New research reveals omnichannel behaviors, shifting consumer trade-offs, and emerging product trends shaping today’s marketplace CHICAGO, April 8, 2025  – The average U.S. household shops across 39 unique retailers annually, with omnichannel shoppers spending nearly twice as much as brick-and-mortar or e-commerce shoppers ¹ . This shift highlights an evolving consumer landscape where value, convenience, and occasion-based spending impact buying behavior, according to recent research by Circana LLC . The latest research, A Day in the Life of the Complete Consumer, provides a detailed look at how and where consumers are spending their money, from essential purchases to small indulgences. While overall consumer spending remains strong, shifting trade-offs and an increasingly omnichannel approach are reshaping the retail and foodservice industries. "Our study shines a light on the trade-offs consumers face daily, whether it’s choosing value at dollar stores or splurging on small indulgences like gourmet coffee," said Michelle Bennett, executive vice president of Consumer and Shopper Insights at Circana. "By understanding these moments, companies can align their offerings to what really matters to today’s shoppers, driving loyalty and long-term growth." Key Findings Include: Low-income households are increasing trips to value retailers and dollar stores, while high-income households are driving growth in club stores and e-commerce.  As consumers get squeezed, “everyday indulgences” play a key role in consumer spending, with notable growth in small luxury purchases, such as gourmet coffee, prestige beauty products, and premium-priced candles. Consumers are becoming more selective with what they buy, shopping more often but buying fewer categories. There are pockets of growth, such as convenience-driven meal preparation, often incorporating air fryer usage. This trend is growing at lunch and dinner occasions, driving shifts in how consumers shop and eat. Americans’ love for beverages shows no signs of slowing down. Beverage-only snack occasions are on the rise across both retail and foodservice, with energy and nutrition drinks leading the way. Meanwhile, portable beverageware has enjoyed double-digit growth for two consecutive years². "Consumers’ behaviors and expectations continue to evolve rapidly, and businesses must stay agile," said Stephanie Epperson, vice president of Consumer and Shopper Insights at Circana. "The Complete Consumer research allows companies to anticipate these shifts and meet consumers where they are, whether it’s offering personalized solutions or meeting demand for convenience and quality." Learn how  to gain a deeper understanding of these trends and unlock growth potential by leveraging Circana's Complete Consumer solution.  Helpful Link:   Circana Expands Largest U.S. Receipt Panel to 200,000 Static Panelists  Sources: 1Circana Complete Consumer for the latest 52 weeks ending Jan. 26, 2025 2Circana Kitchen Audit 2024

Nearly Half of Consumers Snack Three or More Times per Day CHICAGO – April 3, 2025   –   Circana, LLC  unveiled its latest research,  Snack Unwrap: The Insatiable Craving for Growth , offering valuable insights into emerging trends shaping U.S. consumers’ snacking habits. This comprehensive research reveals how evolving consumer priorities, a growing focus on health-conscious choices, and broader macroeconomic factors are transforming snacking behaviors. The report also emphasizes the essential role of innovation in fostering growth within the fast-paced and highly competitive snacking industry. "Snacking continues to play a vital role in consumers' lives, meeting needs ranging from quick hunger fixes to indulgent cravings and wellness goals," said Sally Lyons Wyatt, global executive vice president and chief industry advisor for Circana. "While snacks have driven dollar sales growth for years, unit sales tell a more nuanced story, with declines in 2022 and 2023, a softened decline in 2024, and a renewed dip as 2025 begins. This underscores how consumer snacking habits are evolving. Brands have a significant opportunity to adapt by leveraging health trends, personalization, and innovation to align with these shifting preferences and expectations." Key insights from the 2025 report include: Snacking Frequency Remains High:  Despite economic uncertainties, snacking remains an integral part of daily life for U.S. consumers. Nearly half of Americans (48.8%) snack three or more times a day, a 2.7% increase year-over-year, with younger demographics (ages 18-44) leading the charge. Healthier Options on the Rise:  Consumers are increasingly seeking snacks that align with their dietary and wellness goals. Approximately 64.1% actively look for snacks perceived as "good for them," marking a significant 7.4% increase since 2020. Categories like yogurt, natural cheese chunks, and high-protein options are experiencing robust growth due to their nutritional appeal. Macroeconomic Influences Drive Value-Oriented Choices:  Rising concerns about inflation and cost have led to more strategic purchasing practices. Consumers are still turning to multipack and variety options. In addition, sales growth of private-label snacks is outpacing branded products in several core categories. Innovation Fuels Consumer Demand:  From functional snacks with health benefits to indulgent treats with nostalgic twists, brands are successfully appealing to diverse consumption needs. Viral flavor profiles such as ube, peri peri, and matcha are fostering curiosity, while collaborations between brands are creating buzz-worthy products. Emerging Channels and Trends:  Online sales of snacks continue to climb, with nearly 50% of consumers stating they are purchasing snacks online in 2024. Convenience, flexible delivery options, and price-surfing behaviors have all contributed to the growing prominence of e-commerce in the snacking sector. Lyons Wyatt added, “Snacking has evolved beyond simply satisfying hunger; it has become less about impulse and more of a reflection of personal values, priorities, and lifestyle choices. From the rise of health-forward products to the experimental exploration of bold flavors, brands must adapt quickly to meet consumer needs and keep pace with shifting trends.” Learn more  about Snack Unwrap: The Insatiable Craving for Growth research and discover how snacking trends are transforming the CPG industry.

Rising prices and debt, immigration concerns, and weather are producing material changes to typical retail activity ahead of unknown tariff impacts CHICAGO, April 7, 2025 — U.S. consumers are currently faced with a great deal of uncertainty that may or may not impact activity at retail. Aside from that uncertainty, consumers are already adjusting purchase decisions as a result of broader circumstances that are impacting them now, according to Circana , LLC. The continued pressure of elevated prices, rising debt, concern among the Hispanic population, extreme weather, and natural disasters are disrupting normal spending patterns. “Dynamic shifts in consumption are already occurring across consumer groups and retail segments,” said Marshal Cohen, chief retail industry advisor for Circana . “The consumer is in a state of confusion and trying to decipher how to prioritize their purchases in an environment of significant change.” Since 2020, prices have risen across most consumer goods, and wages have lagged, resulting in weakened consumer demand. While there is less of a gap in retail food and beverage and at foodservice, the impact on discretionary general merchandise and non-edible consumer packaged goods is noticeable. In 2023, general merchandise reached a peak average price increase of 25% over pre-pandemic 2019 levels, and demand had fallen as low as a 9% decline. In the fourth quarter of 2024, the average price increase of goods sold was up 17% and unit demand slowed to a 7% decline. Part of the recent shifts is the result of consumers choosing more mainstream or value product options, including private label, moving their spending away from the more premium offerings. Some spending shifts are specific to consumer groups. Discretionary purchasing among Hispanic consumers continues to fall at a faster pace than non-Hispanic purchasing. The declines that accelerated in the second half of 2024, and continue through early 2025, have resulted in the first time in two years that Hispanic consumer demand under-performed that of non-Hispanic consumers.  Other changes in consumption are more regional, like those related to major weather events or natural disasters. In the first week of 2025, Southern California wildfires and Winter Storm Blair initiated spending disruptions that deepened discretionary spending declines from a 1% 2024 average to 4% for that week. Winter Storm Enzo then dropped record-breaking snow on parts of the Gulf Coast, resulting in double-digit discretionary dollar sales declines in that region. Those unexpected storms, and generally colder temperatures in the U.S. this January provided a boost for many cold-weather categories that consumers needed in the moment. “Unexpected events create unexpected needs and put added pressure on consumers,” said Cohen. “As more uncertainty and new dynamics enter the picture, the consumer has made it clear that they will not continue to spend in their usual way.”

CHICAGO, April 7, 2025   –  Rather than a standalone entity, wellness is a central theme that inspires all facets of consumer behavior and touches on many industries. Circana, LLC  defines wellness as products or services that empower self-care by enhancing consumers’ physical, mental, and emotional well-being. According to Circana, well-being focused consumers have a buying power exceeding $1.1 trillion  in the U.S., highlighting the significant market potential for companies that cater to this demand. While traditional physical factors such as exercise and nutrition continue to rank as the leading factors contributing to health and well-being among U.S. consumers, mental factors including sleep quality, work/life balance, and a healthy home environment are growing in importance, according to a Circana survey. In other words, wellness is increasingly being recognized as a trifecta of balance across body, mind, and soul. “As well-being practices touch all aspects of our lives, maximizing these opportunities is a win-win across many industries,” said Kristin Hornberger, EVP of Wellness, Beauty, and Homecare at Circana .  “Identifying unique ways your industry can support the consumer journey for total well-being and exploring collaborations and co-branding partnerships are strategies that will resonate with an open and eager consumer base.”  The physical side of wellness  has many focus areas, most of which are growing. Weight control, digestion, pain management, deodorant, oral care, and vitamins and supplements tied to energy all grew in 2024, versus the prior year. Circana data also finds that consumers are supplementing beyond meal occasions for more protein; sales of protein drinks, powders, and supplements grew 18% in 2024. In the pursuit of emotional well-being , Circana finds that 77% of Americans prioritize their mental health including stress, sleep, mood, and motivation. Beauty is one industry that is intrinsically tied to this aspect of wellness. When analyzing the percentage of women incorporating beauty into their wellness routine, 46% dedicate time to skincare, over 30% apply makeup or style their hair more often to make themselves feel good, and more than one-quarter wear fragrance to lift their mood.  “The evolution of wellness has provided a boost to the beauty industry, which has products that provide both the tangible benefits that affect our bodies such as skincare and suncare, but also the more ethereal intangible benefits that affect our mood like fragrance, makeup, and hair styling,” said Larissa Jensen, SVP, global beauty industry advisor at Circana . Fuel for the soul , seeking community and social engagement is the third element of well-being and it manifests in various forms. Circana survey data shows that keeping mentally fit is a leading reason for sports participation – and the number one reason among women. The books consumers are buying also reflect a shift in attitudes around wellness; books on mental health, menopause, healthy cooking, and diseases and conditions experienced double- to triple-digit growth in 2024. “Wellness is a constantly shifting paradigm of practices that work together to make the individual feel empowered,” said Hornberger. “As the landscape of consumer priorities continues to evolve, companies that align with the principles of well-being will be well-positioned to thrive.”

CHICAGO – April 8, 2025   –   Circana, LLC , a leading advisor on the complexity of consumer behavior, announced today that it is launching Liquid Mix™ , a groundbreaking self-service marketing mix platform. Designed to empower brands of all sizes, Liquid Mix solution provides marketers with rapid, actionable insights to optimize marketing budgets like never before. “Marketing mix has always been critical for guiding strategic decisions, but too often, barriers like cost, time, and technical complexity have prevented brands from fully realizing its value,” said Yeimy Garcia Smith, senior vice president of Global Measurement at Circana. “Liquid Mix removes those barriers, offering brands an innovative self-service solution. Not only is it faster and more accessible, but Liquid Mix remains rooted in Circana’s trusted, industry-leading data, ensuring brands never have to compromise on quality and granularity. The future of marketing mix is flexible, and with the addition of Liquid Mix to our Circana portfolio, we now offer a faster, more accessible solution tailored to meet the diverse needs of our clients.”  Revolutionizing Marketing Mix Modeling The Liquid Mix AI-powered self-service platform addresses long-standing challenges in traditional marketing mix approaches. Historically resource-intensive, slow, and primarily accessible to flagship brands, marketing mix modeling has often been out of reach for smaller businesses or non-core brands. Liquid Mix solution changes the game by delivering on-demand, AI-powered insights that are fast, accessible, and user-friendly. With Liquid Mix, Circana’s trusted store-level, point-of-sale (POS) data serves as the foundation, ensuring marketers no longer need to choose between accuracy and speed. Key attributes include: Fast:  Achieve answers to critical business questions in minutes with Liquid Mix solution—80% faster than traditional marketing mix models. Flexible:  Leverage Unify+, an on-demand decision-making platform built for smarter, data-driven strategies. Export insights to PowerPoint or Excel and model performance at sub-brand and channel levels. Adapt as business evolves, revisit models, and integrate data for comprehensive analysis.  Granular: Harness the power of Circana’s store-level data and AI to drive business outcomes. Perform advanced historical modeling to uncover insights, confidently simulate future scenarios, and fine-tune marketing spend for maximum ROI. Access an extensive database of thousands of CPG and general merchandise industry benchmarks for precise context and dependable comparisons. Designed for Brands of All Sizes Whether businesses are new to marketing mix modeling or looking for flexible approaches to meet their measurement needs, Liquid Mix has them covered. The Liquid Mix AI-powered self-service platform delivers a powerful, streamlined, and scalable solution, serving as either a stand-alone solution or part of a larger strategy to measure and plan your marketing investments. Brands using the Liquid Mix solution can expect results grounded in Circana’s comprehensive data ecosystem, which integrates marketing, trade, macroeconomic factors, pricing, distribution, and competition. Historical studies show that in the first year of adoption of Liquid Mix, brands can generate up to a 45x return on their investment in the solution.  Availability The AI-powered Liquid Mix platform is making its debut during Circana’s Growth Summit, taking place April 7-9 in Orlando, Florida. The platform’s launch is slated for the summer of 2025 for U.S.-based clients, as well as U.K., France, and Italy in EMEA. Germany is expected to follow later this year. Marketing Mix Solutions That Evolve with Clients To meet clients where they are, Circana provides adaptable solutions designed to grow alongside clients’ needs. Circana works collaboratively to recommend the most effective approach for each brand, whether it is through the Liquid Mix solution, consultant-led marketing mix solutions, or a hybrid total portfolio strategy. Combining flexibility, expertise, and tailored recommendations, Circana delivers strategies that align with each client’s unique goals. Learn more  about Circana’s Liquid Mix solution.

Circana Analysis Reveals Rising Office Occupancy Sparks Opportunity to Drive Greater Demand for Morning Commute and Lunch Occasions CHICAGO — April 9, 2025   — Circana, LLC , unveiled new research, “Emerging Trends: Daypart Disruptions Impacting Consumer Behavior,” during the 2025 Growth Summit in Orlando, Florida. The study reveals the evolving dynamics of daily eating patterns, the rise of snack foods in traditional meals, and the influence of life stages and workplace changes on consumer habits.  “Our research showcases how disruptions in traditional mealtimes are creating opportunities for businesses to rethink their strategies,” said David Portalatin , senior vice president and food industry advisor for Circana. “By addressing these shifts, companies can stay relevant and connected to their audiences while tapping into new moments for growth.” The report highlights pivotal shifts in consumer behavior, including: Transformations in Daily Eating Patterns:  Early breakfasts are becoming more prominent, with 39% of consumers eating before 8 a.m., an increase of 5 points in 2024 compared to 2020. Lunchtime is losing favor as more consumers turn to convenient, on-the-go solutions, while dinner is increasingly shaped by heat-and-eat or ready-to-eat options. Snack Foods Redefining Meals:  Snacks are no longer just between-meal indulgences but are frequently integrated into lunches and dinners, with snackable items like chips, crackers, and nuts gaining popularity. In 2024, 37% of consumers were looking for quick bites instead of larger meals, compared to 36% in 2023, and 29% in 2010. Influence of Work Trends:  The shift to hybrid work models has markedly changed away-from-home meal consumption patterns for morning and lunch occasions. Initially, the increase in hybrid and remote schedules posed headwinds for the foodservice industry. However, office occupancy rates have been trending upward, as many companies have strengthened their return-to-office policies. This shift presents a valuable opportunity for the foodservice industry to boost demand for morning commute and lunch occasions. Notably, in January and February, white-collar workers increased their on-premises foodservice morning and lunch visits by 8% compared to a year ago. “Recognizing these emerging consumption moments will help restaurants and retailers to reimagine opportunities across dayparts and tailor offerings to fit evolving consumer preferences for portion size, portability and price points,” added Portalatin.

CHICAGO — March 26, 2025   — Circana LLC , the leading advisor on the complexity of consumer behavior, today released its 2025 Definitive U.S. Restaurant Ranking Report, offering an in-depth look at the brands shaping the future of the restaurant industry as well as insights on consumer spending trends, key growth drivers, and category performance. In 2024, consumer spending increased by 2%, marking the fourth consecutive year of growth. Remarkably, consumers collectively spent $1 million at restaurants every minute in 2024, with nearly every person in the country dining at one of the top 50 restaurants during the year. The prevailing theme of 2024 was value, driven by persistently high inflation. Many chains began offering meal deals midway through the year, and this value competition is expected to continue into 2025. Notably, 20 of the top 50 restaurants provided a value meal deal in 2024, achieving varying degrees of success. "As the industry moves forward, value will remain a crucial strategy, although the most effective approaches will extend beyond mere pricing . For instance, nostalgia has emerged as a compelling tactic that consistently drives traffic gains for restaurants and will be a trend that we continue to watch." David Portalatin  - Senior Vice President and Food Industry Advisor for Circana To qualify for the Top 50, a restaurant must achieve annual consumer spending exceeding $1.35 billion. Collectively, the top 50 restaurants account for 61% of the entire restaurant industry’s spending, despite representing only 24% of all restaurant locations. Among the top 50, 34 are quick-service restaurants (QSRs), 11 are casual dining establishments, and five are midscale chains. The QSR hamburger category is the most prominent, featuring 10 chains. However, it was the QSR chicken chains that demonstrated the strongest performance in 2024. In terms of growth, 28 of the top 50 restaurants experienced dollar sales growth in 2024, while 31 saw an increase in locations. The top 10 restaurants are all QSRs, with Olive Garden recognized as the largest casual dining chain and IHOP leading the midscale category. The top three restaurants—McDonald’s, Starbucks and Chick-fil-A—stand out significantly, collectively generating over $100 billion, which accounts for 32% of the top 50’s total dollar sales. Learn more about the 2025 Definitive U.S. Restaurant Ranking Report. Methodology The Definitive Restaurant Ranking leverages multiple data products and services from Circana’s unmatched research product portfolio combined with experienced analyst estimates. Sales estimates represent each chain’s total U.S. system for the year ending December 2024. They are anchored on CREST®, Circana’s flagship, syndicated study of consumer purchases of restaurant-prepared meals, snacks and beverages. Unit counts are sourced from the Fall 2024 release of Circana’s ReCount® service, a census of chains and independent restaurant locations that has been regularly updated since 1988. Today, ReCount provides unit counts and trends for over 1.2 million foodservice operators. Annual buyer penetration and average annual purchase frequency for the year ending December 2024 are sourced from Checkout, Circana’s gold standard longitudinal consumer panel tracking behavior of the same consumers over time. These primary sources and other proprietary Circana data, public reporting, and Circana analysis generate this new industry standard restaurant ranking.

CHICAGO — Feb. 27, 2025   — Circana ™ announced its 12th annual Home Industry Performance Awards just ahead of the Inspired Home Show, hosted by the International Housewares Association in Chicago March 2-4. Awards were presented by Circana’s Home Durables practice to the small appliance and housewares (non-electrics) brands in the United States, Canada, and Mexico with the largest dollar and peso share increase among releasable brands within key categories in 2024, compared to 2023, according to Circana’s Retail Tracking Service. Awards were also presented to emerging leaders in the primary industry segments, recognizing brands with the most significant dollar share increase in the U.S. "The consumer continues to search for value — making the most of everyday activities, and their home is a big component of that reality. Leading home appliance and housewares brands are providing economically challenged consumers with the tools they need to navigate challenging economic times, while also finding new sources of entertainment within their own homes. Congratulations to this year’s winners for offering innovative ways of approaching the everyday, and inspiring future growth opportunities for the industry" Lora Morsovillo, president, Home Durables , Circana

Week-to-week fluctuations in consumer spending and pockets of change reflect uncertainty CHICAGO, March 17, 2025 — U.S. consumers demonstrated their uncertainty through weekly ups and downs in discretionary retail spending in February, even as the overall results depicted stability. In the combined four weeks ending March 1, 2025, overall retail sales demand was flat compared to the same time in 2024, with 1% dollar growth, according to Circana ™, a leading advisor on the complexity of consumer behavior. While the steady appearance of retail performance carried through topline views of discretionary general merchandise, retail food and beverage, and nonedible consumer packaged goods (CPG), underlying disruptions are emerging. "The paralyzing effects of economic uncertainty are starting to show up in short-term interruptions in discretionary consumer spending. On top of the existing concerns around inflation and the cost of goods, consumers are being inundated by headwinds that are creating pockets of behavior changes that have yet to impact the big picture." Marshal Cohen  - Chief Retail Industry Advisor For Circana Beyond the weekly fluctuations in discretionary spending that occurred in February, retail spending changes are developing among specific consumer groups. Circana’s recent Five in ’25 retail and consumer predictions  identified the uncertainty that may be felt among U.S. Hispanic consumers this year as having the potential to create significant changes in their retail activity. Those changes have already begun to take shape, as U.S. Hispanic consumer spending declined at a greater rate than that of the rest of the consumer population in January. In addition, consumers with a household income of less than $50,000 are the ones feeling the effects of elevated prices the most, and that discomfort was reflected in a 12% decline in January spending. These consumer groups, as well as those in rural parts of the country, are starting to change their purchase behavior, and this will have an impact across both discretionary and nondiscretionary retail. Spending is also slowing among consumers aged 55 and up, as well as among those in upper income brackets, who have been critical to bolstering retail spending for the past few years. The spending shifts among these groups will create fragility in discretionary spending first, with effects that will ultimately be felt across all of retail. “The long list of change factors currently at play, from inflation and tariffs to weather and politics, are creating the potential for a perfect storm at retail, and the consumer is at the center of it all,” added Cohen. “In order to weather this storm, every retailer and manufacturer must remain aware of the activity both inside and outside their product and consumer sweet spots, and be prepared to make adjustments that will both calm and compel the consumer.”

Private label now satisfies both value-conscious and quality-conscious consumers through price-tiered options. Over the last four decades, consumer perception and trust in private labels have grown, leading retailers to double down on brand building, premiumization, and innovation. In the U.S., winning in private label requires a customer-first approach to guide strategic choices and investments that drive trial and loyalty. Highlights Food and beverage categories are leading private label growth, gaining 0.6 percentage points in dollar share compared to 2023. Meanwhile, nonfood products are lagging slightly behind, with a decline of 0.1 percentage points.  Club and mass retail channels are fueling private label growth, powered by major retailers expanding shelf space and prioritizing innovation.  Value-focused grocery leaders are also strengthening their private label presence across the U.S. Retailers are going beyond traditional strategies like pricing and promotions to elevate private labels. Top retailers are building brand equity by focusing on premium products and cutting-edge innovation.

What manufacturers are winning in CPG and why? This two-part webinar series reviews top-performing CPG manufacturers as part of our annual CPG Growth Leaders study. Leaders from top-ranked companies join our Thought Leadership team to share their perspectives on how to drive winning sales and share growth in U.S. omnichannel retail. The second webinar, featuring growth leaders from Idahoan Foods and Beatbox Beverages, focuses on new and established smaller-size companies and what they did to capture consumers’ wallets. This session answers questions like: What manufacturers are winning in today’s CPG environment? How do these companies view the market and what are their drivers of success? What capabilities are leading CPGs prioritizing moving forward? Panelist perspectives shared here are for information only and not to be used, quoted, or reported on in any public venue without prior written consent. Speakers: Sally Lyons Wyatt, Global EVP & Chief Advisor, Consumer Goods & Foodservice Insights, Circana Cara Loeys, Principal, US CPG Corporate Thought Leadership, Circana Ryan Ellis, VP Retail Marketing & Business Development, Idahoan Food Justin Fenchel, Co-Founder/CEO, BeatBox Beverages Exclusive Insights Complete the form to receive your complimentary copy of our report, 2023 U.S. CPG Growth Leaders .

New solution offers unparalleled visibility into retail health with store-level insights CHICAGO–April 2, 2025 – Circana, LLC , a leading advisor on the complexity of consumer behavior, today announced the launch of Liquid Supply Chain™, a new solution that provides an accessible entry point into the Liquid Data® platform empowering suppliers with real-time insights to optimize supply chain planning and execution. The solution goes beyond measurement, providing prescriptive recommendations for inventory allocation, uncovering new revenue and cost-saving opportunities, and fueling the demand planning and distribution processes across the national enterprise. Liquid Supply Chain is available for suppliers in the US and UK. The new offering leverages automated ingestion, harmonization, and export capabilities across the supplier’s portfolio of retailers to provide insights down to the store, item, and day level in a fraction of the time—allowing them to focus more on executing rather than reconciling data sets. Powered by the most extensive set of retailer supply chain and inventory data available in the world, the Liquid Supply Chain solution delivers an unmatched view of supply chain and operational performance, helping suppliers quickly identify disruptions, manage inventory allocation, and improve overall efficiency. The solution will be available for demo at Circana’s Growth Summit, April 7-9, 2025, in Orlando, Florida. “For more than 30 years, Circana has been at the forefront of supply chain insights, serving as a command center for suppliers using downstream data to effectuate action. Liquid Supply Chain delivers enhanced visibility in a ready-to-use solution that adapts to each supplier’s unique needs without compromising quality or depth. Our deep expertise in retail, CPG, and general merchandise ensures businesses of any size can unlock the full value of our end-to-end platform and keep shelves stocked for shoppers.” Brad Shelton, President, Retail and Manufacturer Collaboration, Circana. The new solution expands the reach of Circana’s supply chain insights, making them accessible to CPG brands of all sizes. The Liquid Supply Chain solution provides a flexible, scalable option to measure supply chain performance for multiple brands and products across numerous retailers in a single view. By optimizing inventory across a national network of retailers, improving demand planning inputs, and enabling more effective inventory allocation for both everyday business and key events, the solution empowers CPG brands to drive meaningful business decisions with confidence. Learn more  about Circana’s Supply Chain solutions.

Receipt panel expansion redefines Circana’s Complete Consumer solution by combining consumer packaged goods, general merchandise, beauty, and foodservice insights in one unified view CHICAGO, Feb. 6, 2025 – Circana™ has reached a significant milestone by expanding its groundbreaking Complete Consumer receipt panel to 200,000 static households. This panel, which is the largest omnichannel consumer insights panel in the U.S., provides unparalleled consumer insights, empowering brands to make bold, confident decisions. Circana’s static panel, which differs from other panels that claim to have engaged or active consumers, tracks purchasing behavior for the same set of consumers over time. The expanded static panel enhances the capabilities of Circana’s Complete Consumer™ solution, delivering unmatched insights of consumer purchase behavior across consumer packaged goods (CPG), general merchandise, beauty, and foodservice, all in one place. For the first time, businesses have a complete picture of consumer decision-making, enabling them to analyze cross-category trends and understand market impacts with unprecedented clarity. This game-changing solution empowers companies to develop effective marketing and sales strategies, ensuring they stay ahead in today’s dynamic marketplace.  “Circana is dedicated to delivering the largest U.S. panel of static users, which is the gold standard for delivering the most precise data in the industry and empowering businesses to uncover the full impact of consumer behavior across multiple categories,” said Patty Altman, president of Global Solutions at Circana. “By integrating CPG, general merchandise, beauty, and foodservice insights into a single, cohesive view, we are simplifying the way brands understand consumer decision-making, helping them to act with greater clarity and confidence.”  By employing its superior benchmarking capabilities and aligning to retailer point-of-sale (POS) data, which includes 90% census POS data. Only panels calibrated to POS data offer the “market truth,” ensuring clients receive insights they can trust to reflect the reality of the market. “Streamlining our Complete Consumer solution means our clients receive the most comprehensive view of consumer purchase behavior, with unparalleled breadth, depth, and granularity,” added Altman. Learn how Circana’s expanded Complete Consumer solution can transform business insights. Helpful Link: Circana Expands Largest U.S. Omnichannel Receipt Panel – Circana

As our lives become more intertwined with technology, the concept of a true “smart home” has become increasingly tangible. Cutting-edge innovations that redefine how we experience home technology were showcased at this year’s Berlin-based tech trade show IFA, a counterpart to CES in the United States. While both shows highlight the latest wonders in tech, the products highlighted at IFA are based on the reality of what consumers are likely to want or need, rather than the proof-of-tech-prowess that CES is known for. Sustainability emerged as a prominent theme this year. With sustainable products ranging from whole-house solutions down to the smallest of accessories, companies are aiming to meet consumers’ needs and reach their business goals of carbon neutrality. Consumers are becoming increasingly interested in sustainability and want to be informed about how products are created and their lifespan. Many manufacturers are now paying attention to this trend, placing a greater emphasis on recycled materials and products that consumers can repair rather than discard (or send back to the manufacturer for repair). The use of recycled material (such as Urbanista’s Malibu speaker) was a highlight of the show. Fairphone, a Dutch-based smartphone provider, takes this concept to the next level with “ethically-sourced” materials that they combine with an easy upgrade option to allow consumers to swap out components with the use of a standard screwdriver. We expect this category of sustainably-built (and maintained) products to grow in importance over the next few years as a way to address consumer concerns. Such an approach could provide unique differentiation for smaller vendors looking to break into established markets. Yet, the bigger story comes with an ecosystem play, focused on reducing energy consumption in the home. Energy prices have increased considerably in the past few years, adding a substantial squeeze on many consumers’ budgets (especially in Europe). The result has been an acceleration of already prescient movement to pull away from fossil fuels towards renewable energy sources such as wind and solar. While no one at the show was advocating for consumer-owned wind-turbines, solar solutions were abundant, especially when combined with battery back-up solutions. This is even important in places like Berlin, where they only get to enjoy sunshine 17% of the year. The energy management solution is about far more than simply throwing some solar panels on the roof, and a barrage of batteries to store the power. Rather, it is about how the tech devices in the home are used, and how energy efficient they are. This provides an opportunity for “smart home” providers to move beyond their current, somewhat modest, solutions into a comprehensive ecosystem. Take, for example, the smart washing machine. Many consumers today like the concept of this device simply because it sends them a smartphone alert when the wash is complete (which is hardly ground-breaking technology). However, if the washing machine is tied into a true smart home, the device can run at the optimum time to use the least amount of (or cheapest) power. Sunny outside? It will run now to leverage the solar panels. Three weeks of grayness in December? Perhaps it will run at 2 a.m. when there is less demand on the grid, and therefore cheaper power. This sets the stage for more comprehensive smart home solutions that leap beyond today’s somewhat clever individual devices (smart lights, thermostats, and so on). A true smart home solution needs to be inclusive of all devices – and particularly the larger appliances – with the goal of creating a clear value proposition for the consumer. And nothing is a clearer than the goal of saving money in the long term. Get insights straight to your inbox