Talking shopper trends

What is the greatest threat to an established brand? It is seldom that a competitor purely outperforms the established brand with a similar product to win over the hearts of consumers. The more likely scenario is that consumers will change their habits over time and the brand will fail to adapt to the change. Priority number one for any brand manager is to know what your consumers are thinking and doing. The same can be said for retailer - there is no looming threat to their existence, but they have to be in tune and know exactly what shoppers want.
This week we carry an insight into shopper trends by AC Nielsen, and the synopsis we carry is well worth a read. However, I would strongly recommend that you contact Ailsa Birch on ailsabi@acnielsen.co.za to purchase a full study.

Craig Ballantyne
craig@fastmoving.co.za

Please feel free to make comments or raise new issues by emailing the editor
editor@fastmoving.co.za

NEWSBYTES

Shopper Trends 2005
"As choices of stores, products and brands grow it becomes increasingly difficult for manufacturers and retailers to rely on past successes in attracting consumers". This was part of the findings of ACNielsen's latest study, entitled Shopper Trends 2005.
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Shoprite remains tight-lipped
The cautionary announcement from Shoprite last week that it was involved in some unspecified negotiations is still taxing the mind of the market. The leading theory is that it could relate to a management buyout led by Christo Wiese and Whitey Basson backed by a private equity group. But why now, asks Llewellyn Jones from Finance 24.
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NBL is Proudly South African!
National Brands Limited (NBL) has been named 'Company of the Year' at the Proudly South African Homegrown Awards, winning the title for the second consecutive year.
The Company of the Year Award singles out a leading business that personifies the Proudly South African ethos and implements its principles in terms of employment creation, quality products and local content promotion.
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SA's SABMiller slowing down
Though SABMiller's SA operation remains the "heart and soul" of the company, its importance in terms of volume and profit is waning. This emerged from SABMiller's trading update for the year to end March 2006, when the group recorded good organic lager volume growth of 5% and group financial performance in line with management's expectations.
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Pioneering research tool set to change SA marketing landscape
The Wildfire Index, a groundbreaking South African research project that explores the power of networks and the impact of word-of-mouth marketing, has come up with fascinating findings about major local brands and has generated a revolutionary new marketing tool. The tool represents a world first and will be launched during nationwide presentations in early May where the details of the supporting research will also be discussed.
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GLOBAL NEWS

Dissapointing results for P 'n P Oz, despite SA's good performance
Like all other grocery retailers, supermarket chain Pick 'n Pay felt the benefit of a booming economy and high consumer confidence in the year to February. But perhaps the more important story is the performance of the group's Australian business, Franklins, which recorded a mammoth R92m trading loss for the year, although the loss in the second half of the year was substantially less than the first half.
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Wal-Mart vows to keep growing despite opposition
According to Planet Retail, the chief executive of Wal-Mart Stores, Lee Scott, on Thursday said that the retailer will not bow to opponents who say the company is too large, and that it will continue to grow as long as customers keep coming to its stores. Mr Scott said the retailer was in the midst of a "transformation" as it tries to reach customers who shop its stores for food but look elsewhere for fashionable clothing or housewares.