Two announcements from Nutrition Business Journal
NBJ Business Achievement Awards
Nutrition Business Journal is now accepting nominations for the 6th annual NBJ Business Achievement Awards. To link directly to the survey, click this link: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=_2b9pLOGdR8CAVuGMMl11_2b3w_3d_3d Nominations will be accepted online via nutritionbusiness.com through Tuesday, November 27th.
Nominations should describe distinguishing achievements such as revenue growth or profitability gains; turnarounds; new science or product; entry into a new sales channel, market segment or geographic area; noteworthy management initiatives; diversification, acquisition or integration achievements; or initiatives on behalf of consumer education or the industry in general.
Nominations should be written testimonials of no more than 1,000 words. You may nominate your own company and make more than one nomination.
NBJ Raw Materials & Ingredient Supply Industry Survey
Nutrition Business Journal is also undertaking its annual review of the nutrition industry’s raw materials & ingredient supply segment. This one-of-a-kind survey is a benchmark for the performance of this critical industry segment. Please take 5 minutes to fill in this survey if your firm supplies nutritional ingredients or raw materials to the supplements, personal care or food industries. NBJ will share a free copy of the aggregate survey results with you as a thank you for participating. Please click on this link to participate:
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=FxriGK4YGgPHBF6ct7JMJQ_3d_3d
The editorial team of Nutrition Business Journal is working around the clock to finish up the October Consumer Research issue of NBJ. While scanning al the consumer study headlines coming out these days, this one caught my attention. Apparently, Wal-Mart is tops with organic consumers.
“Wal-Mart Supercenter is the top grocery store for organics users, according to a recent analysis by Scarborough Research. Twenty-nine percent of organics consumers shopped Wal-Mart Supercenter during the past week. However, organics consumers seem far more passionate about shopping at Whole Foods. The store has the nation’s highest concentration of organics consumers in its aisles. According to the study conducted from August 2006 through March 2007, organics consumers are 272 percent more likely than the average consumer to have shopped Whole Foods during the past week. They are 21 percent less likely than average consumers to have shopped in Wal-Mart Supercenter during this timeframe.”
For more on this consumer study, click here.
Though I’ve never met the man in person (something I hope to do so soon), I’ve admired Paul Yamaguichi’s work in the pages of Nutrition Business Journal’s Global Nutrition Industry Overview issues for years. Paul is the founder of Paul Yamaguchi & Associates Inc., a publishing, research and consulting firm specializing the Japanese nutrition, functional food and nutraceutical market.
Paul’s most recent review of the Japanese nutrition market, can be read on NPICenter.com. Here’s a teaser.
“For the last 20 years the Japanese nutrition industry has averaged 12% annual growth. Between 2000 and 2001, it grew 22%, its biggest gain in a decade. Between 2002 and 2004, the growth rate was a modest 4% a year. Growth started to slow in 2005 to 2% a year—but it was still growing.
We can all experience a slow year in business, but whoever thought the market would contract? In 2006, the Japanese nutrition market fell by 2% to $25.9 billion from a year ago. Is this a growing pain or an indication of larger issues for the nutrition industry?”
Paul’s explanation of the decline of the Japanese market is excellent. To read more, click here.
Cadbury just announced Accelerade sales came in significantly below forecasts and the head of the American Beverage Unit of Cadbury is leaving. In a Bloomberg article, more details are discussed.
In our September Sports Nutrition & Weight Loss issue, we discussed Accelerade’s aggressive advertising campaign to go after “old man” Gatorade. At Expo East, I asked a few people familiar with the research behind Accelerades 4-to-1 carbohydrates to protein formula and received only positive reviews. I guess it will take more than just good science and an aggressive advertising campaign to dislodge Gatorade from its perch atop the sports drink category.
There is no denying that organic is the latest driver of growth for the greater “healthy foods” category, which Nutrition Business Journal defines as organic, natural, lesser-evil and functional foods. More definitions are available here.
What is interesting, is how many different consumer types (as defined by Harris Interactive) buy organic foods on a regular basis.
Harris finds, “Some segments of the population are more likely to buy organic foods regularly: college graduates (11%), Liberals (11%), Westerners (10%), Echo Boomers (those aged 18-30; 10%), and Gen Xers (those aged 31-42; 9%).”
For many years, organic was just a niche frequented by the very wealthy or the core, organic food “passionates”. That has changed, and now there is a piece of research to prove it.
NBJ also publishes annual research on the organic foods market in the form of an issue of the journal, a report and downloadable data charts.
Check them out! NBJ’s market figures on organics are broad and deep!
