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Fortified waters and sports drinks saw steep volume declines last year, while the carbonated soft-drink category saw some rebound amid declines as consumers continue to shun packaged beverages. Overall, the beverage category declined 3.1% in volume in 2009. A year ago, the beverage category saw volume drop by 2.1%, the first decline on record.

The average American consumer has been evolving for quite some time, and a special report by Nation's Restaurant News reinforces the most crucial aspect of that change: There no longer is a typical American consumer. According to projections of the 2010 U.S. Census by demographic-trends expert Peter Francese, Americans are becoming older, more diverse and increasingly clustered in bustling and multiethnic regions of the country, which affects their dining out behavior and how restaurateurs must adapt to the new consumer landscape.

For decades, American Baby Boomers have been characterized as a bloc of people who think and act as one monolithic generation. However, a recent study from the MetLife Mature Market Institute shows that Young, Middle and Older Boomers grew up during disparate "eras" and are now at different stages in their lives. They should, perhaps, be treated as separate demographic groups. In both a series of Demographic Profiles and a new study, The MetLife Study of Boomers in the Middle, facts are emerging about how distinct the segments are.

With new shopping behavior data and demographic trends indicating an enduring shift has taken place as a result of the recent economic downturn, retailers and suppliers will need to adapt to consumers' new shopping behaviors to succeed in today's evolved marketplace and during the post-recession recovery, according to a new report from PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP and Retail Forward, a Kantar Retail company.