Research

Wal-Mart is the largest employer in the United States, with over one million workers.

It is the largest food retailer and the third largest pharmacy in the nation. The company employs approximately 44,000 workers in California, and has plans to expand significantly in the state over the next four years. Wal-Mart workers receive lower wages than other retail workers and are less likely to have health benefits. Other major retailers have begun to scale back wages and benefits in the state, citing their concerns about competition from Wal-Mart.

Nikon has signaled its intentions to start exiting film cameras. By year-end, more than 40% of U.S. households will own digital cameras says InfoTrends/CAP Ventures, with consumer digital camera sales predicted to reach 22.8 million in 2004. This represents a 42% increase over 2003, which already grew 58% compared to 2002. Top vendors are Sony and Canon (virtually tied), followed by Kodak, Olympus, Fuji, HP and Nikon. Each of these players captured more than 5% in 2003 U.S. unit share. Trend to watch: disposable digital cameras from Pure Digital Technologies, sold by Ritz Cameras under the Dakota Digital brand for $19.

The $850 billion global automotive industry continues to be paced the Japanese industry, which saw new-vehicle exports in June 2004 rise 7.9% from a year earlier to 420,092, because of healthy demand from the U.S. and Europe.

Apparel sales will rise between 1% and 1.5% in 2004, in contrast to the 5% decline registered in 2003, when sales fell to $167 billion, according to The NPD Group.

Last year, U.S. alcohol sales totaled $138 billion, according to Impact Databank. Over the past five years, beer sales grew at about a 1% rate, with a 1% decline forecast for 2004. On a volume basis, the U.S. wine industry will grow 6% in 2004, after growing at a 3% rate over the previous two years. Part of the appeal: the idea that a glass of wine is healthy. The $150 billion global wine industry saw volume rise nearly 2% in 2003, according to just-drinks.com.

Shopper lifestyles and needs have changed a great deal over the last 10 to 20 years, and the supermarket’s declining share of business suggests that it hasn’t kept pace with the new needs and choices, according to a study by The Retailing Research Council of North America.

African American and Hispanic households are devoting a larger share of their discretionary income to eating out in restaurants and entertainment, in part the result of increasing buying power for the largest U.S. minority groups.