For years, retailers, manufacturers and marketers have been clamoring for a single benchmark that would facilitate comparisons of healthy eating patterns by key regions and time periods.

U.S. retailers continue to make progress in offering store brand products with health claims relevant to shoppers looking for healthier food choices

One common misconception heard frequently is that healthy eating has become too expensive—that the struggling economy has driven U.S. families to make poor nutritional choices.

It’s the economy! Organics enjoyed stratospheric growth in four of the last five years, but the economic crunch took a bite out of that trajectory in 2009.

Consumers in the U.S. might be trimming the fat from their budgets and diets, but contrary to predictions, they continue to demonstrate a healthy appetite for foods featuring health and wellness claims.

Price is only one of five things consumers look for when shopping. Raising store brand prices by just one cent translates to roughly $400 million dollars in sales across all departments. For U.S. retailers, it begs the question: Is it time for a price hike?

While many consumers cut back their spending on entertaining outside of the home in 2009, that didn’t necessarily translate to increases inside the home.

U.S. sports television had a banner year in 2009. Advances in satellite television, high-definition technology and the Internet provided fans with rich, 24/7 access to their favorite teams. Picking winners for 2010? Bet on globalization.

Half of all U.S. households own a video game console or handheld system—and despite the stereotypes about teenage males, gamers are not monolithic. While gamers spend most on new games, game rentals provide an extra conduit to spark sales.

The overall advertising environment in 2009 was fairly gloomy with slashed budgets and revised strategies to address the new reality. However, that didn’t stop the industry from evolving, and the lessons learned will likely pay-off in the year ahead.