Market overview

 

Opportunities

• Private label is seeing positive growth, with retailers expanding into new categories and convenience and health representing the fastest developing areas.
• Specialist shops where consumers purchase prepared ingredients to cook at home, ‘portion control’ snacks and natural/organic food capitalised on these drivers.

US

Market background - US

• Population: 287.7 million (2005)
• GDP: £23,962.52 per head (2005)
• Unemployment rate: 6.81% (2005)
• Inflation: 2.23% (2005)
• Consumer expenditure on food and non-alcoholic drinks: £969.13 per head (2005)

Trade environment - US

• Total food and drink imports to the market: £68.5 billion (2005)
• UK food and drink exports to the market: £876.8 million in 2005 (+1%)
• UK share of imports: approximately 1.3%

Top five retailers by market share (2005)

1	Wal-Mart	10.0%
2	Kroger	4.1%
3	Ahold	3.3%
4	Albertsons	2.7%
5	Costco	2.5%

Canada

Market background - Canada

• Population: 32.4 million (2005)
• GDP: £19,267.84 per head (2005)
• Unemployment rate: 5.11% (2005)
• Inflation: 3.39% (2005)
• Consumer expenditure on food and non-alcoholic drinks: £1,173.17 per head (2005)

Trade environment - Canada

• Total food and drink imports to the market: £21.9 billion (2005)
• UK food and drink exports to the market: £160.8 million in 2005 (+1%)
• UK share of imports: approximately 0.7%