macroeconomic pressures, why even cash-strapped consumers are making choices based on “and” not “or,” and the importance of connecting with the right shoppers with the right products.
Highlights
- The pinch of inflation continues to hurt, but fresh offerings can lean in by defining their “value” to the shopper. Across household income groups, value doesn’t equal lowest price.
- Shopper trips are up but baskets are smaller than two years ago, with consumers visiting more retailers to fulfill their needs. Too many retailers and brands are focused on high-spending boomers, often without realizing the changing behaviors of this group. It’s time to look to where growth will come from.
- Along with more frequent, small trips in-store, online shopping appeals to those wanting to stick to a budget. Both work against in-store discovery, meaning marketers must work harder to showcase new delights and solutions.
Friday Aug 11, 2023
What Books Tell Us About the New Normal
Friday Aug 11, 2023
Friday Aug 11, 2023
Kristen McClean, executive director, industry analyst, Circana Books & Entertainment, describes books as “ideas wrapped up for sale.” When we study the books people buy, we learn about their thoughts and their shifting attitudes over time. This understanding helps us better meet changing consumer preferences.
Highlights:
- Books reveal the radical changes that are taking place as we find our post-pandemic normal, including a return to work, experiential travel, and increasing interest in physical well-being.
- These interests, in turn, will affect product innovation, marketing strategies, and the influencers and social platforms consumers engage with.
- Sales of fiction books are up for three consecutive years, including romance, fantasy, and escapism, which are causing a ripple effect across the CPG, toys, and entertainment industries. “Kidults” might be driving more toy sales, but marketers of all products should take note of their child-like preferences.
Tuesday Aug 01, 2023
The Value of the Plus-one Purchase
Tuesday Aug 01, 2023
Tuesday Aug 01, 2023
Easing inflation is making headlines, but consumers remain challenged by high prices. In this Fresh Pulse episode, Jonna Parker, principal of Circana’s Fresh Center of Excellence, and Anne-Marie Roerink, president of 210 Analytics, discuss consumer behavior, macroeconomic challenges, and why plus-one purchases are undervalued.
Highlights:
- Consumers are on the hunt for deals and will shop across multiple stores to find them. While trips were up, baskets were down around five units per trip in June 2023.
- Consumers’ value of their time has rebounded since the pandemic. As a result, hybrid meals are now the norm, with consumers leveraging freshly prepared retail options, restaurant offerings, and pantry staples to pull together meals.
- Bakery items epitomize the value of a plus-one purchase, as consumers look for affordable items to brighten lunchboxes, reward small accomplishments, or elevate meals. Retailers should encourage extra purchases through their apps.