• Apparel and Footwear: The Black Consumer - US
Apparel and Footwear: The Black Consumer - US

African Americans view fashion as a means to influence how they’re viewed by the world and express what they think of themselves. Rather than follow trends African Americans, especially young Black men, are the trendsetters—everything they’re doing is reflected in popular culture and is then adopted by mainstream society. This report will help marketers determine cultural and economic factors that impact purchasing behaviors and brand preferences among today’s Black shopper.
• Female Beauty and Personal Care Consumer (The) - UK
Female Beauty and Personal Care Consumer (The) - UK

In a beauty and personal care market already worth approaching £14 billion (including products and services such as hairdressing, see Mintel report British Lifestyles, August 2010), there is still plenty of scope for innovation and further growth. Women have a good understanding of basic skin types and are well practised in identifying their own flaws, large and small. Despite a good degree of scepticism, there is also an enduring optimism that drives take-up of new products. Consumers are not realistically hoping for perfection – rather wanting improved results.
• Home Baking (Cooking and Baking from Scratch) - UK
Home Baking (Cooking and Baking from Scratch) - UK

Despite the trend towards healthy eating, consumers have taken a greater interest in home baking, driving value sales in the home baking market up by 12.7% between 2007 and 2009. The market is expected to grow by a further 9.1% in 2010, taking sales to £576 million.Consumers have been bitten the baking bug; over two thirds of consumers (69%) have bought raw baking ingredients in the last year.
• Marketing to Dads - US
Marketing to Dads - US

The extensive media attention that moms’ increasing influence over many aspects of family life has received in recent years has overshadowed a quiet revolution underway among dads. Just as moms are now exerting even greater control over traditionally male product categories such as cars and computers, dads are putting in more time caring for the kids and shopping for groceries. While the current recession, which has resulted in far greater job losses among men than women, has accelerated this shift in—and blurring of—traditional gender roles, the roots of the change are deeper than any short-term economic event.
• Media Consumption Amongst Over-55s - UK
Media Consumption Amongst Over-55s - UK

As the UK population ages, this report takes an in-depth look at the media consumption and attitudes towards media of over-55s, covering their use of TV, radio, newspapers, magazines and the internet. It aims to show how the media preferences and habits of over-55s differ from the general population and how products and services can be tailored to suit them. It also aims to identify where, in the context of commercial media, advertisers can most effectively target the over-55 market.Over-55s feel excluded by many advertising and marketing campaigns, with 41% agreeing that “most advertising and marketing isn’t relevant to people in my age group”, compared to 30% of the population overall.
• Music Concerts and Festivals - UK
Music Concerts and Festivals - UK

This report examines the market for music concerts and festivals, which has burgeoned during the past five years, in stark contrast to the market for recorded music. In fact, the live industry has been something of a saviour for music companies and artists alike, with the consequence that acts and promoters are investing more effort in the sector to compensate for their declining recorded revenues.
• Pet Supplies - US
Pet Supplies - US

The US pet supplies market appears to be mostly recession-proof, having steadily gained sales between 2005 and estimated 2010. Yet pet owners nonetheless place the most emphasis on price and private label sales outpaced national brands in some segments in 2010 (for the period to date), such as dog and cat needs and dog rawhide chews, indicating that value is still the top priority. This report focuses on these dynamic factors and offers in-depth analysis of the following:
• Residential Flooring - US
Residential Flooring - US

Flooring market sales fell from 2006-10 as the collapse of the housing market and wider recession drove down demand. Consumers have held off on floor replacements, set aside major renovations and traded down to less expensive products. The result is an extremely competitive landscape that nonetheless has the potential for significant growth when pent-up demand is released in the future. This report examines overall market size and segment trends to analyze which types of flooring have best weathered the recession and offer the best prospects for growth in 2010 and beyond. It examines major suppliers, retail trends and innovations in carpet, hardwood, laminate, ceramic tile, stone and vinyl. It also probes the branding and advertising strategies of major players in the market. It looks at a variety of market drivers, including the impact of green building codes, new legislation and eco-friendly products.
• Seasonal Chocolate - US
Seasonal Chocolate - US

During 2005-10, seasonal chocolate sales increased 16.3% to become a sweet and sizeable $4.6 billion market (estimated 2010 sales figures). Positioned as a traditional indulgence, the category appears not to have been adversely affected by the wavering economy of the past few years.
• Women's Fragrances - UK
Women's Fragrances - UK

The UK women’s fragrance market is rapidly changing. Valued at an estimated £739 million in 2010, with modest growth of 2.4% year on year, the market has been reasonably well preserved during the economic recession. However, financial pressures have instigated a shift in consumer behaviour that fragrance brands need to address.
• Black Haircare - US
Black Haircare - US

Historically, black consumers have shopped at hair salons and beauty supply stores for their haircare needs. While that is still the case for a large number of shoppers, given the state of the economy, many black consumers are taking a closer look at FDMx outlets, which tend to offer better pricing. The black haircare market consists of only those haircare products specifically formulated for and marketed to black consumers. This report includes FDMx sales of such products from 2005-09 with forecasts for 2010-15. As with other products in the personal care industry— value perceptions and wellness are key drivers in influencing black haircare purchasing habits. This report explores these aspects of the market as well as others including:
• Candles - US
Candles - US

As noted in Mintel’s Candles—U.S., August 2009, sales of candles declined steadily and significantly between 2006 and 2009, as recession gripped the nation and the category faced stiff competition from various air care categories. However, while the market still faces significant challenges, there are some signs of improvement in 2010. Moreover, a variety of companies have launched innovative new products and this appears to be driving growth at some firms.
• Attitudes Toward Sodium and High Fructose Corn Syrup Reduction - US
Attitudes Toward Sodium and High Fructose Corn Syrup Reduction - US

Recent research indicates that the majority of American adults are watching their diet. The health and wellness trend is driven by a variety of factors including an aging population and analysis suggests that as the economy improves, Americans are likely to gravitate more toward better-for-you (BFY) options such as those low in sodium and calories.

Britain has emerged from the recession but is faced with a long and lingering period of uncertainty. Consumers remain wary about the future, and this is reflected in spending habits and attitudes about what is 'essential'. With further cuts ahead, the general mindset is one of caution, with the biggest question of all being 'what next?' However, there is positivity too - people seemed to have moved away from the fear that pervaded much of the last 12 months.

Binge drinking (defined by the government/NHS as 6 units in one session for women and 8 for men) is rife among 18-24-year-olds, with four in five of this age group exceeding the recommended limit on a regular basis. Although the drivers of binge drinking among the young is multi-faceted, lack of awareness about how easy it is to drink excessively is undoubtedly a major cause. For example, more than half of regular binge drinkers are unwittingly so, and many 18-24-year-olds believe binge drinking means losing control of one’s senses as opposed to having as little as two large glasses of wine (for a woman) or three pints of premium-strength lager (for a man).