Today's Abstract - F3 May 09

Facts, Figures, & the Future (F3) e-Newsletter provides the latest consumer data, facts, figures, and trend information. Today's issue features Capture the dollar foods 'sweet spot', Candy, today's low-cost escape, finally hits the wall, Fewer 'soft touches' in toilet tissue sales, and more. The publication of several books pushing the idea of dollar-store foods to feed the family has helped raise awareness of this channel as a low-price purveyor. Low prices look compelling to struggling households in this recession. Chief shoppers have set pride aside, travel further with the intent to save more, and have begun to trust in the integrity of this channel's distribution pipeline. Not surprisingly, traffic is up, parking lots are crammed, and operators like Family Dollar are devoting more display space to food. In a second story, for a sweet moment at a time, candy pulls us back to childhood days—a time when a whole generation of kids felt cared for and secure. No wonder people want to retreat from today's stern economy. Unlike food and beverage essentials that fuel our bodies—yet are redlining or are barely in the black—candy is the ticket to brief escape. It soothes our stresses, and serves as the centerpiece of our emotional eating. Plenty of people say they're eating healthier and exercising more to be battle-ready these days, but we at F3 suspect that just as many would indulge in these low-cost items as long as they remain within their budgetary grasp. Rounding out this issue of F3, consumer savings strategies in this recession have officially gone to great lengths. The latest quarter's slowdown in toilet tissue sales—perhaps the ultimate household essential—was attributed by one major manufacturer to U.S. households working down their inventory and buying smaller size packs with their available cash.

Facts, Figures, & the Future (F3) e-Newsletter provides the latest consumer data, facts, figures, and trend information. Today's issue features Capture the dollar foods 'sweet spot', Candy, today's low-cost escape, finally hits the wall, Fewer 'soft touches' in toilet tissue sales, and more.

The publication of several books pushing the idea of dollar-store foods to feed the family has helped raise awareness of this channel as a low-price purveyor. Low prices look compelling to struggling households in this recession. Chief shoppers have set pride aside, travel further with the intent to save more, and have begun to trust in the integrity of this channel's distribution pipeline. Not surprisingly, traffic is up, parking lots are crammed, and operators like Family Dollar are devoting more display space to food.

In a second story, for a sweet moment at a time, candy pulls us back to childhood days—a time when a whole generation of kids felt cared for and secure. No wonder people want to retreat from today's stern economy. Unlike food and beverage essentials that fuel our bodies—yet are redlining or are barely in the black—candy is the ticket to brief escape. It soothes our stresses, and serves as the centerpiece of our emotional eating. Plenty of people say they're eating healthier and exercising more to be battle-ready these days, but we at F3 suspect that just as many would indulge in these low-cost items as long as they remain within their budgetary grasp.

Rounding out this issue of F3, consumer savings strategies in this recession have officially gone to great lengths. The latest quarter's slowdown in toilet tissue sales—perhaps the ultimate household essential—was attributed by one major manufacturer to U.S. households working down their inventory and buying smaller size packs with their available cash.

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