Breaking News on Food Marketing and Retailing

Kraft cuts 8,000 jobs to offset spiralling costs

US manufacturer Kraft Foods has announced a massive extension to its three-year restructuring plan that will see a further 8,000 jobs and 20 production plants go, as the company absorbs rising energy and ingredient costs.

India cautiously alters retail investment laws

The Indian government has relaxed outdated foreign direct investment (FDI) laws to grant limited entry to overseas companies, but has failed to please domestic policy makers or global supermarket chains.

Weekly Comment

Time to ditch the FFQ

Little wonder consumers are confused about which foods are good for them, and which bad, when scientists use methods with almost no chance of meaningful results.

Junk food marketers target kids with dirty tricks

Snack food advertisers should be banned from targeting children with underhand advertising campaigns that parents are oblivious to, says a new report.

Kraft set for major reshuffle

Kraft Foods has announced plans for a major European reshuffle and a string of acquisitions, as US parent company Altria segregates the food producer from its ailing tobacco subsidiary.

European supermarket sales to break €1,000 billion mark

Food retail sales in all leading European countries are growing at a historic rate with Hungarian and Czech Republic markets leading the way, says new report.

Price war "just the beginning" for ambitious Asda

Britain's second largest supermarket Asda has announced a £102 million investment to lower prices on key products so far this year, turning up the heat on rival chains.

UK's large retailers increase bill paying period

The UK's largest food retailers last year increased the time they take to pay their bills by seven days, putting more pressure on their suppliers.

Brand erosion threatens famous labels

Private label popularity is challenging the reign of famous brands, leaving European manufacturers with a tricky dilemma: should they produce more private labels to recover profits or adapt their trademarked goods to meet changing consumer needs?

Waste reduction key to manufacturing success

Food manufacturers could save up to £1,000 per employee by using more effective waste management techniques, says UK-based environmental agency Envirowise.

Albertsons finally settles on $17.4 billion sale

Following months of price disputes Albertsons supermarket chain has agreed to sell the entire company to a syndicate, consisting of rivals Supervalu, CVS and investor group Cerberus Capital.

Managing new retail risk requires different focus, says report

The changing nature of risk in global retail is forcing companies to move away from traditional financial risk assessment to address a different set of issues, says a new report.

Demand for exotic fruits set to increase in 2006, report

Exotic fruits, white tea and small plates and bites are set to become more popular with consumers this year, as more people opt for "healthy," "fashionable" and "adventurous" foods, says a new report.

Weekly Comment

Food miles leave a bitter taste

The organic food movement has been hijacked by supermarkets intent on being seen to be green, but their disrespect of food miles shows they are anything but.

PepsiCo dives into functional drinks with Ardea

PepsiCo's bottling arm has bought up US functional drinks maker Ardea Beverage, as the iconic soft drinks firm positions itself for growth on the functional drinks market.

Nestlé takes global ice cream lead

Nestlé says it has opened up a clear lead on the global ice cream market after getting full ownership of US firm Dreyer's and successfully tapping into health and convenience trends.

UK off-licences move to defend position

Britain's largest off-licence chain Threshers will transform a third of its stores into franchises and rival Bargain Booze has been sold to venture capitalists as supermarket dominance takes its toll.

Speculation mounts over sale of Chinese retailer

Foreign retailers eyeing China may be tempted by the alleged sale of Trust-mart, the country's largest foreign-owned retailer, but with a $2 billion price tag only global leaders need apply.

Heinz sells unwanted HP brands

Iconic food manufacturer Heinz is selling several recently-acquired HP brands in a move welcomed by the UK's Competition Committee (CC).

Golden Wonder's January sale

Following last week's collapse of British snack maker Golden Wonder, more than 60 prospective buyers have approached the administrators hoping to acquire the rights to some of Britain's most well known crisp brands.

Tesco sales top analyst predictions

Once again Tesco has outperformed its rivals, enjoying strong Christmas sales on core food items and substantial growth in non-food sales despite rising energy costs.

EC puts money into promotion of EU food products

The EC's approval of a €25.5 million programme to support the promotion of agricultural products reflects growing concern over global competition.

Northern Foods slashes profit forecast

UK-based Northern Foods has issued a profit warning after failing to offset rising production costs with necessary price hikes.

Rewe may ditch Poland retail market

Speculation is mounting that Rewe, Europe's fourth largest retailer, will pull its supermarkets out of Poland following an influx of foreign retailers.

Handy packaging drives snacking mega-trend

Manufacturers must adapt an innovative packaging design and marketing approach to tap burgeoning consumer demand for on-the-go snacking, says report.

UK premium food retailers report bumper Christmas sales

Marks & Spencer and Waitrose have both posted healthy Christmas sales figures reflecting the upsurge in premium retailing in the UK.

Migration trend continues as Carrefour's international profits soar

French retail chain Carrefour has translated overseas success into a total year-end sales growth of 6.1 per cent - a pattern echoed across the European food industry.

Global retailers invade China's regional cities

Attracted by the promise of record sales and growing household consumption, Western retailers are flocking to China's provincial cities - but what success will they have?

Morrisons slashes 1,600 more jobs

Morrisons' planned closure of two distribution depots in the UK is the latest consequence of the fumbled Safeway takeover.

Metro results bolstered by strong international sales

German food retailer Metro Group today announced a fourth-quarter sales rise of 3.9 per cent, as sturdy international sales supported a poor domestic performance.

Findus sale linked to top UK seafood company

Capvest, the owner of the UK's largest seafood company Young's Bluecrest, is looking to take over frozen foods giant Findus.

Golden Wonder gone for good

Renowned UK crisp manufacturer Golden Wonder has filed for bankruptcy following more than a decade of disappointing sales and lack of direction.

UK retailers slam underage drinking crackdown

Retailers say they are being used as a scapegoat by the government, which is failing to tackle underage drinking.

Sluggish growth as Premier Foods takes position

Premier Foods has delivered slow 2005 interim trading results after acquisitions strengthened total grocery sales but failed to bolster like-for-like sales growth.

Tesco shuns US retail graveyard for China

Tesco CEO Sir Timothy Leahy has ended months of speculation by revealing expansion plans that rule out the notoriously difficult US market in favour of the unregulated Far East.

Canterbury Foods CEO scoops profitable assets from failed firm

Just days after the demise of bankrupt meat manufacturer Canterbury Foods, the former managing director has bought up the remaining productive processing plants under his new Medway Foods banner.

Which? slams retailers over shoddy chicken sandwiches

Consumer watchdog Which? has revealed that most readymade chicken sandwiches contain a hidden blend of additives - but Food Standards Agency (FSA) chicken labelling policy lacks muscle to enforce better practice.

Delhaize slashes prices to maintain market share

Delhaize has cut the price of 1,000 products in an attempt to fight back in the Belgian retail price war with discounters and foreign rivals.

Rewe to boost international activities

Rewe, Europe's fourth largest retailer, has revealed ambitious plans to increase its market share and expand internationally using its €1billion investment budget for 2006.

Majestic toasts Christmas sales record

Leading UK-based wine merchant Majestic Wines enjoyed a 10.4 per cent sales boost this Christmas, citing consumer demand for premium products as the key to success.

Carrefour in legal bind with supply chain

Talks between global retail giant Carrefour and its suppliers are underway as new French legislation governing backroom deals and pricing strategy hits the statute books.

Canterbury Foods finally folds

British food manufacturer Canterbury Foods today announced the sale of three factories as PricewaterhouseCoopers (PWC) steps in to take control of the ailing business.

Unwins stores up for grabs

The race is on in the UK for those hoping to get their hands on Unwins remaining 150 off-licences, following the company's collapse last month.

EU consumers health-savvy, claims Tate & Lyle

European consumers have become more concerned about healthy eating over the past two years and are now much more sceptical about company claims, according to research from Tate & Lyle.

Manufacturers must work to fight private label threat, warns report

The global private label goods trend will continue to enjoy record expansion and eat into famous brand profits if manufacturers fail to adopt winning strategies to combat competition, say analysts.

Ahold reshuffle brings extra Q4 charges and job cuts

Dutch retailing giant Ahold will axe 700 jobs from its US operations as restructuring costs see more than $50 million in charges added to fourth quarter results.

UK supermarkets to kill off independents within 10 years

Independent retailers and wholesalers could vanish from the UK within a decade because of the growing domination of leading supermarkets, MPs warn.