In U.S., A Holiday Baking Divide: North Vs. South

admin — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 12:45:43 +0000

When it comes to holiday baking, consumers in the northern U.S. reach for baking supplies — like readymade frosting, cake decorations, chocolate chips, and food coloring, while southerners prefer to stick to the basics: flour and sugar.

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

Rank (by highest index)	Market	Dollar Sales Index Vs. Total U.S. Sales
1	HARTFORD/NEW HAVEN	128
2	BUFFALO/ROCHESTER	127
3	GRAND RAPIDS	123
3	MINNEAPOLIS	123
3	CLEVELAND	123
4	SYRACUSE	122
5	MILWAUKEE	120
6	ST. LOUIS	115
7	SEATTLE	113
7	DETROIT	113
7	PHILADELPHIA	113
8	ALBANY	112
8	PORTLAND	112
9	BOSTON	110
9	SAN FRANCISCO	110
10	SACRAMENTO	109
Lowest Rank	SAN ANTONIO	68
Source: The Nielsen Company (November – December 2007).
*Note: “Dollar Sales Index” is based on each market’s category share of UPC-coded, total dry grocery sales vs. total U.S. sales.

Top 10 U.S. Markets: Flour

Rank (by highest index)	Market	Dollar Sales Index Vs. Total U.S. Sales
1	BIRMINGHAM	206
2	MEMPHIS	178
3	WEST TEXAS	152
3	LITTLE ROCK	152
4	HOUSTON	136
4	NASHVILLE	136
5	SAN ANTONIO	131
6	ATLANTA	130
7	DALLAS	120
8	PHOENIX	119
9	PORTLAND	105
10	NEW ORLEANS/MOBILE	103
10	KANSAS CITY	103
Lowest Rank	ORLANDO	67
Source: The Nielsen Company (November – December 2007).
*Note: “Dollar Sales Index” is based on each market’s category share of UPC-coded, total dry grocery sales vs. total U.S. sales.

Top 10 U.S. Markets: Sugar

Rank (by highest index)	Market	Dollar Sales Index Vs. Total U.S. Sales
1	MEMPHIS	157
2	BIRMINGHAM	146
3	LITTLE ROCK	128
4	NASHVILLE	127
5	RALEIGH/DURHAM	125
6	NEW ORLEANS/MOBILE	124
7	CHARLOTTE	123
7	ATLANTA	123
8	JACKSONVILLE	120
9	WEST TEXAS	119
9	OKLAHOMA CITY/TULSA	119
10	LOUISVILLE	114
Lowest Rank	OAHU	68
Source: The Nielsen Company (November – December 2007).
*Note: “Dollar Sales Index” is based on each market’s category share of UPC-coded, total dry grocery sales vs. total U.S. sales.

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.

As U.S. Economy Slips, Coupon Clipping Climbs

admin — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 20:00:07 +0000

Coupon clipping is on the rise, according to Nielsen.

In June, a Nielsen survey of 50,000 consumers found that nearly one-third used grocery coupons once a week or more. In December 2007, just one-fourth of those surveyed were clipping coupons at that rate, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported Thursday.

According to a separate study by Scarborough Research, a joint partnership with Nielsen and Arbitron, Milwaukee residents reported the highest rates of coupon clipping — 40% of all city households use grocery coupons once a week or more.

Rochester, NY ranked second, with 38% of households clipping grocery coupons with this frequency, while Buffalo, NY; Toledo and Columbus, OH; Hartford and New Haven, CT; and Pittsburgh, Wilkes-Barre, and Scranton, PA, where 36% of households are regular coupons clippers, tied for third place.

Albuquerque and Sante Fe, NM households had the lowest rate of coupon clipping — just 14% use coupons on a regular basis, according to Scarborough.

Nielsen Wire » New Haven

In U.S., A Holiday Baking Divide: North Vs. South

As U.S. Economy Slips, Coupon Clipping Climbs