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.

Supermarket shoppers in markets like Hartford and New Haven, Conn., Pittsburgh, and Boston spend significantly more, percentage-wise, on ready-made Thanksgiving-related food products than average American consumers, Nielsen reported Thursday.

Hartford/New Haven residents were the top consumers of stuffing products, spending 44% more than average American consumers during the 52 weeks ending September 6, 2008.

During the same period, shoppers in Pittsburgh dominated sales of canned gravy, spending 119% more than average Americans, while Boston consumers spent 194% more than average Americans on New England’s signature fruit condiment, cranberry sauce, according to Nielsen.

But when it comes to Thanksgiving dessert, northeasterners can’t compete with their neighbors to the south, who purchased the lion’s share of frozen pies.

Little Rock, A.R., Birmingham, A.L., and Memphis, Tenn. topped Nielsen’s ranking of the top markets for frozen pie sales.  Shoppers in these three markets spent 75% to 102% more on frozen pies than average Americans.

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 Hartford/New Haven market’s index of 144 for the Stuffing product category, for example, reveals that supermarkets in that particular market sell 44% more stuffing products, relative to total dry grocery purchases, than the national average.