Inside SPINS, June 2006

June, 2006

Great things tend to happen during the summertime, and this season is no exception! SPINS is extremely proud to announce an expanded partnership with ACNielsen - an alliance that will take reporting on the Health & Wellness and Natural & Organic products industries to new heights...

In this issue:
Service Announcements - SPINS and ACNielsen Announce an Expanded Partnership, SPINSscan Conventional Key Account Data, New Product Submission Guidelines, Advocate Professor Training
Marketplace Reports - Natural Products Marketplace Report, NASFT State of the Industry Report
Industry Trends - Update on Organic Standards, Stevia Sales Sweeter by the Minute
Content Corner - Functional Chocolates Have It All
SPINS Company Updates - New SPINNERS, Charitable Contributions
Upcoming Events - Supply Side West, NNFA, Virgo Webinar

Service Announcements
Announcing SPINS' expanded partnership with ACNielsen!
	SPINS and ACNielsen have just established a comprehensive, long-term partnership to report on the Health and Wellness and Natural and Organic Products industries. SPINS will remain an independent company, and will gain access to the sophisticated reporting tools, wide client base, and deep market penetration of ACNielsen, the global leader in market research.
We're very excited to combine our strengths in order to better serve both companies' manufacturer and retailer clients. Read more about the new alliance in a letter to clients from SPINS' CEO, Tony Olson. Press release >

SPINSscan Conventional Key Account Data

Manufacturers, monitor your performance at the account level in the FDM channel
SPINS' key account reporting includes over 35 conventional accounts, such as Safeway, Albertson's, Publix and Kroger. Reporting is available on category, brand, and item performance in the account's trading area and remaining market.

• Identify sales trends in specific conventional accounts for strategic planning.
• Rank your sales versus total Natural Product sales across key accounts to see where you are performing best, and to identify growth opportunities.
• Track sales in the retailer's trading area as well as its remaining market.
• Work closely with retailers to drive your sales and analyze competition by using information specific to their stores.
• Gain key vendor status by assisting retailers to identify and improve their performance with Natural Products - a segment that continues to flourish and outpace conventional retail sales.

Conventional Retailers, work with the industry experts to manage your Natural set
SPINS Key Account Data Services offer complete and accurate coding of the Natural/Organic universe, and the tools to optimize your product offering.

• Identify current size and performance of Natural/Organic in 68 SPINS categories across food, supplements, personal care and general merchandise (in your trading area and the remaining market)
• Identify opportunity gaps for retailer, category, and brand development
• Identify key vendors with whom to partner
• Expand your offering and target audiences to respond to growing consumer demand
• Optimize your Natural Product sales and marketing strategies!

Contact your regional sales manager, info@spins.com, or 415.957.4400 for more information on SPINSscan Conventional Key Account Data and conventional item reporting.

Make sure your products are properly tracked in SPINSscan!

Manufacturers, please send SPINS all product information and packaging for both existing products and those in development to ensure that they are properly tracked in SPINSscan. Specific guidelines can be found on our website, and include UPC, brand name, product name, size, ingredients, product characteristics (packaging type, flavor, etc.), positioning claims, and 3rd-party certifications such as organic, kosher, or Fair Trade Certified.

For more information, contact David Browne, SPINS' Director of Content Services at dbrowne@spins.com. Thank you!

Advocate Professor: Complete Online Training for Syndicated Data Use
	Advocate Professor is a comprehensive online reference for using syndicated data, and a powerful training tool for all levels of your sales and marketing departments. Find succinct instructions for effective information analysis, and optimizing the use of your SPINSscan data.
The training modules feature: - Over 300 pages of up-to-date information, including formulas, illustrations, graphics, and animations - Search features and indexes - Straightforward answers to basic business questions - An emphasis on practice over theory - Customizable (incorporate your company's best practices and terminology) Take a ten-minute tour > Contact Shep Kroner for more information at skroner@spins.com or 617.513.5809.

Marketplace Reports

The Natural Products Marketplace Report 2006
SPINS and Mintel have released their 3rd in-depth review of the Natural Products Industry, including current sales trends, size and growth data, consumer purchase drivers, channel dynamics, and much more. This report was published in June of 2006 and features SPINSscan data up to the 52-week period ending 12/31/05.
Purchase report >

Specialty Foods - The NASFT State of the Industry Report: The Market, 2006
Increasingly popular, specialty foods are products that have limited distribution and a reputation for high quality. The National Association for the Specialty Food Trade (NASFT) estimates that there are some 180,000 specialty foods products in the marketplace in a wide variety of channels.

This report encompasses:
- Three years of sales data (2003-05) for each of 30 segments
- Positive and negative factors that may have a bearing on each segment’s future growth or decline
- New products in each segment, drawn from Mintel’s GNPD database
- A comprehensive look at distribution channels

Now available for purchase on Mintel.com. NASFT members receive a 50% discount!

Industry Trends
Final Rule on National Organic Program Revisions
	The U.S. Department of Agriculture published a final rule in the Federal Register on June 7, 2006 that revises the National Organic Program regulations. They now comply with the final court order in the Harvey v. Johanns lawsuit and implement the 2005 amendments to the Organic Foods Production Act of 1990. Read the OTA Press Release >

Stevia Sales Sweeter by the Second By Kerrin Rourke, Natural Products Expert
	Stevia is a medicinal plant indigenous to South America, where it has been used for centuries to sweeten foods. Despite the challenging regulatory obstacles Stevia products have faced over the last fifteen years, year after year their sales continue to climb in both the natural and conventional markets. Sales of products with stevia as a primary ingredient total $13.7M in the Natural channel and $3.3M in the Conventional channel (SPINSscan, Current 52 weeks ending 05/20/06). Read more >

Content Corner By Kerrin Rourke, Certified Nutritional Consultant
	Functional Chocolates Have It All Functional food innovations show no sign of slowing down as new trends continue to emerge in this arena. It was only a matter of time before functional ingredients met everybody’s favorite indulgence, chocolate. Chocolate in its natural state is a functional food by itself. It contains potent antioxidants that prevent free radical cellular damage as well as natural stimulants that help to support energy and vitality.
It is when cocoa is processed and combined with ingredients like hydrogenated oils, refined sugars and artificial flavors that the food becomes unhealthy. Chocolate, with its naturally occurring functional components, combines well with added functional ingredients such as herbs, EFAs and plant sterols. These product innovations are gaining shelf space in grocery and supplement departments alike.

Indulging in EFAs Bija Omega Truffles are organic chocolate truffles rich in the essential fatty acids Americans are so deficient in. Each package of 4 truffle pieces contain 13 grams of Udo's 369 Oil Blend.
The chocolates undergo tests for rancidity and microbial content due to the highly perishable nature of the essential fatty acids present in the products. The truffles are shipped with freezer packs and are sold in the refrigerated section of retail stores. Bija Omega Truffles are available in three luxurious flavors - Dark 70, Milk Hazelnut and White Maple. More information >

A New Twist On An Old Fad
When most people think of diet foods gritty shakes and dry bars come to mind. Phytobase offers a welcomed alternative for consumers who are watching their waistlines. Chocoleans combine organic dark chocolate with the appetite-suppressing herbs Hoodia Gordonii and Caralluma Fimbriata. Both these herbs have been used for centuries as food staples in indigenous cultures. Chocoleans offer consumers a stimulant-free appetite-suppressant (beyond the naturally stimulating effects of cocoa). For more information visit http://www.phytobase.com/.

A Bar For Every Occasion
Ecco Bella has pioneered the way for functional chocolate with their Health By Chocolate line. The Health By Chocolate bars combine organic chocolate with a combination of herbs, antioxidants, vitamins and minerals. The bars come in three different varieties – Beautiful Bones, Women's Wonder Bar and Bliss Bar.

The Beautiful Bones bar incorporates calcium, vitamin D and vitamin K. All of which are necessary for maintaining bone mass and density. The Women's Wonder Bar contains soy and chaste tree berry, which help to support healthy hormone levels in women. The Instant Bliss Bar contains ingredients such as cranberry seed oil, high in EFAs and mixed caroentoids, which can help to correct imbalances of the skin.

Ecco Bella adds extra fiber to the chocolate, making the bars a low glycemic food. The fiber slows down the release of sugars in the body preventing blood sugar spikes that commonly occur with foods high in sugar. For more information visit http://www.eccobella.com/_Health_By_Chocolate.html.

A Trip To The Chocolate Spa
Bissinger's Spa Chocolates are assortments of dark chocolate truffles that feature health promoting ingredients such as green tea extract, lemongrass extract and rice bran extract in combination with pure dark chocolate. Green tea extract is a potent antioxidant that naturally supports energy levels and helps to prevent pre-mature aging. Lemongrass is an uplifting anti-depressive herb. These ingredients are excellent pairings with chocolate, which can also have a positive effect on the mood. Rice Bran extract has been studied in Japan for it's anti-cancer effects.

The products are available online and in retail outlets including Whole Foods. For more information visit http://www.bissingers.com/spa/index.php

SPINS Company Updates

New SPINNERS
Please join us in welcoming these talented new additions to our team!

David Brossmer is SPINS' new Wild Oats Business Manager. He comes to us with over eight years of diverse marketing experience, including six years of managing strategic objectives in CPG categories with Daymon Worldwide. At Daymon, David lead category analysis and opportunity assessment projects with top-tier retailers and streamlined go-to-market processes.

Jim Galat, the newest addition to SPINS' Dedicated Analyst team, brings ten years of experience in the consumer packaged goods industry. Most recently, Jim was a senior sales analyst at McCormick and Co., where he also managed a brokered sales force. Previously, Jim was a client project manager for Vista Software Solutions, which provides trade promotion management software to major CPG firms. Jim began his career as a buyer at Topco & Associates, the major private label producer.

Rafael Bratman joins SPINS Content Services team with a strong background in social justice, sustainable agriculture, food policy, and environmental education. He has taught courses on solutions to urban poverty and hunger, managed an herb farm in Indiana, and a Chicago farmers market stand. Rafael was also Outreach Coordinator for FamilyFarmed.org, an organization promoting the growth of a regional food system in the Midwest by establishing markets for organic and sustainable family farms.

Vinnie Hernandez brings extensive natural product retail experience to our Content Services team. Before joining SPINS, he was bulk foods manager for the Hyde Park Food Co-op, a sales representative for natural food manufacturers at Presence Marketing, and assistant store manager at Strawberry Fields Natural Food Store and Cafe for over three years.

Josiah Munson is SPINS' new Desktop Support staff. He joins us after working as a Network Administrator and IT Consultant for Shiloh, an active non-profit organization based in Oakland. He has also provided desktop support for Oceanview Technologies, and regularly donates his technical support skills to charities. Josiah is a Microsoft Certified Professional and Desktop Technician.

Charitable Contributions

	The Center for Resource Solutions is a non-profit organization that administers the Green-e Program, which certifies renewable power products. Keri Bolding, the Director of Communications & Business Services from the Center for Resource Solutions came to speak to the San Francisco SPINS office about the Green-e Program.
SPINS learned how trend setting companies such as Lundberg Family Farms, Garden of Life, Santa Cruz Organic Juices, Choice Organic Teas, and White Wave are offsetting their electricity use by purchasing certified renewable energy and promoting their commitment to the environment with the use of the Green-e logo. To learn more: http://www.green-e.org/what_is/what_is_index.html

	Last May, SPINS contributed to a charity auction hosted by Oscar Mayer benefiting the United Way of Dane County, Illinois. The organization serves over 94 local health and human services agencies such as Big Brothers/Big Sisters, Meals on Wheels, the Ronald McDonald House, the Early Head Start
Program, and many more!

Upcoming Events

National Nutritional Foods Association (NNFA)
Natural Products Convention and Trade show
July 14-16, Las Vegas, NV
SPINS Business Development Director, Amy Jacobsen, will be in attendance. Click here to schedule a meeting.

Nutrilearn Online Webinar
Digestion: Science and Market Opportunities
July 20th, 2pm Eastern
Chris Chufo, SPINS Senior Analyst and Supplements expert, will be presenting on probiotics and enzymes sales trends, framing up the information with Natural Product consumer and channel dynamics.
Sign up for this FREE webinar.

Supply Side West
October 18-20, Las Vegas, NV
On October 19th, Jeff Nibler, SPINS President, will be discussing trends in natural supplement sales.

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