Retail News
Walmart
placed highly in the 2010 COLLOQUY Retail Loyalty Index in
many categories, including Grocery, demonstrating that low
prices drove consumer loyalty during the recession. Costco
had the highest customer loyalty ratings in three of five
Mass Merchant regional categories, while Kroger was the loyalty
leader in the Midwest. In the Southeast, Publix moved up to
first place from second-place in 2008, and in the Southwest
H-E-B ranked first. Full
Story
SUPERVALU and Remke Markets entered into an agreement
for the sale of six Cincinnati bigg's stores to Remke. The
transaction is expected to close this spring. SUPERVALU plans
to close its five remaining bigg's stores before the end of
May. Full
Story New!
The Food Institute's comprehensive Food Business Mergers
& Acquisitions 2009 provides detailed analysis on
the 263 mergers and acquisitions recorded in 2009. Organized
into over 25 categories, the Food Business Mergers & Acquisitions
2009 guide is a valuable resource for examining individual
deals as well as exploring larger trends in specific industries
or international markets. To order and for more information,
click
here.
Safeway and SUPERVALU will exit their partnerships with
Daymon Worldwide, opting to bring corporate-brand-building
responsibilities in-house. SUPERVALU will end its relationship
with Daymon on May 14 and Safeway will exit on May 28, reported
Supermarket News. Full
Story
Store brands represented 21.8% of unit volume in 2009
while only comprising 10% of items in stores for the 52 weeks
ended Dec. 26, 2009, according to The Nielsen Co. In contrast,
economy national brands made up 21.3% of sales, while taking
up 29.7% of items in stores. Europe is the future of store
brands, Nielsen predicts, as some European retailers already
report over 40% of store sales coming from store brands, according
to Europanel. Full
Story
Some 54% of U.S. adults cite cash as their preferred form
of payment, according to Packaged Facts' Consumer Payment
Trends in the U.S., which incorporates data compiled by
Experian Simmons' Spring 2009 adult consumer survey. Meanwhile,
68% of American adults have a debit card in their wallet and
67% have a credit card. Last year, 27% of U.S. adults, 61
million people, paid their bills online. Full
Story
Executives on the Move: Dollar General Corporation
promoted John Flanigan to EVP of the global supply chain and
Bob Ravener to EVP and chief people officer. Full
Story ... The Coca-Cola Company appointed Brian
P. Kelley to lead the integration of The Coca-Cola Company's
and Coca-Cola Enterprises' North American operations. Full
Story
Manufacturer News
New
Product News: Weston Bakeries introduced Wonder
Smartwhite, with the fiber of 100% whole wheat bread. Full
Story ... Bueno
Foods introduced Buenatural New Mexican Style Green Chile
Chicken Stew and Posole Stew with Red Chile and Chicken. Full
Story
... Red
Bull is launching a 19.2-oz. size in April, reported
CSP Daily News. Full
Story
Food
fraud and misrepresentation is estimated to affect 5% to 7%
of the U.S. food supply, but could possibly be greater,
according to John Spink, an expert on food and packaging fraud
at Michigan State University. However, recent developments
of high-tech tools, including DNA testing, makes it easier
to detect fraud that might have gone unnoticed a decade ago.
DNA can be extracted from cells of fish and meat and from
other foods such as rice and coffee, then compared to a database
of samples, reported MSNBC. Full
Story
Mars'
Snickers, now a $2 billion-plus brand, differentiated itself
by selling the product as a filling, premium-quality snack,
but needs to focus on its core audience: baby boomers, according
to supermarket consultant Phil Lempert, reported Advertising
Age. Full
Story (Free Registration Required)
The North American Olive Oil Association (NAOOA) launched
a quality-control program to recognize and promote olive
oils that measure up to industry standards. A voluntary testing
process is available to all NAOOA members, and a seal of quality
is granted to NAOOA members in good standing with oil that
meets or exceeds the International Olive Council standard.
Full
Story
Alcoa dedicated a $24 million expansion of aluminum
can recycling capacity at the company's Tennessee operations,
which will increase recycling capability by nearly 50%. Full
Story
Bergenfield,
NJ-based Two Guys Jersey Tomato Sauce is rolling out in
New Jersey. New flavors are being developed, and new products
will be introduced when tomato season begins in July. The
product is sold at Paramus, NJ-based Fairway Market and will
be stocked at Whole Foods Market in two weeks and ShopRite
later this year, reported The Record. Full
Story
MillerCoors
is rolling out its Miller Vortex bottle, which swirls
beer as it pours, later this month. The company is also planning
to launch Miller Home Draft, reported Chicago Breaking
Business News. Full
Story

Foodservice News
Brinker International Inc. will focus on improvements
for its Chili's Grill & Bar chain, including a $100 million
kitchen re-engineering program, set to increase speed of service
and food quality. Chili's is working to complete a store refurbishment
program in the U.S., as 40% of its restaurants are 10 years
or older. The chain is looking to perhaps double its international
restaurant count and plans to increase the number of countries
in which it is doing business from 28 to 35, reported Nation's
Restaurant News. Full
Story (Free Registration Required)
More restaurant chains are rolling out tapas-like small
plates of shareable items that typically are less expensive
than appetizers to draw in customers, often placing these
plates on separate menus. For example, small plates at Houlihan's
fetch from $3 to $10, and in the key test market of Kansas
City, small plates accounted for 28% of items sold, noted
CEO Bob Hartnett, reported USA Today. Full
Story
Health News
Individuals who ate half a bar of chocolate a week had
lower blood pressure and a 39% lower risk of heart attacks
and strokes, according to a study published in the European
Heart Journal, reported BBC News. Full
Story
Getting crucial nutrients from
food, when possible, is better than taking supplements,
according to nutrition experts, reported HealthDay.
Full
Story
Washington News
EPA will look to add bisphenol A (BPA) to EPA's list of
chemicals of concern and require testing related to environmental
effects. Full
Story
No stationary sources will be required to get Clean Air
Act permits that cover greenhouse gases before January
2011, stated EPA. Full
Story
Walgreens
received regulatory clearance from FTC to acquire Duane
Reade. Walgreens expects to complete the acquisition in early
to mid-April. Full
Story

Pacific
Ethanol, Inc.'s wholly-owned subsidiary Pacific Ethanol
Holding Co. LLC filed a Plan of Reorganization and related
draft Disclosure Statement with the U.S. Bankruptcy Court
in Delaware. Full
Story
Perfect Candy & Packaging Co. initiated a voluntary recall
of its Whole Black Peppercorns as they may be contaminated
with Salmonella. Full
Story
Modern Products, Inc. initiated a voluntary recall
of various seasoning products in relation to the Hydrolyzed
Vegetable Protein recall from Basic Food Flavors. Full
Story
FDA will hold a public meeting to provide information
to individuals and groups interested in nominating or
serving as voting and nonvoting consumer representatives to
FDA advisory committees and panels. The public meeting will
be held on Apr. 30 in Rockville, MD. Full
Notice
USDA awarded the Application Transformation and Modernization
System Integrator Blanket Purchase Agreement contract to SRA,
International. Full
Story
Global News
Yum! Brands aims to more than quadruple the total number
of Pizza Hut, KFC and Taco Bell stores in India over the
next five years to 1,000 restaurants, with Taco Bell expected
to grow to between 50 and 100 branches during that time, according
to Graham Allan, president of Yum!'s international division.
Yum! Brands Inc.'s first Taco Bell restaurant, opened Mar.
16, attracts an average of 2,000 to 2,500 customers daily,
reported The Wall Street Journal. Full
Story (WSJ Subscription Required)
McDonald's Corp. may boost investment in Asia by at least
20% this year as consumer spending recovers. The company
will invest $415 million in Asia, the Middle East and Africa
this year to add 520 restaurants, stated Tim Fenton, head
of the chain's regional business. Spending in the region was
about $350 million in 2009. McDonald's may "aggressively
start expansion" in South Korea, where comparable sales
growth has been "double-digit" in the past four
years, noted the executive, reported Bloomberg.com.
Full
Story Meanwhile, McDonald's Inc. opened the first Hamburger
University in China to train new managers in the company's
fastest-growing global market. The school, located in Shanghai,
aims to have 5,000 graduates over the next five years, reported
The Associated Press. Full
Story
Market News
Sanderson Farms, Inc. plans to open a new $94 million
poultry complex near Goldsboro, NC. The project will consist
of an expansion of the feed mill for the company's Kinston,
NC plant; a hatchery; a processing plant with capacity to
process 1.25 million chickens per week; and a waste water
treatment facility. Full
Story
An initial six-week mission to catch Asian carp near the
Great Lakes turned up none of the fish, suggesting few
if any have eluded an electric barrier designed to block their
path to Lake Michigan, officials stated, reported The Associated
Press. Full
Story
Cargill plans to install remote video auditing technology
in its four turkey operations later this year, according
to a presentation at the American Meat Institute's Animal
Care & Handling Conference, reported Meat & Poultry.
Full
Story (Free Registration Required)
USDA will release its Agricultural Prices report on
Mar. 30 at 3:00 p.m. EST. View
Report
The Federal Crop Insurance Corporation finalized the Common
Crop Insurance Regulations, Basic Provisions, Small Grains
Crop Insurance Provisions, Coarse Grains Crop Insurance Provisions
and others to provide revenue protection and yield protection.
The amended provisions replace the Crop Revenue Coverage,
Income Protection, Indexed Income Protection, and the Revenue
Assurance plans of insurance. The action is intended to offer
producers revenue protection or yield protection within one
Basic Provision. Full
Notice
The Federal Crop Insurance Corporation also finalized
the Common Crop Insurance Regulations concerning Florida
Avocado Crop Insurance Provisions to convert the Florida avocado
pilot crop insurance program to a permanent insurance program
for the 2011 and succeeding crop years. Full
Notice
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