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Demand Signals Report

CPG Demand Signals Report

Monitoring the impact of macroeconomic factors, including tariffs, on volume, price, and supply on U.S. consumer behavior within the CPG Industry. 

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25-34-year-olds are

21%

more likely to drink pumpkin coffees than the average consumer

Quick Insight

It's that time of year again... pumpkin spice is back. 🎃☕

 

According to Circana, 25–34-year-olds are the most likely to enjoy pumpkin-flavored coffee, proving the season's signature sip is going strong.

 

Are you team “too early” or “right on time”?

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Stephen Hinz

Stephen Hinz

Executive Director, Juvenile Products

Stephen Hinz is director and industry analyst for Circana’s U.S. Juvenile Products practice. He focuses on uncovering insights about the retail consumer and crafting stories using Circana’s robust data assets and his own industry expertise. Hinz provides strategic direction consulting and manages relationships across retailers, licensors, and manufacturers to drive thought leadership initiatives.


Hinz joined NPD, now Circana, in 2014, working in both the toys and juvenile products businesses. Previously, he held buying roles at Best Buy.

Recent Posts from

Stephen Hinz

Circana Enhances Unify+ with AI-Powered Analysis Builder for Faster, More Intuitive Reporting 

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Circana Enhances Unify+ with AI-Powered Analysis Builder for Faster, More Intuitive Reporting 
Redesigned authoring experience in the Unify+ solution generates presentation-ready charts and written insight summaries, with export to PowerPoint, Excel and PDF

15 Sept 2026

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Responsible AI in 2026: Key Considerations for Emerging Brands

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Responsible AI in 2026: Key Considerations for Emerging Brands
CPG brands are leaning into AI in a hard way. AI can help brands learn how to read demand, set prices, and decide where to compete for shelf space, among other things. But speed without responsibility creates risk, and for small and emerging brands, that risk can be costly. As consumer behavior fragments with habits shifting by channel, season, and region, and with growing expectations around convenience, scaling brands operate in an environment focused on immediacy and value. At the same...

14 Sept 2026

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As Spending Tightens, Consumers Choose What They Need and What They Love, Reports Circana

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As Spending Tightens, Consumers Choose What They Need and What They Love, Reports Circana
August retail sales rose 0.8%, but unit demand fell 1.7% as increasingly selective shoppers focused spending on purchases they deem truly worth it.

14 Sept 2026

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Flavor Tourists: How Consumers Worldwide Are Broadening Their Snack Palates

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Flavor Tourists: How Consumers Worldwide Are Broadening Their Snack Palates
Consumers across global markets are evolving into epicurean snackers, gravitating toward adventurous cultural flavors and layered profiles that balance heat with sweet, smoky, and tangy notes. This appetite for experimentation is fueling notable category expansion and premiumization.

9 Sept 2026

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Circana Advances AI-Powered Marketing Measurement: Introducing Liquid Mix with Google Meridian

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Circana Advances AI-Powered Marketing Measurement: Introducing Liquid Mix with Google Meridian
Marketers want transparent, flexible measurement without sacrificing the depth of data and expertise required for rigor, or the ease and speed needed to make better business decisions

8 Sept 2026

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Circana and DoorDash Partner to Validate Incremental Sales for CPG Brands

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Circana and DoorDash Partner to Validate Incremental Sales for CPG Brands
As a best in class for independent third-party validation, Circana grounds every result in real purchase behavior. This partnership gives marketers a clear, objective view of the incremental sales and new buyer growth their DoorDash investments create.

2 Sept 2026

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Top 10 Video Games

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Top 10 Video Games
Hardware spending fell 29% when compared to a year ago as all console platforms suffered year-on-year unit declines.

1 Sept 2026

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Going Solo: How More Consumers Are Dining Alone

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Going Solo: How More Consumers Are Dining Alone
Circana’s latest Eating Patterns in America report highlights a growing trend toward solo dining. Half of all at-home main meals are now eaten alone, with solo breakfasts, lunches, and snacks also increasing. Solo dining is rising in restaurants as well, especially at breakfast and full-service establishments. Circana attributes the shift to workplace mobility, convenience, smaller households, and affluent older consumers.

31 Aug 2026

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How to Leverage Retailer Collaboration Programs to Drive Joint Business Plans

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How to Leverage Retailer Collaboration Programs to Drive Joint Business Plans
The term “collaborate” is often used in discussions between suppliers and retailers. Taken to the next level, formalized retailer collaboration initiatives can lead to win-win-win opportunities for brands, sellers, and consumers.

31 Aug 2026

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US Consumers are Spending on Youth Team Sports Equipment Amid Rising Costs, According to Circana

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US Consumers are Spending on Youth Team Sports Equipment Amid Rising Costs, According to Circana
Top growing categories include baseball and softball, lacrosse, and football

31 Aug 2026

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Demand Signals Report: Unlock CPG, Consumer Behavior Insights

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Demand Signals Report: Unlock CPG, Consumer Behavior Insights
Monitoring macroeconomic impacts on volume, price, and other aspects of the U.S. CPG industry.

27 Aug 2026

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Using Survey Data to Navigate Shifting Consumer Preferences During Economic Uncertainty

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Using Survey Data to Navigate Shifting Consumer Preferences During Economic Uncertainty
As macroeconomic headwinds stubbornly stick around, consumers continue to move between channels, products, and brands. Whether switching to private label products, holding out for promotions, or splitting visits across more stores, today’s shoppers are tougher to track.

27 Aug 2026

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How One Data View Optimizes a Retailer’s Operational Effectiveness and Overall Performance

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How One Data View Optimizes a Retailer’s Operational Effectiveness and Overall Performance
Even with a vast amount of information, many, if not most, retailers can’t explain why their market share moves and that is a costly blind spot. A single, unified view of performance separates a retailer's own execution from external market forces, replacing competing departmental narratives with one authoritative answer.

27 Aug 2026

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The Biggest Back-to-College Opportunity Isn’t in the Dorm Room

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The Biggest Back-to-College Opportunity Isn’t in the Dorm Room
For years, retailers have focused their back-to-college strategies on incoming freshmen and dorm move-in season. But the real growth opportunity may lie with upperclassmen transitioning to apartments and off-campus housing. From graduation celebrations to fully furnishing living spaces, college spending evolves dramatically throughout the student journey, creating opportunities for retailers and manufacturers to capture demand far beyond the freshman year.

26 Aug 2026

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Demand Under Pressure: What Today's Consumer Signals Mean for Smaller CPG Brands

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Demand Under Pressure: What Today's Consumer Signals Mean for Smaller CPG Brands
For a time, the challenging operating environment for brands, retailers, and others across the supply chain was described as the “new normal.” Today, after years of volatility in various forms, those who create and market products to consumers recognize that “normal” has become, frankly, abnormal.

24 Aug 2026

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Life Imitates Brands: How Dupe Demand is Evolving

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Life Imitates Brands: How Dupe Demand is Evolving
More than half (58%) of shoppers have purchased a dupe, and price is no longer the whole story. Quality, convenience, and social media discovery are reshaping how consumers buy across apparel, footwear, and beauty, turning dupes from a budget compromise into a deliberate choice that brands can no longer afford to ignore

21 Aug 2026

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Better Customer Experiences Start with the Right Data Mix

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Better Customer Experiences Start with the Right Data Mix
In today’s retail environment, customer experience is the key differentiator, but improving it requires more than just data. First-party loyalty data provides precise insight into shopper behavior within a retailer, while panel data reveals how customers behave across the broader market. Used together, they help retailers identify friction points, prevent misdiagnoses, and make smarter decisions that drive loyalty, growth, and better customer experiences.

21 Aug 2026

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Weak Confidence, What's Driving Foodservice Growth?

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Weak Confidence, What's Driving Foodservice Growth?
July 2026 China Foodservice Sentiment Report

20 Aug 2026

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Circana Report Highlights Protein and Convenience as Two Forces Influencing America’s Evolving Eating Patterns

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Circana Report Highlights Protein and Convenience as Two Forces Influencing America’s Evolving...
Americans' eating and drinking patterns continue to evolve as they balance nutrition, convenience, cost, and connection

19 Aug 2026

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Australian toy market surges +13% in first half of 2026 as fandom, trading cards and building sets fuel growth

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Australian toy market surges +13% in first half of 2026 as fandom, trading cards and building sets...
Strong consumer demand, licensed toys and premium purchases drive growth across the market

18 Aug 2026

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