<p> The blueberry industry will be hitting its stride this coming year. New research from the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council suggests that consumption of blueberries has almost doubled since nine years ago, while the number of households that have purchased blueberries within the past month (69 percent) has also nearly doubled since 2008.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"> “With the mom market representing $2.7 trillion in annual spending in the U.S. and the Hispanic market expected to hit $1.5 trillion in buying power by 2015, this shift represents a step in the right direction for the blueberry industry,” said Parm Bains, chairman of the USHBC. “Connecting with the next wave of blueberry purchasers will continue to be a key strategy in driving demand, and this research shows our promotion efforts to date have been on target and are paying off.”<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"> This next wave of blueberry purchasers now includes younger consumers, ranging from 35 to 44 years of age, and more minorities than there were in 2004. Marketers are encouraged to position blueberries as an ideal fit for modern lifestyles, especially as social media and web-based communications become increasingly important, according to a press release.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"> When asked what they like best about blueberries, 84% consumers appreciated how healthy they were, while others said taste (81 percent), convenience (61 percent), or versatility (44 percent) were the most important factors.</p><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><div style="clear: both;"><a class="btn btn-sm btn-primary col-lg-12" style="white-space: normal;" href="http://www.blueberrycouncil.org/blueberry-marketers/"><img title="Blueberry Consumer Usage Infographic" alt="Blueberry Consumer Usage" src="http://www.blueberrycouncil.org/wp-content/uploads/Blueberry-Infographic-Small-Package-Big-Rewards1.jpg" width="520" height="900" align="middle" border="0" /></a></div><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><div>Courtesy of: <a class="btn btn-sm btn-primary col-lg-12" style="white-space: normal;" href="http://www.blueberrycouncil.org/">U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council</a></div><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><p><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"> Check out the links below to see more insights into the research found by the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council. </p><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><p><a class="btn btn-sm btn-primary col-lg-12" style="white-space: normal;" href="http://www.blueberrycouncil.org/blueberry-demand-on-the-rise-in-u-s-consumers-trending-younger" target="_new"> U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council</a></p><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><p><a class="btn btn-sm btn-primary col-lg-12" style="white-space: normal;" href=" http://www.blueberrycouncil.org/blueberry-marketers" target="_new"> Blueberry Market Research </a></p><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">
