THANKSGIVING WEEKEND MAY BE OVER, but Ocean Spray Cranberries has turned cranberry season into a year-long affair.
Sales of its dried, sweetened cranberry Craisins are up 100 percent over two years, and they represent the fastest-growing segment for the cranberry growers' cooperative. Sales volume for the dried snack is expected to double again to $300 million, says Ocean Spray CEO Randy C. Papadellis.
Sales of Craisins are relatively small compared to Ocean Spray's total annual sales of $1.5 billion. But their promise is one factor behind the company's plan to quadruple cranberry output, according to Papadellis.
Ocean Spray seems to have cornered the dried cranberry market in sales and taste. American Culinary ChefsBest, an independent, chef-based organization that recognizes and honors the best products in America, last week named Ocean Spray Craisins the best-tasting sweetened dried cranberries over those produced by Mariani and Sunmaid.
Craisins are hardly an overnight success. Ocean Spray began producing them a decade ago, and sales started taking off only in the last four years.
Papadellis says sales are evenly split between those at the retail level and those going to baked goods makers, cereal makers and others who use the Craisins as an ingredient. Ocean Spray has a more than 7 percent share of all dried fruits sold in grocery stores.
Another reason for Craisins' popularity may be attributed to marketing. The product is one featured in "Straight From The Bog" advertising that took the "good for you" positioning in a new direction using a pair of cranberry growers to tell the Ocean Spray story.
Monday, November 27, 2006
Toy Shortages Send Shoppers Online
by Nina M. Lentini, Monday, Nov 27, 2006 5:00 AM ET
CYBER MONDAY CAME EARLY AS consumers flocked online over the weekend to pay as much as $100 for TMX Elmo on eBay as the season's hottest toys and electronics sold out early on Black Friday.
Mattel, parent company of Fisher-Price, said it has ordered more of the red fabric that makes up the $40 Elmo, added production lines, and is flying the toys into the country from its foreign plants.
Mattel, which sought to capitalize on the 10th anniversary of the original Tickle Me Elmo, generated buzz by word of mouth--and an industry observer estimates that the company put out only enough inventory so far to satisfy a third of consumer demand, ensuring a sense of urgency among parents to get one.
Consumer demand is high not only for Elmo, but also for Nintendo's Wii and Sony's PlayStation 3. Worldwide, there's a shortage of Sony's much-anticipated PlayStation 3 gaming system, with only 400,000 released to the public in the U.S. A spokesman for Toys 'R Us said all the PlayStation 3 systems sold out before hitting shelves, at a pre-sale on Oct. 29.
Bargain hunters flocked to the Web well ahead of so-called Cyber Monday--what pundits are dubbing the "official" start of the online holiday shopping season. According to a Shop.org survey conducted over the weekend by BIGresearch, 60.7 million consumers plan to shop online from home or at work today.
"Online retailers are using Cyber Monday to debut holiday merchandise and offer virtual doorbusters," said Scott Silverman, executive director of Shop.org. "On Cyber Monday, consumers will find specials ranging from percentages off entire Web sites to specific savings on big-ticket items."
Some 83 percent of online retailers plan to offer some kind of free shipping promotion during the holiday season, according to the Shop.org/Shopzilla eHoliday Mood Study.
On Friday, Wal-Mart's Web site was disrupted for most of the morning; Disney also had problems handling the online rush, and Amazon.com had brief disruptions a day earlier due to a Thanksgiving Day sale on Microsoft's Xbox 360 video game machines.
The most popular e-commerce site, with 7.5 million unique visitors on Friday, was eBay--which sold 2,537 Elmos at an average price of $70.
Traffic increases do not always translate into immediate sales, as Internet shoppers often browse the Web for deals, but wait until later in December to make a purchase.
Still, overall traffic to more than 120 online retailers tracked by the Nielsen//NetRatings Holiday eShopping Index rose 12 percent on Friday compared to the same day last year. That is a more modest pace than the 29 percent growth in overall traffic to the index from 2004 to 2005, and more in line with the 11 percent growth seen from 2003 to 2004.
Comparison shopping site Shopping.com anticipated a repeat of last year, when Cyber Monday was its busiest day for merchant referrals. Through Black Friday, the company reported that referrals were up 40 percent across the board, with categories such as kids and family up 70 percent.
Still ahead is the second Monday of December, which was the best sales day recorded by online retailers last year.
Forecasts for online holiday sales increases from Jupiter Research and Forrester Research range from 18 to 23 percent. For perspective, total forecast sales of $27 billion to $32 billion represents just 6 to 7 percent of total holiday retail sales--which the NRF projects will be up 5 percent to $457.4 billion.
CYBER MONDAY CAME EARLY AS consumers flocked online over the weekend to pay as much as $100 for TMX Elmo on eBay as the season's hottest toys and electronics sold out early on Black Friday.
Mattel, parent company of Fisher-Price, said it has ordered more of the red fabric that makes up the $40 Elmo, added production lines, and is flying the toys into the country from its foreign plants.
Mattel, which sought to capitalize on the 10th anniversary of the original Tickle Me Elmo, generated buzz by word of mouth--and an industry observer estimates that the company put out only enough inventory so far to satisfy a third of consumer demand, ensuring a sense of urgency among parents to get one.
Consumer demand is high not only for Elmo, but also for Nintendo's Wii and Sony's PlayStation 3. Worldwide, there's a shortage of Sony's much-anticipated PlayStation 3 gaming system, with only 400,000 released to the public in the U.S. A spokesman for Toys 'R Us said all the PlayStation 3 systems sold out before hitting shelves, at a pre-sale on Oct. 29.
Bargain hunters flocked to the Web well ahead of so-called Cyber Monday--what pundits are dubbing the "official" start of the online holiday shopping season. According to a Shop.org survey conducted over the weekend by BIGresearch, 60.7 million consumers plan to shop online from home or at work today.
"Online retailers are using Cyber Monday to debut holiday merchandise and offer virtual doorbusters," said Scott Silverman, executive director of Shop.org. "On Cyber Monday, consumers will find specials ranging from percentages off entire Web sites to specific savings on big-ticket items."
Some 83 percent of online retailers plan to offer some kind of free shipping promotion during the holiday season, according to the Shop.org/Shopzilla eHoliday Mood Study.
On Friday, Wal-Mart's Web site was disrupted for most of the morning; Disney also had problems handling the online rush, and Amazon.com had brief disruptions a day earlier due to a Thanksgiving Day sale on Microsoft's Xbox 360 video game machines.
The most popular e-commerce site, with 7.5 million unique visitors on Friday, was eBay--which sold 2,537 Elmos at an average price of $70.
Traffic increases do not always translate into immediate sales, as Internet shoppers often browse the Web for deals, but wait until later in December to make a purchase.
Still, overall traffic to more than 120 online retailers tracked by the Nielsen//NetRatings Holiday eShopping Index rose 12 percent on Friday compared to the same day last year. That is a more modest pace than the 29 percent growth in overall traffic to the index from 2004 to 2005, and more in line with the 11 percent growth seen from 2003 to 2004.
Comparison shopping site Shopping.com anticipated a repeat of last year, when Cyber Monday was its busiest day for merchant referrals. Through Black Friday, the company reported that referrals were up 40 percent across the board, with categories such as kids and family up 70 percent.
Still ahead is the second Monday of December, which was the best sales day recorded by online retailers last year.
Forecasts for online holiday sales increases from Jupiter Research and Forrester Research range from 18 to 23 percent. For perspective, total forecast sales of $27 billion to $32 billion represents just 6 to 7 percent of total holiday retail sales--which the NRF projects will be up 5 percent to $457.4 billion.
Black Friday Results
I definitely started my Christmas shopping early on Friday morning (and I mean early!) but it was a fun day going from store to store. The majority of people were in a great mood and the workers were upbeat as well, so that made for a somewhat relaxing adventure. I didn't have anything specific in mind, but did end up getting through about 1/3 of my list.
Looks like the industry did well as well, this is from Media Post.
Holiday Cheer For Many Retailers, But Woe For Wal-Mart
by Sarah Mahoney, Monday, Nov 27, 2006 5:00 AM ET
WITH TRAFFIC JAMS, ELBOW JABS, and bleary eyes, Americans kicked off the holiday shopping season with gusto. In fact, many didn't even bother to wait for Black Friday, but instead started shopping before the Thanksgiving leftovers were put away, as many stores and malls around the country opened as early as midnight.
The National Retail Federation predicted Friday that Thanksgiving weekend would bring in almost $28 billion in retail sales--a significant chunk of the estimated $457 billion shoppers are expected to spend this season.
Based on polls released yesterday afternoon, the NRF said more than 140 million shoppers hit the stores during the weekend, spending an average of $360.15--up 18.9 percent from last year's $302.8. While women shoppers outnumbered men (47.9 percent versus 37.4 percent), men spent more--an average $420, compared with women, who spent $304.
According to the survey, some 36.2 percent of Black Friday shoppers arrived at their first shopping destination before sunrise (6 a.m.). By 9 a.m., more than half of shoppers (58.8 percent) said they had already visited one store. Men were more likely to wait in line than women, as 17.3 percent of men said they got to their first store by 4 a.m., compared to just 8 percent of women who arrived by that time.
The most popular items purchased were clothing or clothing accessories (41.4 percent) as well as books, CDs, DVDs, videos, or video games (41.4 percent), according to the NRF poll. Consumer electronics or computer-related accessories (33.3 percent) came next, followed by toys (28.3 percent), gift cards/gift certificates (17.6 percent), and home décor or home-related furnishings (17.4 percent).
While the Friday following Thanksgiving is not the biggest day in terms of sales, it is the biggest in terms of traffic, and gives customers a preview of what they'll buy in the weeks ahead.
So far, they seem to like what they see: "The holiday season is off to a good start at J.C. Penney," the company said in a release Saturday, with brisk traffic in all regions. "Specifically, merchandise categories such as home entertainment, team sports, jewelry, children's apparel, housewares, Christmas trim and women's shoes were most popular with customers on Friday."
The news was not so cheery for mass-merchandiser Wal-Mart, which Saturday reported another drop in same-store sales, with November sales declining 0.1 percent in the four-week period ending on Friday, Nov. 24.
What makes that news especially troubling for Wal-Mart is that after reporting disappointing October sales, it slashed prices on everything from baby food and turkeys to toys and electronics--but apparently not enough to goose sales.
Even its successes hurt Wal-Mart this weekend, when an unexpectedly large number of shoppers tried to use its Web site, which was not working for as much as 10 hours on Friday, the Associated Press reported.
Then on Saturday afternoon, two teenagers set off two homemade bombs inside a Wal-Mart in Skowhegan, Maine, causing hundreds of customers to be evacuated from the store when the acid bombs detonated. At least eight people were treated for irritation to their eyes and throat or ringing in their ears, CNN reported.
Separately, endurance artist David Blaine succeeded in escaping his shackles on New York's West 46th Street in time to escort children to a Target-sponsored shopping spree. Blaine was the centerpiece of a promotion for the retailer's two-day sale, and was suspended in a gyroscope-like contraption on Nov. 21. He broke free on Thanksgiving afternoon.
Looks like the industry did well as well, this is from Media Post.
Holiday Cheer For Many Retailers, But Woe For Wal-Mart
by Sarah Mahoney, Monday, Nov 27, 2006 5:00 AM ET
WITH TRAFFIC JAMS, ELBOW JABS, and bleary eyes, Americans kicked off the holiday shopping season with gusto. In fact, many didn't even bother to wait for Black Friday, but instead started shopping before the Thanksgiving leftovers were put away, as many stores and malls around the country opened as early as midnight.
The National Retail Federation predicted Friday that Thanksgiving weekend would bring in almost $28 billion in retail sales--a significant chunk of the estimated $457 billion shoppers are expected to spend this season.
Based on polls released yesterday afternoon, the NRF said more than 140 million shoppers hit the stores during the weekend, spending an average of $360.15--up 18.9 percent from last year's $302.8. While women shoppers outnumbered men (47.9 percent versus 37.4 percent), men spent more--an average $420, compared with women, who spent $304.
According to the survey, some 36.2 percent of Black Friday shoppers arrived at their first shopping destination before sunrise (6 a.m.). By 9 a.m., more than half of shoppers (58.8 percent) said they had already visited one store. Men were more likely to wait in line than women, as 17.3 percent of men said they got to their first store by 4 a.m., compared to just 8 percent of women who arrived by that time.
The most popular items purchased were clothing or clothing accessories (41.4 percent) as well as books, CDs, DVDs, videos, or video games (41.4 percent), according to the NRF poll. Consumer electronics or computer-related accessories (33.3 percent) came next, followed by toys (28.3 percent), gift cards/gift certificates (17.6 percent), and home décor or home-related furnishings (17.4 percent).
While the Friday following Thanksgiving is not the biggest day in terms of sales, it is the biggest in terms of traffic, and gives customers a preview of what they'll buy in the weeks ahead.
So far, they seem to like what they see: "The holiday season is off to a good start at J.C. Penney," the company said in a release Saturday, with brisk traffic in all regions. "Specifically, merchandise categories such as home entertainment, team sports, jewelry, children's apparel, housewares, Christmas trim and women's shoes were most popular with customers on Friday."
The news was not so cheery for mass-merchandiser Wal-Mart, which Saturday reported another drop in same-store sales, with November sales declining 0.1 percent in the four-week period ending on Friday, Nov. 24.
What makes that news especially troubling for Wal-Mart is that after reporting disappointing October sales, it slashed prices on everything from baby food and turkeys to toys and electronics--but apparently not enough to goose sales.
Even its successes hurt Wal-Mart this weekend, when an unexpectedly large number of shoppers tried to use its Web site, which was not working for as much as 10 hours on Friday, the Associated Press reported.
Then on Saturday afternoon, two teenagers set off two homemade bombs inside a Wal-Mart in Skowhegan, Maine, causing hundreds of customers to be evacuated from the store when the acid bombs detonated. At least eight people were treated for irritation to their eyes and throat or ringing in their ears, CNN reported.
Separately, endurance artist David Blaine succeeded in escaping his shackles on New York's West 46th Street in time to escort children to a Target-sponsored shopping spree. Blaine was the centerpiece of a promotion for the retailer's two-day sale, and was suspended in a gyroscope-like contraption on Nov. 21. He broke free on Thanksgiving afternoon.
Wednesday, November 22, 2006
Holiday Party
Everyone seems really busy this year, so instead of hosting my annual cookie swap, I'm going to have an Open House, so friends & family can drop by, relax, eat and just take a break from all of the Christmas madness ... my menu will likely be:
Appetizers
Shrimp Cocktail
Warm bacon dip & beer batter bread
Veggie platter
Stuffed mushrooms
Baked gouda and apples
Main Course
TBD - maybe lasagna or chicken
salad
Desserts
Lemon cake
Chocolate fondue
Christmas cookies
Appetizers
Shrimp Cocktail
Warm bacon dip & beer batter bread
Veggie platter
Stuffed mushrooms
Baked gouda and apples
Main Course
TBD - maybe lasagna or chicken
salad
Desserts
Lemon cake
Chocolate fondue
Christmas cookies
Black Friday
Black Friday (the day after Thanksgiving) is historically one of the busiest retail shopping days of the year. It's usually considered the "official" beginning to the holiday season. In my area, stores generally open at 5Am or 6AM and provide discounts on popular gifts for the season.
My plan is to peruse the circulars from the paper tomorrow and make a shopping plan for Friday. I need to buy:
* gifts for both brothers
* a gift for my 6 year old godson
* a gift for my aunt
* a gift for my 17 year old cousin
* gifts for the Christmas charity I support each Christmas
I'm hoping there are some good deals this year. Last year I was quite disappointed and didn't make much of a dent in my list on Black Friday.
My plan is to peruse the circulars from the paper tomorrow and make a shopping plan for Friday. I need to buy:
* gifts for both brothers
* a gift for my 6 year old godson
* a gift for my aunt
* a gift for my 17 year old cousin
* gifts for the Christmas charity I support each Christmas
I'm hoping there are some good deals this year. Last year I was quite disappointed and didn't make much of a dent in my list on Black Friday.
Monday, November 20, 2006
To Do List - Week of November 20-26
- Review budget and make list of gifts to still buy
- Start shopping for gifts
- Check dishes and glassware for holiday entertaining
- Decide menus for December holiday party
- Make a shopping list for entertaining and decorating
- Inventory pantry, then make comprehensive shopping list of necessities
- Get out ornaments and decorations
- Buy tree
- Decorate house the weekend after Thanksgiving
Sunday, November 19, 2006
Christmas Cookies!!
Every year, I host a Christmas Cookie Swap. My friends bake 3 dozen cookies each to bring to the party and everyone gets to sample some and take some home. These recipes are some of the winning ones from the last few years:
Christine's Congo Bars
1 1/4 sticks butter
2 1/3 c. packed brown sugar
3 eggs
2 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
12 oz. pkg. chocolate chips
1/2 c. walnuts
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 10 x 15 inch pan. Beat butter and sugar in bowl until creamy. Add 1 egg at a time, beating well after each egg. Stir in flour, baking powder and salt; blend well. Fold in chips and nuts. Turn in pan, spread evenly. Bake until top is lightly browned, about 20-25 minutes. Transfer to wire rack; let cool. Cut into bars. Congo bars will freeze. Makes 32 bars.
Kelley's Peanut Butter Blossoms
1 bag (8oz) Hershey's Kisses
1 egg
1/2 cup shortening
2 tablespoons milk
3/4 cup peanut butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
additional granulated sugar
Heat oven to 375F. Remove candy wrappers. In large bowl, beat shortening and peanut butter until well blended. Add the 1/3 cup of granulated sugar and all of the brown sugar; beat until light and fluffy. Add egg, milk and vanilla; beat well. Stir together flour, baking soda and salt; gradually add to peanut butter mixture. Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Roll in the additional granulated sugar; place on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 8-10 minutes or until lightly browned. Immediately place kiss on top of each cookie, pressing down so cookie cracks around edges. Remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely
Liz's Strawberry Thumbprints
2/3 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/3 cup granulated sugar
2 large egg yolks
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 large egg whites
3/4 cup finely chopped nuts of choice
1/3 cup strawberry jam
Preheat oven to 350 F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or a non-stick baking mat. In a large bowl, beat together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg yolks, vanilla extract and salt. Gradually stir in flour. Form dough into 1-inch diameter balls. Dip in lightly beaten egg whites, then roll in nuts. Place 1 inch apart on prepared cookie sheets. Press down center of each with thumb. Bake for 16 to 18 minutes, or until golden brown. Cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes, then remove to a wire rack to cool completely. Just before serving, fill centers of cookies with jam. Or, fill centers with 1/2 teaspoon of jam before baking
Christine's Congo Bars
1 1/4 sticks butter
2 1/3 c. packed brown sugar
3 eggs
2 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
12 oz. pkg. chocolate chips
1/2 c. walnuts
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 10 x 15 inch pan. Beat butter and sugar in bowl until creamy. Add 1 egg at a time, beating well after each egg. Stir in flour, baking powder and salt; blend well. Fold in chips and nuts. Turn in pan, spread evenly. Bake until top is lightly browned, about 20-25 minutes. Transfer to wire rack; let cool. Cut into bars. Congo bars will freeze. Makes 32 bars.
Kelley's Peanut Butter Blossoms
1 bag (8oz) Hershey's Kisses
1 egg
1/2 cup shortening
2 tablespoons milk
3/4 cup peanut butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
additional granulated sugar
Heat oven to 375F. Remove candy wrappers. In large bowl, beat shortening and peanut butter until well blended. Add the 1/3 cup of granulated sugar and all of the brown sugar; beat until light and fluffy. Add egg, milk and vanilla; beat well. Stir together flour, baking soda and salt; gradually add to peanut butter mixture. Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Roll in the additional granulated sugar; place on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 8-10 minutes or until lightly browned. Immediately place kiss on top of each cookie, pressing down so cookie cracks around edges. Remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely
Liz's Strawberry Thumbprints
2/3 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/3 cup granulated sugar
2 large egg yolks
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 large egg whites
3/4 cup finely chopped nuts of choice
1/3 cup strawberry jam
Preheat oven to 350 F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or a non-stick baking mat. In a large bowl, beat together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg yolks, vanilla extract and salt. Gradually stir in flour. Form dough into 1-inch diameter balls. Dip in lightly beaten egg whites, then roll in nuts. Place 1 inch apart on prepared cookie sheets. Press down center of each with thumb. Bake for 16 to 18 minutes, or until golden brown. Cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes, then remove to a wire rack to cool completely. Just before serving, fill centers of cookies with jam. Or, fill centers with 1/2 teaspoon of jam before baking
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