Today's Abstract April 2009

Facts, Figures, & the Future (F3) e-Newsletter provides the latest consumer data, facts, figures, and trend information. Today's issue features, Blogs, social networks the next hot spot for brands, Family planning sales rise in the recession, Printer cartridge sales grow, pens and pencils not so sharp, and more. CPG and retail marketers looking to connect their brands to consumers online will increase their chances of success if they focus on blogs and social network sites like Facebook, MySpace and Twitter. That's because two-thirds (66.8%) of the global online population visit 'member communities' (blogs and social networks) a lot; Internet users worldwide spend one out of every 11 minutes at these sites. If you're reading this next story and not having sex, join the rest of the country. How else do you think people entertain themselves and relieve stress of the recession, when they go to restaurants and theaters less often and take fewer vacations? Following a record birth year in 2007—with 4.31 million newborns and a 2.3% birth gain among women ages 30-34 (the largest gain of all age groups), said the National Center for Health Statistics—it will be interesting to see if these fertility trends continue once the birth rates of 2008 and 2009 become known. Rounding out this issue of F3, remember about 15 years ago when telecommuting first gained legs? Trust issues eventually gave way to corporate desires to save on office rental footage. Millions set up home offices as outposts, and retailers like Staples opened stores wherever they needed to be to serve these remote workers conveniently. Combine the 12.4 million telecommuters (workingfromanywhere.org 2007 estimate) with the vast tally of independent small businesses across the nation, plus today's swollen ranks of unemployed (more than 8% of the U.S. workforce) generating mountains of cover letters with resumes—and there's a vibrant market for ink jet and toner cartridges, pens and pencils.

Facts, Figures, & the Future (F3) e-Newsletter provides the latest consumer data, facts, figures, and trend information. Today's issue features, Blogs, social networks the next hot spot for brands, Family planning sales rise in the recession, Printer cartridge sales grow, pens and pencils not so sharp, and more. 

CPG and retail marketers looking to connect their brands to consumers online will increase their chances of success if they focus on blogs and social network sites like Facebook, MySpace and Twitter. That's because two-thirds (66.8%) of the global online population visit 'member communities' (blogs and social networks) a lot; Internet users worldwide spend one out of every 11 minutes at these sites.

If you're reading this next story and not having sex, join the rest of the country. How else do you think people entertain themselves and relieve stress of the recession, when they go to restaurants and theaters less often and take fewer vacations? Following a record birth year in 2007—with 4.31 million newborns and a 2.3% birth gain among women ages 30-34 (the largest gain of all age groups), said the National Center for Health Statistics—it will be interesting to see if these fertility trends continue once the birth rates of 2008 and 2009 become known.

Rounding out this issue of F3, remember about 15 years ago when telecommuting first gained legs? Trust issues eventually gave way to corporate desires to save on office rental footage. Millions set up home offices as outposts, and retailers like Staples opened stores wherever they needed to be to serve these remote workers conveniently. Combine the 12.4 million telecommuters (workingfromanywhere.org 2007 estimate) with the vast tally of independent small businesses across the nation, plus today's swollen ranks of unemployed (more than 8% of the U.S. workforce) generating mountains of cover letters with resumes—and there's a vibrant market for ink jet and toner cartridges, pens and pencils.

Facts, Figures & the Future is in its sixth year of publication of providing food retailers and manufacturers with timely information to help meet the needs of our ever changing shopping culture. F3 is delivered FREE to qualified subscribers, the second Monday of each month.
 
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