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Healthy Holidays

It's been a trying year for supermarkets, but a new report on food gifting should provide an early dose of holiday cheer. According to CPG research firm Packaged Facts, sales of food gifts have grown $2 billion in the past two years, up to $18 billion total, and are expected to reach $21 billion by 2014. Fueling the increase are specialty food gifts, including healthful choices like fruit and nut

It's been a trying year for supermarkets, but a new report on food gifting should provide an early dose of holiday cheer.

According to CPG research firm Packaged Facts, sales of food gifts have grown $2 billion in the past two years, up to $18 billion total, and are expected to reach $21 billion by 2014. Fueling the increase are specialty food gifts, including healthful choices like fruit and nut baskets. A consumer survey conducted for the study found that 30% of consumers want “healthy” products like these as gifts, up from 11% who said so in 2007.

With this attitude comes the opportunity for retailers to push a wider range of healthful items as gift options, the study noted. Antioxidant-rich dark chocolate, which grew sales during the recession, is a notable example, as are all-natural jams and spreads, organic meats and cheeses, and the like.

“As some of the fastest-growing segments in the food industry, natural and organic foods are moving up the ladder of popularity in gift basket themes,” the report stated.

And for something extra to round out the basket, how about a cause-related gift? Packaged Facts noted that giving cards and other items signifying a donation to a charity or other cause is one of the hottest trends in gifting today.