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Sports
Cycling Accelerates In April
The enthusiasm that consumers are showing for biking, particularly for recreational and family riding, has been an amazing phenomenon for the cycling community. Dirk highlights two areas that can provide ongoing growth.
Sports
Sneakernomics: Sports Retail under COVID-19
U.S. consumer behavior and spending patterns are emerging in the data, offering a glimpse into what sports retail will look like as we move through this pandemic. Matt Powell outlines where he sees the opportunities.
Beauty
What’s Blooming in Beauty
While the U.S. prestige beauty market remains challenged when compared to last year, the buds emerge when we look at week-over-week sales. Fragrance for Mother’s Day and eye makeup for a nice ‘smize’ (smiling eyes) are some of the products in bloom.
Sports
Reinventing Family Vacation
Embracing outdoor moments and looking to create them in both the open-air and comfort of our backyards has been a natural response to stay-at-home orders. With air travel showing slow improvement and family vacation options limited, camping could have a breakout summer.
Sports
Maintaining Momentum for Fitness at Home
The home fitness trend is one of the biggest to emerge from the COVID-19 crisis. Now that consumer interest is piqued on how to exercise at home, the question for retailers and manufacturers becomes, how do we maintain the momentum established over these weeks? Dirk offers up three answers.
Retail
Retail’s Future Opportunities Look Different than Today’s Wins
Recent sales increases in several discretionary categories reflect today's buying behavior, but also offer insight to help prepare for a new way of shopping.
Foodservice
COVID-19 and British foodservice – expect to see deals, delivery and technology as part of the ‘new normal’
The ‘new normal’ we should expect to see in Great Britain’s post-COVID-19 foodservice industry will involve three key components: deals; delivery; and the increased use of technology.
Sports
A New Cycling Culture
Several cycling categories are seeing unprecedented sales growth as biking has become increasingly popular as both a family and fitness activity in today’s COVID-19 world.
Food Consumption
Shelter-In-Place Orders Are Driving Usage of Old and New Kitchen Appliances
New food market research finds consumers are harnessing certain cooking appliances more often today versus year ago with the aim of reducing preparation and cook times as well as expanding in-home options.
Foodservice
COVID-19 and British foodservice – Q1 Impact
In February, as the world watched the COVID-19 crisis unfold in China and elsewhere, the first confirmed cases were appearing in the UK, and we were heading towards the restrictions that have overwhelmed so much of British foodservice. With everyone’s thoughts focused on the restart and the recovery it makes sense to try and understand how this might be achieved.
Sports
Sneakernomics: What Sports Brands and Retailers Must Do Now
In today’s uncertain and unsettling times, Matt Powell offers his thoughts on what sports and outdoor industry brands and retailers must act upon right now to take care of their customers and businesses.
Foodservice
Stocking Our Kitchen Pantries Amid the Pandemic
What’s happening with those overloaded pantry shelves/freezers that consumers filled at the beginning of the virus outbreak? Almost three-fourths of consumers say they’re eating different foods now, and the vast majority of homes have five or more packages of the same item in their pantries and freezers.
Automotive
A New Wave of DIY Car Care
A handful of project-related automotive aftermarket categories around car washing, detailing, maintenance, and repair have recently showed significant growth. The industry has a huge opportunity to encourage do-it-yourself (DIY) vehicle projects and engage with this consumer base differently.
Foodservice
Meal Kits Have a New Purpose in Our New Reality
With shelter in place orders and social distancing forcing consumers to stay in their homes, a staggering number of consumers have issues finding groceries for delivery. This need to get food into the home without going into a grocery store has shined a new light on meal kits, which had been losing popularity with consumers prior to the COVID-19 outbreak.
Sports
Sneakernomics: Q1 2020 Athletic Footwear and Apparel Recap
NPD sports industry advisor Matt Powell shares the retail sales highlights across the U.S. athletic footwear and activewear markets for the first quarter of the year.
Video Games
Connections and Community – Animal Crossing: New Horizons Propels the U.S. Video Game Market
New Horizons truly defined March 2020 for the U.S. video game market and corresponding period of social distancing. There is a synthesis between this game and this time in history that will leave the two forever connected in the world of video games.
Sports
Embracing Health and Fitness at Home
Companies in the home fitness space are working overtime as consumers are being challenged to reinvent their exercise routines. In many ways, the COVID-19 crisis is speeding up some home fitness trends that were already underway pre-pandemic.
Beauty
The Beauty of Staying Home
While total prestige beauty sales are in decline in the U.S., there are several bright spots as consumers are partaking in self-care and creating a home spa environment. Despite declines across most segments, products like body oils, home scents, nail care, and hair color all posted sales growth, and some in the double-digits.
Now is the Time to Observe as Homebound Consumers Adjust
Consumers enter a mode of adjusted living as COVID-19 crisis continues. Necessity based DIYs drove sales growth of many home appliance categories in late March.
Sports
Working from Home Tips from a 20-year Veteran
Given the current circumstances, many people are faced with a new ‘work from home’ reality. Matt Powell shares the practices that have worked for him over the 20 years he’s been working from his home office.
Sports
Sneakernomics: A Turning Point for Athletic Footwear Sales amid COVID-19
Matt Powell explains why the third week of March was a turning point in the evolving story of U.S. athletic footwear sales amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The hardest hit categories were those tied to youth spring sports, as across the nation scholastic spring sports have been cancelled or postponed.
Consumer Electronics
It’s Time for Home Productivity to Shine
Whether sheltering in place or under quarantine at home, work and school demands continue for many Americans. As most attempt to settle into this new reality, NPD saw historic sales increases in tech hardware and accessories over the first two weeks of March.
Foodservice
Food and Beverage Behavior During COVID-19 Outbreak
For the week ending March 15, total restaurant customer transactions declined 8% versus year ago. This most recent week of data reflect performance prior to restaurant dine-in closures mandated in states throughout the U.S. The results for week ending March 22 will reflect the restaurant on-premises closures.
Consumer Electronics
U.S. Retail Consumer Trends Shift Dramatically Amid COVID-19 Crisis
Some retail industries are more vulnerable than others, but early data reveals short-term opportunities to help us all navigate the unknown path ahead.
Home
Home Décor Delivers Space Solutions
Consumers are doing more at home, and many are looking to simple do-it-yourself (DIY) renovations or room make-overs to solve their space needs.
Beauty
Beauty in a Time of the Coronavirus
How will the coronavirus pandemic and social distancing impact beauty routines and sales? Given the store closures, can we expect to see more sales shift online in the weeks ahead? Larissa Jensen outlines what’s happening in beauty today.
Sports
Sneakernomics: The Impact of Sports Cancellations on the Sports Retail Market
Amidst the news of major leagues postponing their respective seasons due to COVID-19, Matt Powell dives into the implications these delays bring for sports retail.
Foodservice
What’s in a (Brand) name
NPD looks at iconic brands in the foodservice industry
Sports
Sneakernomics: Are Brands’ DTC Efforts Good for the Sports Industry?
Athletic footwear brands have been posting impressive direct-to-consumer (DTC) results, which have driven up their overall numbers. Is this true growth for the brand or simply a shift in retail margin dollars from their wholesale partners? The answer is, both. Matt Powell explains why.
Sports
The Internet of Fitness, Part 2: The Peloton Effect
Sports analyst Dirk Sorenson explains Peloton’s appeal, and the opportunities such media-based sports platforms present to sporting goods manufacturers and retailers.
