Articles

RETAIL BEHAVIOR

For Men it’s Grab and Go at the Grocery Store

By Mark Isaac Thyss

May 28, 2007

They don’t like to admit it, but men do get overwhelmed, and this apparently is true at the grocery store too.

U.S. men are doing more and more grocery shopping, both for themselves and their families, but retailers are still not doing much to make the trip any more enticing, retail consultants and industry experts said.

In a recent report titled “Men in Grocery Stores,” Mandy Putnam, vice president at consulting firm TNS Retail Forward says that men shop inefficiently, which leads to missed sales for retailers.

Many men have difficulty finding items, forego buying rather than risk purchasing a substitute for an item on the grocery list and hesitate to ask for help if they can’t find an item, Putnam said in her report.

“They never ask for help, except maybe from the butcher, but they always say they never had problems finding anything when the cashier at the register asks,” she said.

MEN ARE SHOPPING MORE

In 2002, 41 percent of men said they did at least some grocery shopping, a figure that jumped to 61 percent in 2004, according to marketing consulting firm WSL Strategic Retail. Men marrying later, the rise of households where both husband and wife work, and other factors, have led to more men grocery shopping.

Unlike women, male shoppers typically focus more on convenience than price, and retailers will need to cater to that need in order to attract them to their stores, consultants said.

GET IN & GET OUT

Unlike women, men tend to hone in on the specific thing they want to buy instead of surveying the entire aisle, consultants said. “They were great at picking out the stuff that they bought before. It’s the new stuff, or something new and different that a manufacturer is trying to promote, that they have trouble with,” said Putnam.

Men also tend to bristle at the overwhelming number of choices in grocery aisles, with the cereal aisle being one prime example, Putnam said. Retailers still refer to their main customer as “she,” with women still doing the majority of the family shopping. Men tend to look for a specific item, like Gatorade; they grab it and go.

© 2007 Garden of Healing®. All rights reserved.

BUSINESS NEWS

Coke swallows VitaminWater

By Mark Isaac Thyss

Healthier premium beverages are beating out soft drinks, and Coca Cola (NYSE: KO) is making this very clear.  Coke has agreed to pay Glaceau, the maker of Vitaminwater, $4.2 billion in cash and stock for the chance to push vitamin-infused water.

While it’s not exactly a cheap purchase, it makes a lot of sense for Coke.

Vitaminwater has had huge growth of late, and that looks likely to continue. With sales of soft drinks flat or even declining, Coke needs something to drive revenue growth.

This should also be seen as good news for Berkshire Hathaway (NYSE: BRK.A), a major Coke shareholder.

Chairman Warren Buffett is regularly seen drinking Cherry Coke, especially at annual meetings but, as he gets older and investors worry about who will succeed him, a switch to a more healthful, vitamin-filled, lower-calorie beverage could extend his tenure at the helm.

Shares of Coke were up on news of the deal, and the price tag could be used to assign a value to other next-generation beverage companies.

© 2007 Garden of Healing®. All rights reserved.

NATURE MAKES GOOD
 
Asian Cuisine reinvents Gazpacho

By Mark Isaac Thyss
May 27, 2007
 
No, you don’t have to travel to Singapore to get gazpacho made with Buddha’s fruit. Just push Stevia aside for a moment and get to know Luo Han Kuo.
 
We’re not asking you to abandon your Xylitol, but it would be wise to stay clear of Aspartame. And indeed, visit Singapore if you need heart and brain surgery, a health screening and cancer treatment. Why? Singapore is a key destination when it comes to world-class health-care services, and if you want to partake in what is called ‘medical tourism’, go there.
 
No, this is not a story about travel or off-shore surgery, but something far sweeter, Lohanguo Siraitia Fruit.
 
What do Aspartame, sugar, Stevia leaf, Xylitol and Lohanguo have in common? You have a craving for them. Where they diverge is the part of this story you really need to know. Firstly, do steer clear of Aspartame. If you don’t know why; find out. And, do check out Lo Han Kuo.
 
The good news is you have choices, and the possibilities are growing in number. Let’s talk about Lohanguo fruit.
 
As previously mentioned, you can find it in exotic places like Singapore at the Red White & Pure Restaurant (www.redwhitepure.com) in Vivo City. They make their gazpacho soup with Lohanguo. But, you can also now keep it on your kitchen counter and use it to sweeten teas, and a variety of other foods and beverages too.
 
Luo han guo is a very sweet fruit found in Southern China. It is low-calorie and extracts of it are now being marketed as a sweetener.
 
The fruit extract is nearly 300 times sweeter than sugar and has been used as a natural sweetener in China for nearly a millennium due to its flavor and lack of food energy. It has also been used in traditional Chinese medicine.
 
Lo Han Kuo is a vine cultivated in special gardens cleared in the mountain forests. The plant is rarely found in the wild and has been cultivated for hundreds of years.
 
It is grown primarily in the southwestern Chinese province of Guangxi, as well as in Guangdong, Guizhou, Hunan, and Jiangxi. These mountainous regions give the plants the correct amount of shade and often are surrounded by mists; thusly protecting the plants from the ravages of the sun.
 
The plant is most prized for its sweet fruits, which are used for medicinal purposes, and as a sweetener. Luohan guo fruits are generally sold in dried form and powder, and traditionally used in herbal tea or soup. They are used for respiratory ailments and reputed to aid longevity, hence the name ‘longevity fruit’.
 
Lohanguo Siraitia Fruit is round and smooth. It has a yellow-brownish or green-brownish color, and is covered by fine hairs. All components, seeds, pulp, and juice of the fruit are intensely sweet, and their nature is cool and non-toxic. The fruit can act as a remedy for sun stroke, wet the lungs, remove phlegm, stop cough and aid defecation.
 
Please note there are a number of spellings that apply to the fruit, all used above; namely, Lo Han Kuo, Luohanguo, Lohanguo Siraitia Fruit, Luohan guo, etc.
 
Lo Han Kuo can be found in powered form and we highly recommend trying it out in your favorite beverages. If international restaurants (featuring healthy food combining the best of Spa Cuisine and Traditional Chinese Medicine) are using it, then it’s worth a shot - or a smidgen. Remember, it’s really really sweet, and unlike Aspartame, really good for you too.
 
© 2007 Garden of Healing®. All rights reserved.

PLANTS THAT HEAL

Thyme
Botanical Name: Thymus vulgaris

By Mark Isaac Thyss, Garden of Healing®

The Ancient Romans and Greeks used ‘thymos’ in many interesting ways.

The Roman natural historian, Pliny, noted the medicinal use of Thymus vulgaris to treat headaches and intestinal complaints.

Growing wild on the rocky slopes near the Mediterranean Sea, Thyme with its highly aromatic leaves, is frequently used fresh or dried as a seasoning in a variety of culinary applications including soups, stews, sauces, meat and fish dishes.

Garden (or common) thyme is a woody-based perennial which is primarily grown as a culinary herb in herb gardens.

Thyme grows as a wiry shrub with evergreen leaves and small lavender flowers that are very attractive to bees. Whorls of tiny, tubular flowers appear on the stem ends in late spring to early summer.

Thyme is an important spice of European cuisines, especially in South Europe.

This classic herb of French cuisine is tied up into bundles together with other fresh herbs making it an essential element in bouquet garni. It has been used since antiquity, and the botanical name derives from the ancient Greek thymos.

Ancient Greeks and Romans burned thyme as sweet incense, and Roman soldiers bathed in thyme water to gain energy. Though apparently not in general use as a culinary herb among these ancients, it was employed by the Romans to give an aromatic flavor to cheese (and also to liqueurs).

Medicinally, Thyme oil has antiseptic properties and is still used as an expectorant. The Thyme flowers and leaves have been used for flu, cough, and other breathing problems such as bronchospasm and bronchitis.

______________________________

Since some herbal/diet supplement products have been found to contain harmful impurities/additives, always check with a pharmacist or other professional for more details regarding particular use.