A broad spectrum of food products from an increasingly wide range of gourmet marketers is rapidly finding a place in mainstream grocery channels and on mainstream American tables. Several key developments are expanding the appeal of gourmet/premium foods and beverages to consumers: Americans’ growing interest in world cuisines and flavors, growing concern with health and wellness, rising discretionary income, and an overall penchant for indulgence. The upshot is consumers with more sophisticated palates, higher nutritional demands, the ability to afford premium products, and the desire to enjoy them on a regular basis. While none of these trends is completely new, there are signs that they have been accelerating. At the same time, the current upswing in “channel blurring” is expanding retail distribution of gourmet/premium foods and beverages as grocers seek to distinguish themselves by luring shoppers with premium products they cannot find elsewhere.

Now in its 6th edition, this all-new Packaged Facts report, The U.S. Market for Gourmet Foods and Beverages, offers a unique look at this burgeoning market. The report comprises two volumes: the first, Market, Products and Trends, analyzes sales and growth potential for gourmet and premium foods and beverages, focusing on ready-to-eat meals (including frozen, refrigerated, and shelf-stable meals, soups, appetizers, and frozen pizza); baked goods (from artisan breads to crackers, cookies, and cakes), pasta, and grains; cheese; fresh produce (including packaged salads); condiments and sauces; candy, both chocolate and non-chocolate; ice cream and frozen desserts; and non-alcoholic beverages (from bottled water and ready-to-drink “adult sodas” to specialty coffees and teas). The report pinpoints the factors that continue to shape the market, including demographic trends, mergers and acquisitions, and new product development; compiles historical sales figures and projections for the 2000-2009 period; and presents marketer and brand share estimates for gourmet/premium products sold through mass-market outlets.

Volume 2, Consumer Profiles, lays out the demographics for gourmet consumers overall and for the strongly gourmet-oriented “foodies.” Coverage includes data on weekly grocery shopping expenditures, responsiveness to grocery advertising media, and patterns by supermarket chain (ranging from Wal-Mart to Whole Foods). In addition, this report charts the demographics and indicators for gourmet food brands in seven categories: beverages (non-alcoholic); ready-to-eat meals; baked goods, pasta, and grains; condiments/sauces; cheese; candy; and ice cream/frozen desserts. Brands profiled—including via usage indexes among gourmet consumers—include Barilla (boasting a 19% usage rate), Ben & Jerry’s, Cabot, Carr’s, Celestial Seasonings, Godiva, Marie Callender’s, Newman’s Own, Pepperidge Farm, Perrier, Snapple, Starbucks, and Tabasco.

Report Methodology
The information in The U.S. Market for Gourmet Foods and Beverages: Market, Products and Trends is based on both primary and secondary research. Primary research involved on-site examination of the retail milieu, interviews with marketing, public relations and industry analysts within the food market and consultants to the industry. Market size data was derived from Information Resources, Inc. Secondary research entailed data-gathering from relevant trade, business, and government sources, including company literature. New product information is gathered via literature research, personal interviews and data compiled by ProductScan, a service of Marketing Intelligence Service Ltd. Data on the consumer is derived from Simmons Market Research Bureau’s fall 2004 national consumer survey.

What You’ll Get in this Report
The U.S. Market for Gourmet Foods and Beverages makes important predictions and recommendations regarding the future of this market, and pinpoints ways current and prospective marketers can capitalize on current trends and spearhead new ones. No other market research report provides both the comprehensive analysis and extensive data that The U.S. Market for Gourmet Foods and Beverages offers. The report 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)
• Competitive Profiles (of the mainstream marketers, specialists and up-and-coming niche players, and analyses of the products they market)
• 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.

How You Will Benefit from this Report
If your company is already competing in the gourmet and specialty food industry, or is considering making the leap, you will find this report invaluable, as it provides a comprehensive package of information and insight not offered in any other single source. You will gain a thorough understanding of the current market for gourmet and specialty foods and beverages, as well as projected sales and trends through 2009. Contributing to that understanding will be a complete analysis of sales data, and a detailed discussion of the consumer for gourmet foods based on Simmons data.

This report will help:

• Marketing Managers identify market opportunities and develop targeted promotion plans for diet candy.
• Research and development professionals stay on top of competitor initiatives and explore demand for gourmet and specialty foods and beverages.
• Advertising agencies working with clients in the food and beverage industries understand the product buyer to develop messages and images that compel 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.

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