Nanoparticles, the tiny particles used increasingly in skin care products to make them easier to put on and transparent on the skin, need further testing for safety, says U.K consumer watchdog Which?. These particles are also used in electronics, food containers, sunscreens, and a variety of applications including delivering medicines.

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New research forecasts that UK consumers will spend GBP82.3bn with retailers in the final quarter of 2008 or GBP1,363 per head. Though this is an increase of 2.0% on 2007, it is the second lowest growth rate in 20 years and the GBP1.6bn extra shoppers will be spending will be more than eaten up by food inflation. Not surprisingly food & grocery accounts for the largest share of shoppers spending over the Christmas period (38%), and with food inflation running at 6.3% this quarter, consumers are facing a more expensive Christmas feast.  But unavoidable though this extra expense will be, shoppers will be more careful in what they buy, balancing spending on treats with cutbacks on everyday foods. Continue reading “Christmas 2008 – Shoppers spending more, but buying less” »

The fast paced lives of most consumers mean that any product which saves time is appealing. This month’s look at new personal care products sees the introduction of some dual function products that claim to offer multiple benefits. These could help consumers to save time, money and room in their baggage. NYL Laboratories has introduced the Tutto in 1 Body/Oral Hygiene in Italy. This consists of a body wash, shampoo and toothpaste in one, highlighting one of the more unusual forms of multi-tasking products to appear recently. The product is said to be ideal for those who are traveling, as it takes up less luggage space. While the product is no doubt convenient, it is quite a leap from hair care to dental care in a single product, which could detract consumers from a purchase.

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The Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) said that the revenue of the global consumer electronics industry is expected to reach $700 Billion by 2009. The association forecasts that the expenditure on consumer electronic goods in 2009 will be up by $42 billion. Moreover, China will account for around 15% of the global electronic products revenue in 2009, following the US and Western Europe with 22% and 16% respectively. The sales of mobile products will dominate the rest of products with 1.5 billion units in 2008.

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The industry research firm IDC (International Data Corp) has revealed that the personal computer market is witnessing strong growth in the Asia-Pacific region (excluding Japan), as reported by chinatechnews. The PC market of Asia-Pacific reached about 19 million units in Q2 2008, a rise of nearly 8% over Q1 2008, and around 15% annual increase as compared to Q2 2007. Also, Singapore recorded an annual growth of about 24%, while Lenovo Group, with nearly 18.2% of market share, remained the leader. HP (Hewlett-Packard) and Dell followed it with around 14% and 8.9% market shares respectively.

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An unprecedented wave of investment in town centres will fail to reverse the long standing migration of retail sales from town centres to out-of-town retail parks, says a new report. The huge amount of space set to arrive in town centres is arriving at the worst possible time and could create more problems than it solves. Though out-of-town retailing has been harder hit than town centres by the current downturn, landlords and retailers alike have made a concerted effort to improve the out-of-town shopping experience. For this reason the report expects out-of-town to bounce back and lead the recovery.

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Having grown consistently over the past five years, the EU health & beauty (EU H&B) market now looks set to change.
Strong growth in the EU health & beauty market, particularly in new member states, has encouraged cross-border expansion of pan-European chains. While the likes of Schlecker and AS Watson have found the EU to be a land of opportunity, smaller players have struggled. Moreover, with the increasing presence of grocers, the concentration of power is set to change the EU H&B landscape. Continue reading “EU Health & Beauty Set for a Strong Year Ahead” »

According to a new report, consumers are showing signs of fatigue towards celebrity marketing. The cult of celebrity has reached a crossroads – over-exposed celebrities have saturated the market and aging populations mean that the growth audience is shrinking. Marketers must therefore pursue new tactics to avoid the pitfalls associated with celebrity-backed campaigns or celebrity-branded consumer packaged goods. Continue reading “Consumers are tiring of the “cult of celebrity”” »

British consumers are more disloyal than ever before with the retailers they use, according to a new report. Across retail as a whole, some 10.8 million shoppers are disloyal to the stores they use; and, across every retail sector more consumers are saying that they would prefer to use an alternative store to the one they currently use most. The findings demonstrate the extent of the challenge retailers now face in holding on to shoppers, especially in the face of the credit crunch when every customer counts.

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So you thought the DIY shopping was a man’s job. Think again. A new report, How Britain Shops 2008: DIY, finds that heading to the nearest DIY store, picking bookcases you can dismantle, guttering or rawlplugs are no longer unsuitable jobs for a woman. Forget the old stereotype of shopping for clothes, shoes or jewellery, the report finds that more women are shopping for DIY than ever, heading home with armfuls of new kitchen or bathroom fittings.

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