Retail News
For the fifth straight month, consumer expenditures for
food-at-home declined during July versus the prior month,
according to exclusive Food Institute analysis of government
data released this week. At the same time, "real"
or deflated sales of food at grocery stores were down again
during July versus the same month last year and were virtually
unchanged from 2009 levels through the seven months ended
Aug. 1. Full
Story (FI Membership Required)
Some 24% of North American consumers actively buy organics,
according to a survey from Nielsen. Organic products are most
popular in Asia Pacific (47%), Latin America at 45% and Middle
East/Africa/Pakistan at 43%. Environmental and social considerations
whet the North American appetite for organics, making it the
region most likely to buy organics to avoid toxins (71%),
promote environmentally-friendly organic farms (59%), help
small farmers (58%), avoid genetically-modified products (45%),
do the right thing (38%) and vote against modern farming methods
(23%). Full
Story
Whole Foods will introduce a private-label line in 2011
based on the healthy eating book The Engine 2 Diet.
Products will be vegan with no canola or safflower oils, and
low in sugar and salt. The company's new animal welfare rating
program will be in all stores by Jan. 1. By Sept. 1, the company
will have transparency on all species of seafood sold in a
partnership with the Monterey Bay Aquarium and the Blue Ocean
Institute. Meanwhile, the company is looking at additional
locations in Canada, according to CEO John Mackey, reported
USA Today. Full
Story
Tesoro Corporation agreed to acquire existing Shell-branded
wholesale supply contracts in North Dakota, South Dakota,
Minnesota, Utah and most of Idaho, which represent approximately
300 Shell-branded stations. Tesoro may also grow the Shell
brand through retail stations in these areas under the terms
of the agreement. Full
Story
Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc.'s tender offer to acquire
all of the outstanding shares of common stock of Casey's General
Stores, Inc. will now expire at 5:00 p.m. (EST)
Sept. 30. Full
Story
Meijer launched its digital coupon program called
mPerks. Full
Story
Balducci's is eyeing several locations for small, quick-service
stores as well as a 10,000-sq. ft. flagship after exiting
New York City last year. Balducci's currently operates six
locations in New York state, Connecticut, Virginia and Maryland,
along with three quick-service shops at JFK International
Airport, and is planning to open as many as three small midtown
locations starting in the fall, ranging from 1,000-sq. ft.
to 2,000-sq. ft. in size, reported Crain's New York Business.
Full
Story (Free Registration Required)
New Seasons Market rolled out a loyalty program for employees,
reported OregonLive.com. Full
Story (Free Registration Required)
New Store News: An Albertsons supermarket in
San Diego set to open Sept. 1 will generate 90% of its electricity
from clean power made on-site from a fuel cell. Full
Story
Manufacturer News
George Weston Ltd is buying Keystone Bakeries
for $185 million through its subsidiary, Maplehurst Bakeries.
Keystone Bakeries is made up of Freed's Bakery, Granny's Kitchens
and Heartland Baking, reported Reuters. Full
Story
The Coca-Cola Foundation donated $250,000
to the American Indian College Fund. Full
Story
New Product News: ConAgra Foods'
introduced Marie Callender's Fresh Flavor Steamer frozen entrees.
Full
Story ... Newman's Own introduced Pomegranate Lemonade.
Full
Story ... Wegmans will introduce Wegmans Super
Pasta in five varieties. Full
Story
Foodservice News
Logan's Roadhouse, Inc. reached a definitive agreement
to be acquired by an affiliate of Kelso & Company. Logan's
operates 188 company-owned and 26 franchised restaurants in
23 states. Full
Story
The purchasing agent for Yum! Brands Inc. Unified Foodservice
Purchasing Co-op LLC signed a distribution deal with McLane
Foodservice Inc. to be the exclusive provider of products
to Yum's A&W, KFC, Long John Silver's, Pizza Hut and Taco
Bell restaurants, reported Business First of Louisville.
Full
Story (Free Registration Required)
Edible Arrangements is expanding in the Pittsburgh, PA-area.
A franchisee retail brokerage manager believes the area could
eventually handle eight locations, reported Pittsburgh
Business Times. Full
Story (Free Registration Required)
Dawson Holdings, LP has taken a 15% equity stake in the
Tootie Pie Company. Full
Story
Health News
Drinking even moderate amounts of alcohol may raise the
risk for breast cancer recurrence in some women, according
to research published in Journal of Clinical Oncology,
reported HealthDay. Full
Story
Washington News
FDA inspection found numerous violations at Hillandale
Farms and Wright County Egg in Iowa, including signs of wild
birds, maggots and flies. Hillandale
Inspection Report, Wright
County Egg Report
Nine Max & Erma's restaurants closed due to rent concessions
that were not met. The closings leave the chain with 52 company-owned
restaurants and 26 franchised locations, reported Business
First of Columbus. Full
Story (Free Registration Required)
Global News
Smashburger partnered with consulting service Bridging
Culture Worldwide to lead its expansion into South Korea
and sign its first South Korean multi unit franchise development
agreement in 2011. Full
Story
Global Franchise Group, LLC's subsidiary for the Marble
Slab Creamery brand signed a master franchise agreement
with Miteco Pacific for its expansion into Australia, calling
for the development of at least 30 Marble Slab Creamery stores
over a 10-year term. Full
Story
Subway could double the number of its franchised food-to-go
operations in convenience stores in the UK and Ireland
over the next two years, reported Independent Retail News.
"I can see it going up to a couple of hundred by the end of
2012," stated Paul Heyes, Subway's development manager. Full
Story
Market News
Peanut stocks reported in commercial storage on July 31
totaled 1.83 billion-lbs. of equivalent farmer stock,
compared with 2.13 billion-lbs. a year ago. Utilization by
type was 106 million-lbs. for all peanut butter products,
28.7 million-lbs. for peanut candy and 33.7 million-lbs. for
snack peanuts. Peanut
Stocks and Processing Report
The annual Farm Progress Show commenced as unease over
continued consolidation in the agricultural market remains,
coinciding with rising crop prices, expectations of a near-record
U.S. crop harvest and a booming export market for the U.S.,
reported The Wall Street Journal. While farmers worldwide
are moving towards the "Big Ag" model of intensive farming,
the domestic sector is rethinking its operations after bouts
of food inflation and ongoing consolidation make agriculture
a focus of antitrust regulators. Full
Story (WSJ Subscription Required)
USDA will release its Agricultural Prices report on
Aug. 31 at 3:00 p.m. EST. View
Report
Cocoa may decline by as much as 12% by the end of October
after falling through this year's support level, according
to a technical analysis by independent analyst Jim Stellakis,
reported Bloomberg BusinessWeek. Full
Story
USDA's Risk Management Agency (RMA) will offer an organic
price election for four crops during the 2011 production
year. RMA is also eliminating a current 5% surcharge for organic
crops insured under 10 crop insurance programs. Full
Story
FAS will charge a fee of $150 for the 2011 tariff-rate
quota year for each license issued to a person or firm
authorized by USDA for the importation of certain dairy articles
subject to tariff-rate quotas. Full
Notice
An associate professor of food science at Purdue University
developed a system that detected E. coli in ground beef
in one hour using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy.
Full
Story
NMFS proposed specific measures for the implementation
of Amendments 20 and 21 to the Pacific Coast Groundfish
Fishery Management Plan, which would establish a trawl rationalization
program for the Pacific Coast groundfish fishery and establish
fixed allocations for limited entry trawl participants. Full
Notice
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