Even in a recession, sales of most men’s hair care products are expected to remain steady, according to data from Nielsen’s Homescan Consumer Facts report.  As male vanity continues to be all the rage, some sectors have shown solid growth: hair coloring grew 5.7 percent in 2008 over 2007, and in that year, growth was a miniscule 1.7 percent after two successive years of declining sales.   New products such as brush-in gel and liquid colorings drove last year’s growth.
Dollar sales of hair preparations such as gels, pomade and waxes slowed …

Hispanic-American households spent almost twice as much (90% more) on dried vegetables and grains than average American households during the 52 weeks ending June 28, 2008, according to Nielsen.
These households also outspent average households by 88% on purchases of ice, and by 75%, 72%, and 64%, respectively, on purchases of baby food, baby needs, and disposable diapers.
Acculturated Hispanic-American households — those that speak at least some English at home – account for 10.8% of all U.S. households.  These households represented 20.5% of dried vegetables and grains product dollar sales and 20.3% of …

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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Sales of private brands are up 10% this year — to $80.3 billion in the U.S., Nielsen reported Friday.
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 …