| Industry
News Wal-Mart Stores Inc. and a group of Chicago
aldermen reached an agreement under which the retailer
would open dozens of new stores "of varying size and formats" in the
city and agreeing to pay workers a minimum of $8.75 an hour, reported Crain's
Chicago Business. Full
Story (Free Registration Required), Wal-Mart
Stores Release 
Waitrose
is planning its first entry into the U.S. through the relaunch of a premium
food range. Managing Director Mark Price stated at the Reuters Consumer and Retail
Summit that the "Duchy Originals from Waitrose" range, due to go on
sale in September, would act as a catalyst to accelerate the company's expansion
in international markets, reported Reuters. Full
Story Tim Hortons is revamping its concept
in the U.S., featuring a redesigned bakery-cafe look as well as upscale menu
offerings including baked goods, hot panini sandwiches and espresso-based drinks,
reported Nation's Restaurant News. Full
Story (Free Registration Required) Some
90% of consumers will plan and watch their spending on food and beverages outside
the home over the next six months, according to a food and beverage market research
report by The NPD Group, What's Next on the Road to Recovery. Among the
thriftier behaviors consumers stated they will do more often are: decreasing spending
on groceries, especially those with household incomes under $35,000; using coupons
for food and beverage items from newspapers or magazines; stocking up on foods
and beverages when they are on sale; searching store circulars for low prices
on food or beverages that are on sale; buying less expensive brands of foods and
beverages, and searching for manufacturer coupons online. Full
Story Litehouse Inc. purchased Green Garden
Foods, reported Puget Sound Business Journal (Seattle). Full
Story (Free Registration Required) International
News  Nestle
SA expects to generate about 45% of overall sales from increasingly affluent consumers
in emerging markets by 2020. Nestle believes its own
internally generated resources and acquisitions should help it achieve its goals,
and is looking particularly for takeovers in the water business. Nestle will spend
some 1.5 billion francs in Brazil, Russia and India between 2010 and 2012, and
also plans to invest an additional two billion francs in Asia, one billion francs
in Africa and 1.6 billion francs in Latin America, reported The Wall Street
Journal. Full
Story (WSJ Subscription Required)
Nestle
SA is sailing a a boat with 1,076-sq. ft. of supermarket space down the Para and
Xingu rivers in Brazil, competing with Unilever to reach emerging-market customers
cut off from branded goods. The tour will reach 18 small cities and 800,000 potential
consumers on the Amazon tributaries, carrying 300 different goods including chocolate,
yogurt, ice cream and juices, reported Bloomberg.com. Full
Story Health News Sugary
soda consumption at Harvard's Brigham and Women's Hospital fell by 26%
when researchers added a temporary tax, found a study published in American
Journal of Public Health. The study raised the price of sugary soft drinks
in the university canteen by 35% for a four week period, reported Food Navigator
USA. Full
Story Washington
News An
agreement was reached with key conferees on the Wall Street reform bill regarding
Assistant Senate Majority Leader Dick Durbin's (D-IL) amendment regulating interchange
fees. The agreement makes minor, clarifying changes to the language which passed
the Senate 64-33. It is expected to be debated and eventually accepted by the
conference committee, subject to ratification by the Committee Chairmen, and become
the final language regarding interchange fees. Full
Story
| Register
Now - The Future of Food Retailing 2010, a webinar presented by the Food
Institute and Willard Bishop. Join Jim Hertel, Managing
Partner, and Craig Rosenblum, Partner, both of Willard Bishop, and moderator Michael
Sansolo, editor, columnist, and FI Board Member, as they provide their unique
and unparalleled insights into the Future of Food Retailing in a one-hour webinar
to be held 12 p.m. (EST), Tuesday, June 29. They will delve into retailer strategies,
identify specific actions Walmart and others are taking, and point out intended
and unintended consequences of retailers' actions. They will also point out winners
and losers in the post-recession food retailing landscape. To sign up and learn
more, click
here. | | The
Supreme Court lifted a nationwide ban on the planting of genetically engineered
alfalfa seeds. In a 7-1 vote, the court reversed a federal appeals court ruling
that prohibited Monsanto Co. from selling alfalfa seeds because are resistant
to Roundup, reported The Associated Press. USDA must now decide whether
to allow the genetically-modified seeds to be planted. Full
Story, Monsanto
Release Market News Cold
spring weather and a shift in California varieties combined to create a demand-exceeds-supply
situation in the early stages of the plum market this
year. Plum prices are about $25 per carton f.o.b., which is about 25% more than
nectarines and 60% more than peaches, according to the U.S. Federal State Market
News Service, reported The Produce News. Full
Story 
Tomato
production in Mexico for 2010/11 is forecast to reach 2.2 million metric tons
(MMT) while the 2009/10 production estimate is slightly less than 2.2 MMT due
to weather conditions that created delays in the spring tomato crop, noted FAS.
Meanwhile, exports for 2009/10 are expected to be slightly higher than 2008/09
as a result of the frost that damaged the Florida crop in January. Mexican greenhouse/shade
house tomato production has become an important factor in terms of total tomato
production and area dedicated to this production could exceed 3,200 hectares in
2010. Full
Report |
