According to new research from Information Resources, Inc. (IRI), lower-income shoppers are the fastest growing consumer segment and they will likely generate about $84 billion in spending over the next decade. This segment includes those people who make less than $20,000 per year or dual-income households that make less than $35,000 per year.

Researchers from the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) claim that game theory and cognitive theory can be used to predict the economic choices that people and corporations will make. It sounds complicated, but it’s probably much simpler than you think.

As identified in the Vegetarian Consumer Trends series by Cultivate Research, food safety concerns have long been a factor in the food choices and preference of consumers, including vegetarian products. Food safety is and will likely continue being an important driver of consumer choice due to ongoing food safety concerns. This is despite government attempts to alleviate consumer worries with additional safety and regulatory measures.

New research shows that despite tighter budgets consumers are still making ethical purchases, including fair trade, local, and higher animal welfare items. Newly findings (IGD Shopper Trends 2009) show that about a quarter of British consumers purchased fair trade food items in the last month, significantly higher than the 9% in 2006. Also, the proportion of consumers buying local food nearly doubled over the last three years, from 15% in 2006 to 27% currently.