As the U.S. economy continues to improve, consumer confidence has been on the rise, which would typically indicate growth for consumer packaged goods manufacturers as well. However, according to a new Hot Topic Report from Acosta, a sales and marketing agency in the CPG industry, unit sales are flat across most categories, and trade promotions continue to decline as a key factor in driving incremental volume. This decline leads to more unprofitable sales for manufacturers. Despite this, CPG manufacturers continue to allocate an average of 15 percent to 20 percent of gross sales to trade promotion.