With the recession in full swing, 2010 saw global consumer research projects increasingly focus (mostly optimistically) on the sheer numbers behind the Chinese economy. From May 2009 – May 2010, retail sales in China rose 18.7%, according to the Chinese National Bureau of Statistics and forecasts call for retail sales in China to eclipse those in the U.S. by 2016.  Kairos Consumers, like numerous global consumer research companies, recognizes the challenge in defining the Chinese consumer.

Kairos Consumers was asked to present at a sports retailing event this December in Greece (Kairos Presents link). The forum will focus partially on usage of social media in sports retailing. As in other industries, sports retailing has seen high reach revolving around product launches and major events, with the goal being to more regularly engage its target audience through Facebook, Twitter and YouTube in particular. The 2010 World Cup offered perhaps the largest sports industry stage to test the relevance of brands as seen through social media.

An article in this week’s issue of AdAge asks if consumers have grown wary of the Green Movement. Kairos Consumers explored the topic earlier this year in a study relating to consumer foodservice in the U.S. and referenced the “Six Sins of Greenwashing”™ originally published by TerraChoice (http://www.terrachoice.com/files/6_sins.pdf). From hybrid cars to household cleaners, no product category is impermeable to skepticism as even environmentally-conscious consumers try to weigh the importance of sustainability with budget concerns. What are the secrets to successful green marketing? AdAge Editor at Large Jack Neff cites the value of a more subtle approach; one in which green is a supporting claim or one of several key attributes rather than the only selling point. This could prove more inclusive over the long-term. The article can be found at http://adage.com/article?article_id=146944.

Over the past six months, Kairos Consumers has noted the influx of juice and smoothie brands into health clubs and gyms, be it in the form of vending machines or small kiosks. Distribution through these alternative channels is not only withstanding curtailed impulse purchasing seen during the recession; it suggests additional opportunities for other “alternative” distribution channels. At the Green Festival in Chicago this past May, probiotic fruit drink exhibitor GoodBelly (http://www.goodbelly.com/) indicated that it will focus intently on this sector of the market over the short term. Aside from a captive audience – health and wellness consumers – the alternative distribution channels like health clubs offer cost advantages. Moreover, the style of display, whether healthy vending machines or small kiosks, has advantages in related venues as well. This week Nation’s Restaurant News (http://www.nrn.com/article/emerald-city-smoothie-debuts-new-kiosk-prototype?ad=news#ixzz11zCQzdsZ) profiled the business model of Emerald City, which has cut entry costs in half by placing kiosks in gyms and other venues. Stay tuned...