The stats still show that women do the majority of shopping in the U.S., but with men facing a higher unemployment rate than women, more men are at home than in the past and in many cases, they are taking a more active role in household duties.

Inflation is becoming a critical issue in many parts of the world, but, especially in emerging markets such as Indonesia. But while prices rose 7.9 percent in 2010, household spending increased at an even faster rate – up 19.3 percent in major cities and 18.5 percent in rural Java.

Given the recent economic slowdown in developed markets, the ‘value-conscious’ shopper is more visible across store aisles than every before.

While food contributed more than half (52%) of the total fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) sales in India last year, key products within the non-foods segment around impulse, health and wellness, lifestyle and convenience themes registered more than 20 percent growth and are set to define the shape and direction of the future.

Grandparents are a family’s greatest treasure. For many, their greatest joy is to lavish with love and spoil with splendor. And considering grandparents represent a sizable target, which will continue to grow another 11 percent between now and 2015, retailers and manufacturers would be wise to tap into the “multiplier effect” they represent.

Population aging is not a short-term trend or even a medium-term one. As most countries will continue to age well into the second half of the 21st century, population aging is a permanent trend and marketers will need new models to reach aging consumers.

Store perimeters have been successful in generating growth as a result of grocer innovation to attract more customers; yet, curiously, the center store is showing declines on a same-store basis.

Consumer confidence fell in 25 out of 52 countries in Q4 2010 as hope for a global economic recovery evaporated at the end of last year, according to the latest edition of the Nielsen Global Consumer Confidence Index.

How will consumers react to higher gas prices, especially in an economy fraught with uncertainty?

In 2010, winning retailers didn’t sit on the sidelines, they innovated and many of the areas where innovation occurred are what we can expect in 2011 as retailers evolve their macro strategies.