• Eye on intermediaries - Savings and Investment - UK
Eye on intermediaries - Savings and Investment - UK

• Retail Banking Overview - UK
Retail Banking Overview - UK

The weak economy and low consumer confidence has prompted people to cut back on spending, become more demanding and value-oriented - all in all a more difficult proposition. Helped by the work of aggregators and a more cost-conscious consumer mindset during the recession, people are increasingly switching their provider. The total gross income of the major banks (MBBG members) fell by 16% in 2008, from £100.8 billion to £84.8 billion, as a result of the recession.
• Women's Fashion Lifestyles - UK
Women's Fashion Lifestyles - UK

The women's outerwear market is estimated to be worth £20.7bn in 2009, a 2% decline on 2008, as incomes are being squeezed and many consumers have started to cut back. However, a small recovery in the women's outerwear market is expected in 2010 (growth of 1% to reach £21bn), but it will not be until 2011 that women's spending growth will return to 2007 levels. Mintel's reseacrh shows that over 8 million women say they don't need any excuse to buy clothes. This indicates they are willing to buy at any time, including on impulse. While they are most likely to be well off, it is interesting that they are not the youngest age groups, but more likely 45-64s.
• Breakfast Foods - US
Breakfast Foods - US

Like a small town high school marching band, the success of the breakfast food market is largely determined by the widely varying talents of its members. The varying sales of the 10 competing segments combine for flat overall results. This report explores the factors that influence product selection—health and price emerge as key themes. The heart of the report is Mintel’s exclusive consumer research and analysis that explores breakfast usage by frequency, procurement, location and type as well as behavior regarding, attitudes towards, and preferences related to breakfast foods.
• Casual Dining - US
Casual Dining - US

With the recession in full swing, the casual dining sector has suffered across the board. Strategy has turned sharply from expanding capacity to stealing share from competitors. Unit counts for leading chains are on the downswing. In this report, Mintel examines the impact of recession on casual dining chains and how they are trying to stem further sales decline.
• Potatoes - UK
Potatoes - UK

The chilled potatoes sector is showing strong growth, now accounting for 2% of the market. Not only do consumers want potatoes that require minimal cooking, but they are also responding to the health/ freshness position of chilled potato products. Fresh potatoes still account for two-thirds of the market. Suppliers are repositioning potatoes as a healthy and natural option. Four out of the ten top positioning claims are health-related. Potato manufacturers have an opportunity to tap into trends such as nostalgia and indulgence. As the recession has progressed, British consumers have been turning to classic comfort foods, many of which use potatoes as a key ingredient, such as fish & chips, bangers & mash and shepherd’s pie.
• Advertising and Marketing in New Media - UK
Advertising and Marketing in New Media - UK

Mintel's research shows that internet users pay nearly twice as much attention to ads via search engines such as Google compared to social networks. Given that sites such as Facebook remain popular places to spend extended periods of time, this is perhaps down to the fact that attentions are diverted by the range of things do on social networks, such as connecting with friends and games.
• Attitudes to Internet and New Media Marketing - US
Attitudes to Internet and New Media Marketing - US

With the influx of new media in recent years—from online video and social networking to smartphones—the advertising industry is facing the question of how to most effectively utilize a rapidly expanding set of tools to reach consumers. The economic recession and the adoption of disruptive technologies should make new media more attractive to advertisers, but there is still trepidation in terms of what works, what annoys, and even what offends consumers. In this report, Mintel looks at how the rules of the game are changing as marketers struggle to better reach their targets.
• Bedrooms - UK
Bedrooms - UK

There is an opportunity for retailers to provide a range of bedroom services. One in five online adults aged 16-64 (7 million) would love a made-to-measure fitted bedroom the same proportion hate putting together self-assembly furniture. When choosing a bed people don't just go for the cheapest available. Almost half (16 million) will buy the best they can afford, showing they recognise the importance of a quality mattress in getting a good night's sleep.
• Budget Shopper - US
Budget Shopper - US

The current recession didn’t so much start a trend toward budget shopping as intensify one already in place. While belt tightening has been an ongoing process in recent years, the motivations for it have shifted considerably in the past 12 months as the recession has deepened and turmoil in the financial markets has played out. The spiking commodity and fuel prices of 2007 and 2008 have subsided, giving way to rising unemployment, declining real income, lower home values and loss of retirement savings. Even as the economy begins to show signs of stability in late 2009, it has become apparent that budget shopping will be the reality for a majority of Americans for years to come.
• Care of Car Interiors - US
Care of Car Interiors - US

This report explores the automotive cleaning market in the US. It provides insight into the external and internal factors affecting consumption and trends, and what they mean for future sales, promotional campaigns, and industry innovations. Specific questions that are answered in this report include, but are not limited to, the following:
What effects do the downturn in new-car sales have on the overall market? How can companies use the “green” movement to increase sales?
• Ethnic Beauty - UK
Ethnic Beauty - UK

The 7.3 million strong ethnic population is growing faster than the white population in the UK. This expansion offers strong growth opportunities for cosmetics and toiletries products that target the UK’s non-white population. Teenagers and pre-teens are more strongly represented within the ethnic community than amongst white people. Young people tend to be more experimental and are an important target group for beauty products. 12% of the total population are non-whites, however, ethnic beauty products represent just 1% of all new haircare, skincare and make-up launches. The ethnic market has a long way to go to be brought in-line with the demographic make-up of the UK population.

The UK online grocery market is estimated at £4.4 billion (including sales tax and delivery charges) in 2009, having more than doubled (134% growth) in value over 2005-09. Rapidly rising food inflation, particularly in 2008, has contributed to high value growth in the sector, while dampening demand in volume terms. However, even the underlying growth has been explosive. On the consumer side, rising broadband penetration and higher connection speeds, together with the steady expansion of the online grocers’ geographical coverage, has made the service accessible to more people. Meanwhile, the improvements to the online grocers’ services and rising web fluency have encouraged usage.

Two-thirds of adults cook their evening meal from scratch. However, most draw upon a repertoire of meal options that includes take-aways and ready meals. Manufacturers and retailers of convenience foods are failing to attract their share of older shoppers, with this group preferring to cook their evening meals from scratch. Consumers who typically eat ready meals and takeaways in the evening are more likely to eat a larger meal at lunchtime and to work irregular hours. But this group spends more time cooking at the weekend: manufacturers and retailers could target this group by offering meal kits and promotions based around popular takeaway dishes to encourage them to cook more.