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industry research Trendspotting: Pies Americans so love their pies that residents of Illinois are pushing to make pumpkin pie the Official State Pie of Illinois. It's no surprise that pumpkin pie is the flavor of choice for those in The Prairie State. Illinois grows twice as many pumpkins as the next largest pumpkingrowing state. In fact, 90 to 95 percent of the country's canned pumpkin is processed there, as is 85 percent of the world's entire canned pumpkin supply. In 1978, Morton, Illinois, home of Nestlé USA's Libby's Famous Pumpkin Pie brand, was declared the "Pumpkin Capital of the World" by then governor, James Thompson. Current pie-loving states include Delaware - Peach; Florida - Key Lime; Indiana - Hoosier Sugar Cream; Maine - Blueberry; Massachusetts - Boston Cream; and Vermont - Apple. Oklahoma has adopted Pecan Pie as part of its Official State Meal. But elsewhere in the country, and especially during the holiday season, pumpkin pie rules. It was rated as the number one choice of dessert at Thanksgiving, and tied with chocolate for the number two favorite pie overall. What's America's favorite pie most of the year? Apple, of course. Cherry pie ranked third. Ask any American their favorite part of Thanksgiving, and more often than not, pie tops the list, along with turkey, cranberry sauce and football. According to an independent survey commissioned by the American Pie Council (APC) and conducted by Nielsen, pie is the preferred dessert not only on Thanksgiving but also on other holidays and throughout the year. Seventy percent of respondents cite pie as their favorite Christmas dessert and 67 percent consider it a staple at family gatherings. According to Nielsen Perishables Group data, the week of Thanksgiving ranked as the highest selling week for pies, at $4,175 per store, in 2014. The second highest selling week during this period was the week of Christmas (the week ending December 27, 2014). Although Americans continue to get busier and busier with commutes, carpools and kids' extracurricular activities, the art of pie baking is not dead, says Linda Hoskins, executive director of the American Pie Council. "While ready-made and frozen pies from grocery stores and bakeries are always a hit at home and at potlucks - baking homemade pies is still appealing. Our survey revealed that Americans still hold dear to pie-making skills and passing down family pie recipes as a part of their heritage. We have seen this first-hand every year for the last 20 years at our annual APC National Pie Championships." Leading supermarket chains Kroger, Bi-Lo and Publix were among the commercial category winners in the 2015 APC National Pie Championships. In the premium category, winning pie flavors included Mango Key Lime Pie from Publix and Apple Brown Betty Pie from Bi-Lo. Publix touts its Key Lime Pie, available in stores, as made with real Key lime juice and hand-decorated in store daily. 14 * JUNE 2015 * instore And it turns out when it comes to eating pie, no time of day - or night - is off limits. Survey respondents said pie is more than an after-dinner dessert: 58 percent say it's a great late night snack, while 113 million Americans admit to eating pie for breakfast. Pie is the preferred dessert not only on Thanksgiving but also on other holidays and throughout the year.

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of instore - June 2015

instore - June 2015
Editor's Note - Answering the Challenge
What's Ahead
Table of Contents
News - On Our Radar
Industry Research - Trending Donuts
Trendspotting: Pies
Trending Dips, Spreads, Toppings
Trendspotting: Sushi
Consumer Insights - Generation X
Diet Trends - Consider Trans Fat Free
Shopper Demographics - Still Getting Healthier
Nutrition Statistics
Seasonal Promotions - Trading Up for the Holidays
Specialty Foods - Asian Cuisine Takes Hold
Product Spotlight - Sweet Snacking
Specialty Cheese - French Cheese
Equipment - Labor Savers
Product Trends
Next Up
Product Showcase/Ad Index

instore - June 2015