“The consumer is not an idiot. She is your wife.”
David Ogilvy
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Atkins wave crashes as carb-cutters call it quits
Chicago Sun-Times
A study by NPD Group, an independent marketing information company, found that the percentage of American adults on any low-carb diet in 2004 peaked at 9.1 percent in February and dropped to 4.9 percent by early November.
That means many companies that rode the low-carb wave are either out of business or refocusing their strategies.
MGP Ingredients Inc. of Atchison, Kan., which profited from the low-carb trend, earlier this month cut its fiscal 2005 per-share earnings forecast by more than half — from $1.08 to no more than 50 cents.
The reason is reduced demand for its specialty proteins and starches used to remove carbohydrates from foods. MGP said low-carb demand had peaked, and it did not expect it to return to anywhere near the level that sparked a 123 percent increase in sales in the third quarter of fiscal 2004.
A Breakfast Burger.
USA Today
Not with lettuce and tomato, but with a fried egg and ketchup. Carl’s Jr., the fast-food chain that loves to thumb its nose at political correctness, this week will unveil the burger.
The national trend toward lunch at breakfast is clear. About 12.5% of fast-food diners ordered burgers for breakfast in 2004, compared with 7.5% in 2003, reports Sandelman & Associates, a restaurant consulting firm. In trend-setting Southern California, 17.6% of fast-food breakfast eaters got burgers this year.
Bread Apeal
Washington Post
A proliferating number of sandwich chains such as Potbelly Sandwich Works, Panera Bread, Corner Bakery and Cosi that offer such items as tuna and Swiss cheese on multigrain bread, a grilled Italian panini on rosemary-onion focaccia, or tandoori chicken with roasted red peppers and vinaigrette in a flat-bread pocket.
Fit for shopping-.
UK supermarket chain Tesco is introducing the Trim Trolley, a grocery cart that offers a workout while you shop. The shopper can choose the resistance level on their cart, thereby making pushing a cart feel like an uphill battle. The cart also has the technology to monitor the number of calories burned after any shopping workout.
Tune in to Starbucks
Starbucks is getting together with XM Satellite Radio to create the Starbucks Hear Music channel. The Starbucks channel will debut this fall and by 2005 it is anticipated that Starbucks customers will be able to listen to the channel in more than 4,000 locations nationwide.
A new alternative to coffee?
It seems that trendsetters across the US are crazy about Boba and have been haunting their local Chinatown to find this underground beverage. Otherwise known as tapioca, bubble or pearl tea, Boba is a tea/milk drink flavored with syrup and laden with tapioca balls that lurk on the bottom of your glass. The drink is basically cold, sweet tea with chewy, gelatinous balls on the bottom that you suck up with an oversize straw. [Read more…] about A new alternative to coffee?
Keep it lean: The QSR Interview with Raving Brands, Martin Sprock
Despite the ongoing success of Martin Sprocks Raving Brands, the company head shares a cubicle with three other people, flies coach, and stays two to a room on the road. He might be the company’s chief, but for Sprock it is all about teamwork.
[Read more…] about Keep it lean: The QSR Interview with Raving Brands, Martin Sprock