SBWire

As in other financial cards, the number of charge cards in circulation is falling but value spend is increasing. The number of charge cards in circulation fell by -2% to 25 million cards however charge cards transaction volume increased by 3% and transactions value reached similar positive growth of 2%. Consumers therefore reduced the number of cards, trying to better monitor their spending and avoid rising commissions, but they made more intense use of them as the purchasing amount paid by...

Ice cream is a traditional and long-standing treat among Egyptian consumers, with artisanal products being especially popular. Egypt's hot climate encourages consumption of ice cream, especially in the summer. Ice cream products are particularly popular among teenagers and children who consume them as an affordable treat.

RTD coffee saw positive, but not outstanding, growth during the review period. In 2012 it registered a 6% increase in total value sales and 3% increase in volume sales, a significantly slower performance than the review period average, a performance largely influenced by the fact that Mexico is seeing rising interest in coffee sold through specialist coffee shops and fresh ground coffee offered by all modern retailers. In the last year of the review period, Mexican consumers have become more...

Over 2012, carbonates began to reverse the slowdown trend in consumption that started in 2009 as the result of the economic downturn. In spite of the category exhibiting a negative growth rate in volume terms, the decline was less pronounced than that recorded over 2010 and 2011. According to a company source, Venezuelans remain cautious when making purchases, thus give priority to essential consumption goods while reducing their frequency of consumption of soft drinks, including carbonates. In...

The Dominican soft drinks industry experienced robust volume and current value growth in 2012 as competition kept unit price increases to a minimum and manufacturers increasingly expanded their presence in distribution channels to reach a wider audience. Increased consumer choice for affordable soft drinks products fed consumer demand. Manufacturers continued to position their brands competitively through pricing strategies, distribution reach and the variety of product offerings.

BMI View: Cameroon's construction sector faces favourable conditions over the medium term as the government continues to prioritise infrastructure investment as part of its 10-year economic plan. Upside potential comes from the government's 20-project public-private partnership plan, which includes projects across the construction sub-sectors. We have marginally upgraded our medium-term growth outlook, with average annual growth of 6.5% forecast between 2013 and 2017, and further upside, depending on project progress.

The Croatia Retail Report examines the long-term potential of the local consumer market, but flags up short-term anxieties about the potential impact on Croatia's economic outlook of a combination of fiscal austerity measures introduced by the Kukuriku coalition government and depressed private consumption. The report examines how best to maximise returns in the Croatian retail market while minimising investment risk. It also explores the impact of the eurozone sovereign debt crisis on the Croatian consumer and on the ability of producers and exporters to realise returns in the short term.

Fashion continued to drive performances of this market in 2012. Despite the still unfavourable economic context, more consumers were disposed to purchase designer apparel goods. As a result, volume sales grew by 1% which was considerably more than in the previous year. In general, the real fashionistas preferred to purchase one luxury item instead of buying several but less valuable articles. In order to reduce their expenses, consumers also waited for sales to buy expensive clothes at a...

Pre-paid cards were not yet available in Morocco at the end of the review period.

Euromonitor International's Industrial reports provide a 360 degree view of an industry. The Industrial market report offers a comprehensive guide to the size and shape of the Wood and Wood Products market at a national level. It provides the latest retail sales data, allowing you to identify the sectors driving growth. It identifies the leading companies, the leading brands and offers strategic analysis of key factors influencing the market - be they new product developments, packaging innovations, economic/lifestyle influences, distribution or pricing issues. Forecasts illustrate how the market is set to change.

Euromonitor International's Industrial reports provide a 360 degree view of an industry. The Industrial market report offers a comprehensive guide to the size and shape of the Spinning of Textile Fibres; Weaving of Textiles market at a national level. It provides the latest retail sales data, allowing you to identify the sectors driving growth. It identifies the leading companies, the leading brands and offers strategic analysis of key factors influencing the market - be they new product developments, packaging innovations, economic/lifestyle influences, distribution or pricing issues. Forecasts illustrate how the market is set to change.

The strong convenience trend is fuelling the growth in noodles in Denmark. Due to hectic lifestyles, Danes are cooking at home less often and they typically buy one or two ready-to-eat meals per day. Noodles provide an appealing solution because they are affordable, tasty and take about 5mins to prepare. Some Danes take noodles to work or to eat while studying instead of traditional "matpakke" (food taken from home), while others buy them on impulse from the local supermarket or convenience...

Small kitchen appliances performed quite solidly in 2012 , up by 2% in volume and 4% in value, although performance differed significantly between different appliances, with sluggish growth in relation to kettles and coffee mills, but stronger growth in relation to "other small kitchen appliances."

Traditionally, there tend to be few new product developments in canned/preserved food. However, with the launch of ready-to-serve products new packaging solutions have emerged in the category in recent years. These can be served either warm or cold and include products like chilli, beans and salsa. Two of the most active companies in this area are Di Luca & Di Luca AB and GoGreen AB.

Consumers are using their homes as a base for comfort, safety, and heightened enjoyment, as well as viewing their homes as a safe retreat. This is a pertinent enabler in promoting product usage in the home environment (reinforcing usage relevance and providing more creative usage tips).

Saudi Arabia is the home of many well-respected fragrance houses, such as Abdul Samed Al Qurashi, and the country is known for its traditional Arabic scents based on ingredients such as oud, amber and musk. Consequently, many of those who visit the country purchase fragrances as gifts to take back to their family and friends at home. Fragrances thus benefited from strong growth in inbound tourist arrivals in 2011 over the previous year at 10%. This growth was linked to strong investment in Hajj...

In 2012 dried pasta suffered a decline in retail volume terms of 1% while achieving current retail value growth of 3%. Growth in current retail value terms was due to significant growth in unit prices in pasta over the second half of 2011. Throughout 2011 there was significant fluctuation in the pricing of raw materials, in particular grain, which led to a significant increase in unit prices in pasta. Despite stability in the pricing of raw materials in 2012, unit prices in pasta remained...

Ready meals has continued to outperform the frozen and chilled sectors largely thanks to some good pricing and marketing strategies on the part of all involved. Ready meals has continued to benefit from the longer-term trends towards changes in people's lifestyles and their eating and shopping habits. Although consumers may be willing to cut costs, they are looking for convenience. All the leading supermarkets and hypermarkets, which constitute the overwhelming majority of distribution of this...

Growing interest in luxury travelling among wealthy consumers registered continuous growth in South Korea in 2012. As a result of this trend, luxury travel goods also gained increasing sales. According to HaNAtour, the market leader in travel and tourism packages in South Korea, its premium travel package, Zeus, has been achieving continuous sales growth and the company will strengthen package programmes in order to meet various consumer needs.

In 2012 sales of spray/aerosol insecticides reached Mx$1.4 billion which represents an increase of 5% when compared to the previous year. This growth is explained by the growing preference of consumers for this format. Spray/aerosol insecticides allow users to use the product in several areas of the house or garden, it is easy to store and it enables users to spray as much product as they consider necessary.

Biscuits recorded stable performance over the review period with a positive performance across all categories. Biscuits has a stable position in Slovakia with a long tradition. Product sophistication is increasingly obvious in biscuits, mostly related to health and wellness trends. Consumers are becoming better educated and demanding added value while consuming biscuits. At the same time, demand is driven also by a tradition - several brands such as Horalky or Mila (IDC Holding as) are driven...

Local Raleigh childcare center, Primary Beginnings, is excited to announce the grand re-opening of their North Hills preschool location. The North Hills location recently underwent renovations to the exterior of the building and installed a brand new playground.

Integrity Supply, Inc. announced the availability of mini rollers at its online store. Integrity is offering these mini rollers at an unbeatable price. These products are manufactured by renowned brands such as Wooster, Purdy and Whizz. These mini roller covers are designed to touch up small areas like doors and windows, where, usually, a full size paint roller fails to reach.

The Braverman Eye Center is now providing free LASIK screening to patients who need laser vision correction surgery. Patients can either fill out a contact form or book an appointment to take advantage of their free screening for LASIK in Boca Raton.

Parents turn to the MamaBear family tracking app for a wide range of tracking and monitoring options beyond basic family tracking. The MamaBear family tracking app is available for families who prefer both Android and iOS phones and devices. The newest version of the MamaBear family tracking app works on Android enabled devices running Android v.2.2, nicknamed Froyo, and more advanced versions of the Android software. The iOS version of the MamaBear family tracking app requires iOS version 4.3 or later. Both of these versions of the app will work best on a child’s phone that is carrying the latest GPS tracking hardware available. The parenting version of the app can be used on any web enabled devices that are running the appropriate Android or iOS versions.