Much attention has been paid recently to overweight and obesity in the U.S. But we’re not exclusively a nation of couch potatoes. Indeed, as two new reports from Packaged Facts demonstrate, the active consumer is alive, well, affluent - and spending money on fitness-related products. The Fit Consumer in the U.S. and Sports Nutritional Products in the U.S., both from Packaged Facts, offer marketers unique insights into the behaviors, attitudes and product-buying habits of consumers who pursue an active lifestyle (or, at the very least, indulge in the product trappings of the fit).

Abstract: The Fit Consumer in the U.S.: Tapping into the Active Lifestyles of Sports and Fitness Participants

This innovative brand new Packaged Facts report provides a detailed analysis of the attitudes and behavior of “Fit Consumers,” who are defined as the 50 million adult Americans who exercise at least three times a week and participate in at least one sport every chance they get. Fit Consumers are highly affluent, with an average household income that exceeds $87,000 and is 54% higher than the income of other households.

The report begins with an overview of the Fit Consumer market, including an assessment of the size and growth of the market and a demographic profile of Fit Consumers. A separate chapter analyzes the core values that form the foundation of the consumer behavior of Fit Consumers.

The next section of the report provides a detailed analysis of the steps Fit Consumers take to stay fit and keep healthy. One chapter focuses on how Fit Consumers manage their health and analyzes the role of healthy eating in the Fit Consumer lifestyle. A separate chapter takes an in-depth look at the sports and fitness activities pursued by Fit Consumers.

Another section of the report analyzes the consumer behavior of Fit Consumers. One chapter provides an overview of Fit Consumers from the standpoint of personal finance, brand awareness and shopping behavior. Another examines the attitudes and behavior of Fit Consumers in the automotive, travel, fashion, and consumer electronics areas. The report then analyzes how the attitudes and behavior of Fit Consumers vary in terms of the sports they pursue.

The report concludes with a section analyzing evolving trends in the Fit Consumer market. It contains a chapter on trends in media usage by Fit Consumers and a chapter on strategic trends and marketing opportunities in the Fit Consumer market.

The Fit Consumer in the U.S.: Tapping into the Active Lifestyles of Sports and Fitness Participants is based on information collected directly from firms active in the fit consumer market as well as a comprehensive analysis of relevant industry and trade publications. The principal primary research source is the Fall 2006 Simmons National Consumer Survey (NCS). The report also cites relevant data from key industry and trade associations.

Abstract: Sports Nutritional Products for Active Lifestyles in the U.S.

The sports nutritional products market in the U.S. is flexing its muscles and extending into a broader consumer market that is not so much about sports as it is about the fit lifestyle. Take note of the robust market growth in 2006, which saw a 23% gain over 2005 retail sales of $4.5 billion. This success was driven by the beverage category. The big question for the future is, can bars & gels and supplements capture that same sort of success? And the answer is yes, by integrating broader health benefits into new product launches.

Faced with a changing consumer landscape, the sports nutritionals market is well-placed to drive innovation and sales by stepping out of the sports zone through the exploration of category cross-fertilization, functionality hot buttons (such as organics, probiotics and the glycemic index) and new age sensory and emotional benefits. This is especially important for growth in the bars & gels and supplements categories. Both will need to integrate broader ranges of benefits into new product launches to spur sales.

Sports Nutritional Products for Active Lifestyles in the U.S. analyzes sales and growth potential for three main categories: beverages, bars & gels, and supplements. The report surveys marketing and new product trends and dissects consumer demographics by major categories, selected brands and selected activities. The report also tracks variations in general nutrition- and health-related attitudes among adult consumers and addresses the following segments:

• The Market (including market size and composition, and projected market growth)
• The Marketers (including discussions of specific marketer brand and market shares)
• The Consumer
• The Products
• Trends and Opportunities

Plus, you’ll benefit from extensive data, presented in easy-to-read and practical charts, tables and graphs.

The information in Sports Nutritional Products for Active Lifestyles in the U.S. is based on both primary and secondary research. Primary research involved on-site retail examinations, interviews with marketing and industry analysts. Secondary research entailed data-gathering from relevant trade, business, and government sources, including company literature. Packaged Facts has derived mass-merchandiser sales figures from Information Resources, Inc. (IRI) InfoScan sales-tracking data. Figures provided on national consumer advertising expenditures are based primarily on data (copyright 2006) compiled by TNS Media Intelligence, the leading provider of strategic advertising and marketing communications intelligence. The analysis of consumer demographics derives from Simmons Market Research Bureau survey data for fall 2006. New product information is gathered via literature research, personal interviews and data compiled by Productscan, a service of Datamonitor.

How You Will Benefit from these Reports
Fit Consumers represent an attractive target not only for marketers of products and services tied directly to their active lifestyles, such as fitness equipment, health clubs, sporting goods, athletic shoes, outerwear, and vitamins and other supplements. Fit Consumers also are more likely to go shopping frequently, both at the mall and online; buy new cars; own mutual funds; travel extensively; pamper themselves with a wide range of personal-care products, and keep up with the latest consumer electronics products. With an aggregate household income of $2.2 trillion, Fit Consumers represent a unique and fast-growing segment of the American consumer economy, and sports nutritional products are important products of choice for this cohort.

If your company is already competing in the sports nutritional products market, or is considering making the leap to target active and fit consumers, you will find both these reports invaluable, as they provide comprehensive packages of information and insight not offered anywhere else. You will gain a thorough understanding of the current market, as well as projected sales and trends through 2011. Contributing to that understanding will be a complete analysis of sales data from IRI and Simmons data along with other published and trade sources.

These reports will help:

• Marketing Managers identify market opportunities and develop targeted promotion plans.
• Research and development professionals stay on top of competitor initiatives and explore demand for products in the sports nutritional arena and other products targeting Fit Consumers.
• Advertising agencies to develop messages and images that compel Fit Consumers to purchase these products.
• Business development executives understand the dynamics of the market and identify possible partnerships.
• Information and research center librarians provide market researchers, brand and product managers and other colleagues with the vital information they need to do their jobs more effectively.

Related Reports:

Weight Management Trends in the U.S.
May 1, 2010 - LA1936257 - $3,300.00

Functional, Fortified and Inherently Healthy Foods and Beverages in the U.S., 4th Edition
May 1, 2009 - LA1939944 - $3,300.00

Fit Consumers in the U.S.: Tapping into the Active Lifestyles of Sports and Fitness Participants
Aug 1, 2007 - LA1534650 - $3,500.00

MarketLooks: Fit Consumers in the U.S.: Tapping into the Active Lifestyles of Sports and Fitness Participants
Aug 1, 2007 - ML2091629 - $399.00

Sport Nutritionals for Active Lifestyles in the U.S.
Aug 1, 2007 - LA1209576 - $3,000.00

Low Glycemic Index Foods and Beverages in the U.S.
Dec 1, 2006 - LA1218500 - $2,000.00

The U.S. Market for Golf Equipment
Feb 1, 2006 - LA1189456 - $2,400.00

The U.S. Market for Weight Loss Products and Trends: Moving from Low-Carb to Low-Sugar and Low-Glycemic, 2nd Edition
Nov 1, 2005 - LA1097899 - $2,250.00

MarketLooks: The U.S. Market for Weight Loss Products and Trends
Nov 1, 2005 - ML1187818 - $399.00

On-the-Go Eating and Snacking: Consumer Mindsets, Menu Trends, and Product/Packaging Innovation
Jul 1, 2005 - LA1077422 - $2,250.00