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The rising relevance of mobile retail

Retailers are optimistic about location-based services – 57% consider them a great opportunity for physical stores, with more benefits than costs.

What are the top trends in retail? To find out and gain important insights into formats, internet sales, and location-based services, GfK, Germany’s largest market research institute, surveyed more than 500 people from 60 countries, including members of the retail sector and relevant experts.

In 2013, the top 3 trends in the retail sector were internet, price competition and the concentration of distribution. But by last year they had changed to convenience, internet and mobile communication. And more importantly, in the future, the key trends are expected to be mobile communication, ahead of convenience and internet, then seamless multi-channel retailing and transparency.

Thus, factors such as price competition, which is significant now, are expected to lose importance in future, while others, such as seamless multi-channel retailing, gain relevance, and mobile communication – which Gfk says is “very promising” – moves to the top. “Retail formats incorporating mobile retail solutions are expected to be most successful in future,” GfK said in its Retail Trend Monitor 2015 report. It also said that the pure internet players of today are expected to be lower on the scale of success in future.

Location-based services an opportunity

GfK surveyed the retailers and experts on their opinion of using location-based services to attract customers and/or study customer behavior in stationary (bricks-and-mortar) stores through mobile apps. An example is using beacon technology so that as a participating consumer moves through the city, nearby retailers can send them targetted offers such as coupons, discounts, and alerts to their mobile device (localised via GPS) to attract them into the store. They can also use the mobile devices to track the movement and buying behaviour of consumers participating in the service.

GfK’s main findings on use of location-based services are that:

  • Retailers are optimistic about location-based services – 57% consider them a great opportunity for physical stores, with more benefits than costs;
  • Increasing the awareness of these services still holds potential – 24% are still not familiar with them.

Source: GfK Retail Trend Monitor 2015: Nino Kereselidze, junior marketing consultant, and Markus Tuschl,global director of Digital Retail.

Image: geralt via Pixabay

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Why and where the market for fruit and vegetable ingredients is flourishing

BikurimS

 

The market for fruit and vegetable ingredients is projected to grow at a CAGR of 6.6% and to exceed $180 billion by 2019, according to a report by market research firm MarketsandMarkets.

And while Europe led the market for fruit and vegetable ingredients in 2013 – due to substantial growth in the processed food and beverage sector – the Asia-Pacific region – especially China and India – is expected to be the fastest-growing market for fruit and vegetable ingredients in the next four years. Fruit and vegetable concentrates, in particular, are enjoying increasing demand there in line with growing consumer interest in healthy beverages.

In the report, ‘Fruit and Vegetable Ingredients Market’, author Nayan also predicts growth of the market in Latin America. She said this will be driven by factors such as greater demand for customised fruit and vegetable ingredients due to increasing consumption of processed dairy and ready–to–eat food products.
 

Fruit and Vegetable Ingredients Market Size, by Region, 2013 ($Billion)

Fruit & Vegetable Ingredients Market

Source: Industry Journals, Company Publications, Related Publications, and MarketsandMarkets Analysis
 

How fruit and vegetable ingredients are used in the market

The report categorises the fruit and vegetable ingredients market on the basis of the key type of ingredients – concentrates, pastes and purees, NFC (not from concentrate), and pieces and powders.

It also segments them according to the main end applications – beverages, confectionery products, ready-to-eat products, bakery products, soups and sauces, dairy products, and others (including dips, spreads, dressings, toppings, and puddings).

The ready-meals industry is a big user of canned vegetables (mainly for pizzas, pastas, soups and fresh and frozen meals), as is the meal components sector, while baby food companies use a variety of preserved fruit and vegetables.

An application experiencing growth is the use of fruit and vegetable-based ingredients as colouring and flavouring agents in foods and beverages, in response to consumer concern over synthetic ingredients.
 

Key players analysed in the report

Among leading market players profiled are the Archer Daniels Midland Company (US), Kerry Group plc (Ireland), AGRANA Group (Austria), DohlerGroup (Germany), SunOpta, Inc. (Canada), and SVZ International B.V. (The Netherlands).

Other prominent companies in the market are DIANA S.A.S. (France), Olam International Limited (Singapore), Sensient Technologies Corporation (US), and SensoryEffects Ingredient Solutions (US).
 

Seasonal shortages, price fluctuations limiting growth

Nayan says government initiatives to promote the fruit and vegetable ingredients industry and increasing trade in these commodities have complemented the overall growth of this industry. “However, strict food safety legislation and seasonal variations affecting the supply of raw materials with fluctuating prices restrain the growth of the market.”
 

Fruit and Vegetable Ingredients Market Size Trend, 2012–2019 ($Billion)

Fruit & Vegetable Ingredients Market

E – Estimated; P – Projected

Source: Industry Journals, Related Publications, Company Publications, and MarketsandMarkets Analysis
 

Read more about the ‘Fruit and Vegetable Ingredients Market’ report.

MarketsandMarkets advises that readers can avail of a discount of up to 30% on the off shelf report by using the code FAPRI30 in the “specific interest” section of the contact page of its website.

 

Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.