Yoplait Mixed Berry Greek yogurt smoothieA butter blend, thin-sliced Swiss cheese and a Greek yogurt smoothie are among the winners in the Food and Beverage category in the 2013 Better Homes and Gardens Best New Product Awards. The magazine and the market research firm BrandSpark International honor consumer products in the categories of Beauty, Food & Beverage, Health & Personal Care and Household.

Winning dairy products (and category) are:

  • International Delight Iced Coffee (Bottled Coffee/Ready-To-Drink Coffee)
  • Land O'Lakes Butter with Olive Oil & Sea Salt (Butter/Spreads)
  • Sargento Ultra Thin Sliced Swiss Cheese (Cheese)
  • Hidden Valley for Everything Topping & Dip (Dips)
  • Magnum Mini Almond Ice Cream Bars (Frozen Desserts)
  • Yoplait Smoothie Made with Greek Yogurt, Mixed Berry flavor (Smoothies)

The winning products were chosen directly by more than 77,500 consumers who participated in an extensive nationwide survey, the American Shopper Study, conducted by independent marketing research firm BrandSpark International in partnership with Better Homes and Gardens. The 2013 survey had 209 products representing 137 brands in 63 categories.

The American Shopper Study uncovers what is on the minds of American shoppers. Some highlights from include: 
FOOD and NUTRITION:
• Obesity is the issue that most Americans are concerned about with regard to their personal health, with 39% identifying it as one of their primary health concerns.
• High blood pressure and high cholesterol are very concerning to 36% of Americans, followed by Cancer (34%).
• More than eight in 10 continue to believe that proper food and nutrition can help to prevent illness, and 78% of Americans report actively making changes in their lifestyle to be healthier.
• A majority of Americans, 81%, continue to pay attention to food labels.
• Despite a vast increase in the nutritional information available to consumers, there remains a gap in intent, knowledge and follow-through when it comes to nutrition: 64% know their recommended daily intake of calories, but just 29% follow that recommendation. Meanwhile, four in 10 know their recommended intake of fat, protein, fiber and carbohydrates, but only one in four follow these recommendations.
• Italian food is the most widely enjoyed food, eaten by 91% of Americans, followed by Mexican food enjoyed by 82% and Chinese enjoyed by 76%. These are also the same top three ethnic food types for Hispanic shoppers.

STORE BRANDS VS. BRAND NAMES:
• More than nine in 10 shoppers have purchased private label products in the past year.
• Private label purchase is strong in food categories: more than six in 10 shoppers have purchased private label dairy products, dry food and frozen vegetables.
• Products in the personal care categories have stronger brand loyalty: four in 10 shoppers will never purchase a private label/store brand product in categories including make-up and hair care.
• Shoppers still see value in trusted name brands and 72% prefer to find brand name products on sale than to purchase private label.

MOBILE SHOPPING HABITS:
• While nine in 10 shoppers own a mobile phone, nearly two in three shoppers now own a smartphone, up from just over one in two a year ago.
• Android OS based phones lead the market, followed by iPhone, together accounting for 84% of smartphones in the hands of U.S. shoppers.
• Smartphones' role in retail is growing, with over five in 10 shoppers interested in using their phone to download or scan coupons.
• 30% of shoppers 18-34 indicated storing their shopping list on their phone regularly or occasionally, a proportion that is expected to increase as the functionality of related apps and their ability to interact with promotion-driven marketing media improves over time.
• Traditional media and channels are still very important sources of ideas on what to buy: 67% of shoppers reference circulars to get ideas on what to purchase on their shopping trips, making it the leading external source of ideas. Meanwhile, almost 3 in 10 get ideas from recipe books and newspaper articles, and approximately 1 in 5 cite each of TV and magazine ads as sources of purchase ideas.