Charting recent consumer activity, data suggests that the start of the holiday shopping season was not as merry as last as shopping trips were off 3.4% when compared with the same 4 week period last year. Many discretionary categories which typically rely on holiday gifting, such as mens and women’s fragrances and ethnic health and beauty aids are in for another tough year.

U.S. households with fulltime working women spent over one-third more on sanitary protection, family planning, and cosmetics products than average American households during the 52 weeks ending June 28, 2008, according to Nielsen.
Professional women live in almost one-third (32.3%) of U.S. households.  In 2007 and 2008, these households represented 44.3% of sanitary product dollar sales, 43.6% of family planning product dollar sales, and 43.3% of cosmetic product dollar sales.
Other categories skewing to households with working women include ethnic health and beauty aids, baby needs, gum, and diet aids.

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