March 30, 2011

 IGA Awards of Excellence Perspective

IGA>D NSW Takes Home the Global LDC of the Year President's Cup

A message to the Alliance from...
Mark Batenic
IGA CEO

On Monday evening, IGA capped off the IGA Global Rally in Vancouver by celebrating the success of our Alliance at the IGA Awards of Excellence Ceremony. A number of awards were presented to members of the Alliance, including the Licensed Distribution Companies who serve IGA's Retailers around the globe. Today, IGA CEO Mark Batenic announces the winner of the IGA Global LDC of the Year President's Cup.

Each of our IGA Licensed Distribution Companies (LDCs) has a vital role to play, providing services far beyond that of supplying food. They work with IGA Retailers to foster the regional connections that make the IGA Brand strong, and IGA stores the "preferred place to shop" in communities across the world. This year we honored an Australian LDC-- IGA>D New South Wales/ACT—as the IGA Global LDC of the Year.

Even in the face of increasing competition in its retail market, IGA>D NSW stood its ground, managing to retain robust sales. In fact, in the last 18 months leading up to October 2010, this LDC reported an 8.3 percent sales growth, substantially higher than the 3.2 and 5.9 percent reported by its closest competitors.

The company attributes these results to the hard work and effectiveness of its IGA Retailers, and its focus on a number of key initiatives, including:

  • Growth and development of IGA membership, with 16 new stores opening in the last year;
  • Promoting operational excellence through retail standard appraisals;
  • Driving growth of IGA Signature product ranges, which has resulted in a 79 percent increase of IGA branded products in the warehouses in past months;
  • And the introduction of the "How the Locals Like It" marketing campaign highlighting community involvement.

Congratulations to NSW General Manager Derek Lundberg and the whole NSW team, and thanks to Metcash's Andrew Reitzer and John MacLaren for being on hand to accept the award.

From left to right: Tom Haggai, John MacLaren, Andrew Reitzer, and Mark Batenic

Thanks,

Mark Batenic

 


Retail News

About $6.5 billion of Aldi's revenue stems from sales in the U.S., according to the president of consulting firm Customer Growth Partners. In addition, "they're not only doing the small format more rapidly, but they're getting into the urban areas more rapidly than either Wal-Mart Express or the city Targets," noted the executive. About 95% of its goods bear a private label, reported The New York Times on the Web. Full Story (Free Registration Required)

Wal-Mart shoppers are more likely to be young, multicultural and not college-educated, according to the company's EVP of food merchandising, who spoke at Western Michigan University's Food Marketing Conference. Their values are centered on "family, finances and community," the EVP noted, reported MLive.com. Full Story (Free Registration Required) New! The Food Institute will present Shopper Insights: Actionable or Academic?, a webinar scheduled for 12 p.m. (EST) Apr. 6. The webinar will feature Nadine Hernandez, Director, Shopper Insights Worldwide Industry Marketing, DemandTec and Roy White, Business Development Executive, RetailWire, and provide detailed results of an in-depth survey addressing Shopper Insights, including, but not limited to the role of Shopper Insights in collaboration and the relative value of Shopper Insights to trade participants.

Retail News: An Associated Supermarkets-affiliated investor group purchased a 16,000-sq. ft. building in Harlem, NY for $6.5 million, reported Crain's New York Business. Full Story (Free Registration Required) ... Giant Food and Stop & Shop launched a mobile app for iPhone and Android devices that syncs with customer loyalty cards. Full Story

New Store News: Target Corp. is in talks with the Chicago Housing Authority to build a store at the site of a former housing project, reported Chicago Breaking Business. Full Story ... Publix Super Markets will open a location in Lake Worth, FL on Apr. 28, reported Palm Beach Post. Full Story (Free Registration Required) ... New Seasons Market will open a 40,000-sq. ft. store in Vancouver, WA at the end of the year, reported OregonLive.com. Full Story (Free Registration Required)

Manufacturer News

An ingredient used to make bricks shows promise as a transparent coating for improving the strength and performance of plastic food packaging, according to a presentation at the 241st National Meeting and Exposition of the American Chemical Society. Called "nano-bricks," the film coating could help foods and beverages stay fresh and flavorful longer and may replace some foil packaging currently in use. Full Story

Teens and moms are key targets for Coca-Cola's Fanta brand, and the beverage is particularly popular with multicultural teens. This segment is drinking Fanta two times more than the average teen and, in the U.S., two-thirds of the brand's volume is attributed to multicultural teens, reported Advertising Age. Full Story (Free Registration Required)

New Product News: Hansen's Beverage Company and Truvia launched Hansen's Natural Fruit Stix and Tea Stix in five flavors. Full Story ... Mars Chocolate will debut revamped Kudos granola bars this May. Kudos will don flavors from M&M's, Dove and Snickers in a 10-count pack and a 30-count variety pack, reported Retailing Today. Full Story (Free Registration Required)

Massimo Zanetti Beverage USA, Inc. acquired certain assets of the Kauai Coffee Company, Inc., a former subsidiary of Alexander & Baldwin, Inc. While the company will oversee operations of Kauai Coffee's 3,000 acre plantation and processing facilities and market the Kauai Coffee brand globally, parent Massimo Zanetti Beverage Group will distribute the coffee internationally through its subsidiary system. Full Story Register Now! The Food Institute will present Mergers and Acquisitions in the Food Industry: "The Art of the Deal". The webinar, to be held 12 p.m. (EST) Apr. 12, will feature Karen G. Bokat, Consulting Council, Wiley Rein LLP and Mary L. Burke, Principal, Lakeshore Food Advisors, LLC. Those who sign up for the webinar will have the opportunity to purchase an electronic copy of the just-published Food Business Mergers and Acquisitions book from the Food Institute for only $199 (regularly $295).

Lance Sandwich Crackers joined the National Salt Reduction Initiative (NSRI), agreeing to lower the amount of sodium in 13 of its sandwich cracker varieties to meet the NSRI guidelines by 2012. Full Story

City Brewing Co. is buying a Hardy Bottling Co. plant from the Memphis-Shelby County Industrial Development Board for $30 million, reported TwinCities.com. Full Story (Free Registration Required)

Foodservice News

Performance Food Group is expanding its 80,000-sq. ft. distribution facility in Springfield, MO. The expansion will add 35,000-sq. ft. to the current facility, which serves over 1,500 customers throughout a nine state area which includes pizzerias, Italian and Mexican restaurants and regional chains. Full Story

Private investment firm Argonne Capital Group, LLC's affiliate, Peak Restaurant Group, LLC, acquired the restaurant assets, operations and franchise rights to 40 IHOP restaurants located in seven states. Also, an affiliate formed by Argonne, Neighborhood Restaurant Partners, acquired eight Applebee's Neighborhood Grill & Bar restaurants located in San Antonio, TX previously owned by an Applebee's franchisee. Full Story NEW! Place your order for The Food Institute's new Food Business Mergers & Acquisitions 2010 book to receive a comprehensive look at the most significant deals of the previous year and view into what 2011 may bring. To order and for more information, click here.

Restaurant Roundup: More than half of Olive Garden's 700-plus restaurants across the U.S. will undergo either an interior or exterior design refresh inspired by farmhouses in Tuscany, Italy. Full Story ... Planet Smoothie launched Planet Light, over 20 smoothies under 300 calories and sweetened with LeanLeaf, Planet Smoothie's proprietary sweetener made from a blend of Agave and Stevia plants. Full Story

Washington News

The Supreme Court reportedly appears ready to block a discrimination lawsuit against Wal-Mart on behalf of up to 1.6 million women, with several justices suggesting that they were troubled by the case and lower court decisions against Wal-Mart, reported The Associated Press. Full Story, Walmart Statement

The Department of Justice reached a settlement with Dean Foods Company that requires Dean to divest a significant milk processing plant in Waukesha, WI and related assets that it acquired from the Foremost Farms USA Cooperative, including the Golden Guernsey brand name. The proposed settlement also requires that Dean notify the department before it makes any future acquisition of milk processing plants for which the purchase price is more than $3 million. Full Story

A federal judge in Miami granted class certification in a false advertising class action lawsuit involving YoPlus digestive health yogurt manufactured and sold by General Mills and Yoplait USA. The class action complaint alleges that General Mills has no scientific support for the YoPlus digestive health advertising claims. Full Story

A consortium of U.S. organic farmers and seed dealers filed suit against Monsanto, challenging the company's patents on its genetically modified seeds. The group is seeking a ruling that would prohibit Monsanto from suing the farmers or dealers if their organic seed becomes contaminated with Monsanto's patented biotech seed germplasm, reported Reuters. Full Story

Tennessee House Democrats are proposing to cut the state's 5.5% tax on groceries by putting a higher tax on sugary soft drinks. Under the proposal, the state would boost the tax on soft drinks by one cent per fluid ounce, reported Bloomberg Businessweek. Full Story

California is proposing the creation of a California Apiary Research Commission that would tax any beekeeper with more than 50 colonies of bees at a rate of up to $1 per hive. Beekeepers must approve the proposal in a summer referendum for it to take effect, reported The Associated Press. Full Story

Completely Fresh Foods Inc. issued a voluntary recall of approximately 131,000-lbs. of pizza products because the products contain an allergen, wheat. Full Story

Global News

Mexico's sugar exports are expected to reach a record high this season after a freeze in the U.S. and Mexico's increasing consumption of high fructose corn syrup. The country plans to export 1.3 million metric tons of sugar during the current crop cycle, up 73% from 2009 to 2010, reported NASDAQ. Full Story

A Toronto council committee rejected a proposal to phase out soda and other sugary drinks on city property, voting down a recommendation to stock vending machines solely with healthful beverages within three years. The government management committee voted instead to maintain current levels of soda and energy drinks in vending machines at about 50%, reported The Globe and Mail. Full Story (Free Registration Required)

Russian meat producer Cherkizovo reached an agreement to acquire a 100% stake in Russia-based meat producer ZAO Mosselprom. The transaction is subject to mandatory inspection and approval by the Federal Antimonopoly Service of Russia. Full Story

Japan is testing soil samples from farmland in prefectures hit by radiation leakage to assess whether crops can be planted there. The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries plans to complete testing of 150 samples by mid-April, when rice growers in the region are scheduled to start sowing, reported Bloomberg.com. Full Story

DuPont's wholly owned subsidiary DuPont Denmark Holding ApS is extending the tender offer period relating to its acquisition of Danisco A/S shares by four weeks. The extension provides additional time to secure the necessary approvals from the competition authorities in the EU and China. Full Story

The board of Parmalat will meet on Apr. 1 to decide whether to give Italy investors more time to reach a deal with France's Lactalis, reported Reuters. Ferrero remains open to an all-Italian deal for Parmalat, denying a report that it walked away from talks. Full Story

Grocery sales in Britain rose 2% year-on-year in the four weeks to Mar. 19, almost half the rate of the previous four weeks, according to Nielsen, reported Reuters. Full Story

Starting in April, dairy retailers in China will be required to apply for one of two types of licenses, one allowing them to sell dairy products that contain baby formula and the other to sell formula-free dairy products, reported China Daily. Full Story

Market News

Commercial processors utilized 160 million-lbs. of shelled edible grade peanuts during February. Utilization by type was 95.7 million-lbs. for all peanut butter products, 29.7 million-lbs. for peanut candy, and 33.7 million-lbs. for peanut snacks. Crushing for oil and cake and meal totaled 34.7 million-lbs. during the month. Peanut Stock and Processing Report

USDA will release its Agricultural Prices report on Mar. 30 at 3:00 p.m. EST. View Details

A late March hailstorm should not cripple this season's Vidalia onion harvest, grower-shippers report in early estimates. The hail affected 2,000 acres, with 650 to 1,000 acres sustaining moderate to severe damage, stated the manager of the Vidalia Onion Business Council, reported The Packer Online. Full Story

Seedway is working to develop seed varieties that capitalize on the various climates in the East Coast. The vegetable seed distributor plans five seed trials during the upcoming growing season, reported The Packer Online. Full Story

The Florida Department of Agriculture expanded quarantine and pesticide zones after finding a fifth Mediterranean fruit fly in Pompano Beach. The quarantine now covers 71 square miles in northeast Broward County, reported Miami Herald. Full Story (Free Registration Required)

APHIS is adding new approved phytosanitary treatment schedules to the Plant Protection and Quarantine Treatment Manual for certain species of citrus fruit imported from Australia into the U.S. Full Notice

EPA is taking public comments on a request from the Migrant Clinicians Network and other farm worker interest groups to require all pesticide labels be available in both English and Spanish. The agency will consider public comments submitted until June 28 before responding to the petitioners. Full Notice

 

 
2011 IGA Global Rally

A special thanks to our 2011 IGA Global Rally sponsors!

Coca-Cola
 

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