More winners and losers

The Financial Times published a quick guide to US grocery sales last week, pinpointing the products that are in and those that are out. The winners are: ice cream and cakes, performance drinks, glazed popcorn, frozen chickens and nut butter. The losers are: eyewear, cheese slices, cola, film and disposable cameras, and crisps in a tube.

The reasons are: more children’s parties at home; these drinks are “costlier but healthier” than cola; evenings in watching movies; prepared boneless birds cost more; “healthier” breakfasts and packed lunches. And they are: sunglasses are a luxury, impulse buy; higher prices; fizzy drinks lose out to smoothies; camera phones; and fewer “impulse” buys of pricier potato snacks.

What can the local shop make of this? Healthier still seems to work and impulse seems to be under pressure. Even better, analyse your own top five growing categories and your top five fallers and see what it tells you about your shoppers.