The concept of Latent Demand
Research and Markets (www.researchandmarkets.com) have utlised the latent demand and potential industry earnings figures to analyse the global Gourment Chocolate market. "The 2009 Report on Gourmet Chocolate: World Market Segmentation by City,

“The 2009 Report on Gourmet Chocolate: World Market Segmentation by City” covers the world outlook for gourmet chocolate across more than 2000 cities. For the year reported, estimates are given for the latent demand, or potential industry earnings (P.I.E.), for the city in question (in millions of U.S. dollars), the percent share the city is of the region and of the globe. These comparative benchmarks allow the reader to quickly gauge a city vis-a-vis others. Using econometric models which project fundamental economic dynamics within each country and across countries, latent demand estimates are created. This report does not discuss the specific players in the market serving the latent demand, nor specific details at the product level. The study also does not consider short-term cyclicalities that might affect realized sales. The study, therefore, is strategic in nature, taking an aggregate and long-run view, irrespective of the players or products involved.

What is Latent Demand and the P.I.E.? The concept of latent demand is rather subtle. The term latent typically refers to something that is dormant, not observable, or not yet realized. Demand is the notion of an economic quantity that a target population or market requires under different assumptions of price, quality, and distribution, among other factors. Latent demand, therefore, is commonly defined by economists as the industry earnings of a market when that market becomes accessible and attractive to serve by competing firms. It is a measure, therefore, of potential industry earnings (P.I.E.) or total revenues (not profit) if a market is served in an efficient manner. It is typically expressed as the total revenues potentially extracted by firms. The market is defined at a given level in the value chain. There can be latent demand at the retail level, at the wholesale level, the manufacturing level, and the raw materials level (the P.I.E. of higher levels of the value chain being always smaller than the P.I.E. of levels at lower levels of the same value chain, assuming all levels maintain minimum profitability).

The latent demand for gourmet chocolate is not actual or historic sales. Nor is latent demand future sales. In fact, latent demand can be lower either lower or higher than actual sales if a market is inefficient (i.e., not representative of relatively competitive levels). Inefficiencies arise from a number of factors, including the lack of international openness, cultural barriers to consumption, regulations, and cartel-like behavior on the part of firms. In general, however, latent demand is typically larger than actual sales in a city market.

Latent demand functions relate the income of a country, city, state, household, or individual to realized consumption. Latent demand (often realized as consumption when an industry is efficient), at any level of the value chain, takes place if an equilibrium in realized. For firms to serve a market, they must perceive a latent demand and be able to serve that demand at a minimal return. The single most important variable determining consumption, assuming latent demand exists, is income (or other financial resources at higher levels of the value chain). Other factors that can pivot or shape demand curves include external or exogenous shocks (i.e., business cycles), and or changes in utility for the product in question.

Hibiscus Superflower Teas
The Republic of Tea has introduced five new Hibiscus Superflower Teas. Each selection is a caffeine-free herbal bouquet of premium African hibiscus, a Superflower, that brews a full-bodied cup and features reported health benefits, including lowering blood pressure.

Hibiscus Superflower Teas are made from premium African hibiscus from Nigeria. A tropical marvel, ruby-red African hibiscus shines through in these evocatively fruity herbal teas, revealing layers of flavors comparable to cranberry/citrus and gentle hints of rhubarb and raspberry.

Drinking hibiscus tea lowered blood pressure in a group of pre-hypertensive and mildly hypertensive adults, according to a new study from Tufts University in Boston, published in The Journal of Nutrition. Hypertension is a condition in which blood pressure is chronically high and it affects one-third of all U.S. adults. Results suggest consumption of three daily cups of a hibiscus drink lowers blood pressure in pre and mildly hypertensive adults and is likely to prove effective when incorporated into the diets of those people at risk of developing hypertension.Founded in 1992,

The Republic of Tea sparked a specialty tea revolution. Today the brand offers an unequaled selection of the highest-quality teas, herbs and ready-to-drink unsweetened iced teas, available exclusively at specialty retailers nationwide. The Republic of Tea is mindful of how its actions impact the greater community and supports worthy organizations like Susan G. Komen for the Cure, Prostate Cancer Foundation, Room to Read and The Ethical Tea Partnership

Uk food and drink pacakaging market
Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com) in their report "Packaging (Food & Drink) Market Report 2010" stated that the UK market for food and drink packaging was worth an estimated 5.01bn in 2009, the economic downturn and falling demand in the food industry having caused the market's value to fall by around 2% during the year. Despite this setback, the UK has one of the world's most developed and most diverse food and drink industries, and packaging is often viewed as a way of obtaining a competitive advantage.

The food and drink industry accounts for more than half of the UK's packaging market, ahead of sectors such as cosmetics, pharmaceuticals and healthcare/medicine. The share of the packaging market taken by food and drink is particularly high in the glass sector, owing to the dominance of glass bottles in the beverages industry. However, food and drink applications account for more than half of apparent consumption for all types of packaging material except metal (which has a share of just under 50%).
The market for food and drink packaging is being driven by a number of major trends at present, chief amongst which is the environment. Packaging suppliers are subject to UK and EU legislation obliging them to recover and recycle increasing quantities of materials, as well as keeping their use of virgin materials to a minimum. An increasingly ethical consumer base now expects manufacturers to use smaller quantities of packaging.

CoffeeCakes.com celebrates 15th anniversary.
This year marks the 15th anniversary of Colorado-based CoffeeCakes.com, one of the first Internet retailers to offer high-quality gourmet gift items online. To celebrate its fifteen year milestone, CoffeeCakes.com will offer select anniversary-priced coffeecakes for $15 throughout the remainder of 2010 as well as free shipping on any order within Colorado.
In 1995, CoffeeCakes.com started as an Internet cafe (the first of its kind in Colorado). Realizing that the Internet offered incredible opportunities in the marketplace, Sherry Comes, the company's founder, decided to move her business exclusively online. Applying her many years of IT consulting expertise to her new entrepreneurial venture, Comes has grown her online store into the profitable entity it is today.

In the fifteen years since the company's inception, Comes has experienced the usual challenges of running a small business while maintaining a full-time career. Over the years, the company has revamped its website for Search Engine Optimization, taken the functions of fulfillment, inventory and warehousing in-house, and streamlined its order management, inventory control, and shipping processes.

Since the early years, CoffeeCakes.com has greatly expanded its product line (which initially centered on coffeecakes) to include travel mugs, teapots, and items such as coffee presses and tea samplers. "In the fifteen years since I founded the company, I have seen a huge change in customer shopping patterns," Comes said. "My customers are super-savvy Internet shoppers. They expect high-touch customer service and a broad and appealing range of products." For Valentine's Day, the company is introducing its new line of "Chocolate Surprise Squares" and "Chocolate Bliss Gourmet" gift baskets that can be shipped anywhere within the US and Canada.

Katarina Van Derham is spokesmodel for beer again
Katarina Van Derham has been named the 2010 St. Pauli Girl spokesmodel, marking the first time in the history of the beer that the same woman has served as the German barmaid icon for two consecutive years. Coming off a successful 2009 spokesmodel tour, Van Derham impressed so many with her talent and vivacious personality that she will reprise her role in 2010. St. Pauli Girl unveiled two new posters with an updated look, and starting today fans can choose the official 2010 poster in an online vote at www.stpauligirl.com.

Van Derham, a native of Slovakia who lives in Los Angeles, beat out the competition in an online vote in 2009, and toured the country as the spokesmodel. In 2010, she will continue bringing the German barmaid icon to life on the St. Pauli Girl media tour. The online poster vote will run through the month of February, with the winning version available for download in March at www.stpauligirl.com.

Selecting a spokesmodel to represent the beer is a decades-long tradition for St. Pauli Girl, the No. 2 German lager in the U.S. The St. Pauli Girl collectible poster was first introduced in 1982 and more than 2.5 million posters have been printed or downloaded.

"I am so honored to be named the St. Pauli Girl for the second year in a row." said Van Derham. "I really couldn't be happier, I had so much fun on the 2009 tour and look forward to meeting many more fans this year."

Dr Pepper today celebrates 125th anniversary
Raise a bottle of Dr Pepper today to toast the 125th anniversary of America's oldest major soft drink. Since its modest beginnings in 1885 as the concoction Charles Alderton created at Morrison's Old Corner Drug Store in Waco, Texas, the drink formerly known as the "Waco" has grown into a beloved national brand.

After it was first poured, Dr Pepper gained such widespread consumer favor that other soda fountain operators began buying the syrup from the Old Corner Drug Store. In 1904, Dr Pepper made its nationwide debut when it was introduced to almost 20 million people attending the World's Fair Exposition in St. Louis. Now, 125 years later, legions of passionate fans enjoy the 23 flavors of Dr Pepper's unique, refreshing taste.

"Dr Pepper has an unrivaled taste and a maverick spirit," said Tony Jacobs, vice president of marketing for Dr Pepper. "Starting out 125 years ago as a regional drink, Dr Pepper has expanded into a revered national brand by connecting with consumers because of its unique taste and the brand's dedication to making emotional connections with its consumers."

Offtrack:Stolen pig found uncooked
A Florida teenager happily reunited with her 200-pound pig said she originally feared whoever had stolen the animal was planning to turn it into a meal.

Ema Rivera, 15, said her pig, Boo, and a calf were stolen Saturday from a Future Farmers of America facility at Armwood High School in Seffner, the St. Petersburg (Fla.) Times reported Thursday. "I thought that she would be killed," Rivera said of Boo. "I thought that whoever took her might use her in a barbecue." However, Rivera said her hopes of finding Boo alive were bolstered when investigators found the calf at a livestock auction later Saturday.
The Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office said Boo was recovered on a tip Wednesday and Jason Simmons, 23, was arrested and charged with burglary and theft of livestock

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