Last November and December, supermarket shoppers in northern markets like Hartford and New Haven, Conn. and Buffalo and Rochester, N.Y. spent almost one-third more, percentage-wise, on baking supplies than average American consumers, Nielsen reports.

During the same period, shoppers in southern markets like Birmingham, Ala. and Memphis dominated sales of flour, spending 106% and 78% more, respectively, than average Americans.

Consumers in Memphis and Birmingham also dominated sales of sugar, spending 57% and 46% more, respectively, than average Americans on that most basic of holiday baking ingredients, according to Nielsen.

West Texas, Little Rock, Ark., Nashville, Tenn., and Atlanta were also among the top markets for flour and sugar sales.  Shoppers in these markets spent 30% to 52% more on flour, and 19% to 28% more on sugar than average Americans.

Top 10 U.S. Markets: Baking Supplies

Top 10 U.S. Markets: Flour

Top 10 U.S. Markets: Sugar

Nielsen’s Dollar Sales Index reflects a category’s share of total dry grocery sales for a Nielsen market versus the total U.S., using supermarket dollar sales over the most current 52-week period.

The Memphis market’s index of 157 for the Sugar product category, for example, reveals that supermarkets in that particular market sell 57% more sugar, relative to total dry grocery purchases, than the national average.

“Plain Rural Living” households — a Nielsen Spectra lifestyle segment that includes households in small towns and rural areas with the lowest population densities — account for 21% of all American households.  These households represented 43% of canning/freezing supplies product dollar sales, 31% of automotive product dollar sales, and 29% of tobacco and accessories product dollar sales.

Other categories skewing to rural households include insecticides, pesticides, and rodenticides, as well as fresh meat, flour, sugar/sweeteners, pet food, and carbonated beverages.

Nielsen’s Marketing Tip:
Retailers targeting rural households may want to promote these categories (above) with feature ads, displays, and product assortments. Manufacturers should consider cross-promoting and cross-couponing items in these categories.

Nielsen’s Dollar Volume Index identifies demographic groups that account for above or below average dollar volume purchases for a given product category.

Data for the index was collected via Nielsen’s Homescan consumer panel, a nationally representative sample of U.S. households that provides a stratified, proportionate, non-biased representation of the U.S. population. Homescan panelists scan all of their UPC coded purchases after every shopping trip, allowing Nielsen to capture their complete shopping and buying behavior.

Households headed by Americans age 65 and older account for 14.4% of all U.S. households.  These households represented 22.3% of vitamins product dollar sales and 20.8% of medications and remedies product dollar sales.

Other categories skewing to households with older people include pain remedies, canned fruit, and coffee, as well as canning/freezing supplies and floral/gardening supplies.

Nielsen’s Marketing Tip:
Retailers targeting households headed by older Americans may want to promote these categories (above) with feature ads, displays, and product assortments. Manufacturers should consider cross-promoting and cross-couponing items in these categories.

Nielsen’s Dollar Volume Index identifies demographic groups that account for above or below average dollar volume purchases for a given product category.

Data for the index was collected via Nielsen’s Homescan consumer panel, a nationally representative sample of U.S. households that provides a stratified, proportionate, non-biased representation of the U.S. population. Homescan panelists scan all of their UPC coded purchases after every shopping trip, allowing Nielsen to capture their complete shopping and buying behavior.

Private label dollar sales are being driven primarily by higher commodity pricing — especially in staple categories that are dominated by private brands. But in recent weeks, private label unit sales have also grown — a sign that consumers are starting to shift away from established brands in search of better deals.

Among private label food brands, flour (+35%), baby food (+33%), and fresh eggs (+28.2%) showed the largest dollar percent change during the 52 weeks ending September 6, compared with the prior 52-week period.  Unit sales for those products remained flat during the same period: flour was up 7.2%, fresh eggs dropped 0.9%, and pasta grew by 0.6%.

Among non-food private label products, soaps and bath products (+23%), cough and cold remedies (+18%), and hair care products (+18%) showed the largest dollar sales growth during the period.  Paper products, like paper plates, paper towels, and toilet tissue, and aluminum foil were the top-selling non-food private label items. 

Across categories, health and wellness-oriented private brands also showed significant growth, according to Nielsen.  Products claiming to be “natural” (+11.4%) or “organic” (+22.5%), lacking in trans fat or saturated fat (+30.5%), or containing “multi-grains” (+16.6%) or “antioxidants” (+15.8%) showed the largest dollar sales growth during the period.  Products that claimed to contain no calories (-0.6%) or to be caffeine free (-2.2%) showed the only negative growth. 

Among organic private label items, milk, eggs, and produce – like mini carrots and salad mixes — were the top-selling items.

View in depth private label sales data from Nielsen.

Learn more about private label sales in convenience stores.

Read more about overall private label trends in Nielsen’s “Consumer Insight” newsletter.