Harvey Fresh, a leading manufacturer in Western Australia of dairy products, fruit juices and wine, has announced its acquisition of juice processor Nugan Quality Foods. Harvey Fresh says the move will allow it to capitalize on a “booming export market” for fruit and vegetable juices from Australia into South-East Asia. The acquisition also comes at a time when Harvey Fresh is extending its profile in the fresh fruit juice sector, despite competing against imports from South American and New... ...Read more »

While Australian Food News yesterday reported the strong performance of Coles fresh produce division, the quarterly figures reported by parent company Wesfarmers show that Coles Express non-fuel sales declined by 1.4 percent for the quarter compared with Woolworths positive 4.9 percent increase from the previous year. Meanwhile Coles’ fuel sales for the second quarter ended December 31, 2011, were $2.1 billion, an increase of 16.3 percent on the previous corresponding period. Coles’ Ian Mcleod... ...Read more »

One of Australia’s leading research companies, Roy Morgan Research has released its first, “Supermarket and Fresh Food Currency Report”. The Supermarket and Fresh Food Currency Report tracks numbers of customers by the supermarket they shop at, total dollar spent in each supermarket, and also these details as a percentage of total market spend dollars. The report also contains historical context such as trends reaching back to 2003. These show increases in fields such as cross-visitation being... ...Read more »

In announcing its second quarter retail sales results for the 2012 financial year today, Wesfarmers has expressed pleasure with the continuing strong growth of its subsidiary Coles. Coles is one of Australia’s two major supermarket groups. Coles’ first half-year’s sales this financial year were $13.6 billion, a 4.9 percent increase on the previous year. Wesfarmers’ managing director, David Goyder said, “Given a relatively tough retail environment and widespread deflation, I am pleased... ...Read more »

Coles supermarkets have launched a new marketing campaign around Australia promoting low prices for domestic fresh fruit and vegetables. The Coles campaign takes advantage of a current glut in fresh produce around Australia. However the campaign also signals greater competition for the “fresh” descriptor crossing into the marketing cornerstone of its major competitor, Woolworths. Over the past decade, Woolworths has branded itself by the slogan “Woolworths – the Fresh Food people”. Hence,... ...Read more »

New Zealand based Cookie Time Limited (CTL) and Australian health-food giant Sanitarium have partnered in a major licensing deal to launch CTL’s new ‘breakthrough’ meal bar, ‘One Square Meal’, into the Australian market. The product features New Zealand’s famed manuka honey. The One Square Meal is described as “the total meal to go”, consisting of one-third of the recommended daily intake of energy, protein, carbohydrates, good fats and dietary fibre. The meal bar is presented in... ...Read more »

Australian supermarket shoppers continue to rank Aldi as top in providing customer satisfaction out of all the Australian supermarkets. This is according to the latest survey findings from the Australian market research company Roy Morgan. Roy Morgan surveyed the views of 7,533 Australian grocery buyers in the six months to November 2011. Aldi gained in customer satisfaction for the fifth month in a row with 94 per cent of those surveyed saying they were “completely” or “somewhat” satisfied... ...Read more »

Australian ASX-listed company Warrnambool Cheese and Butter (WBC) today announced the signing of a five year deal to supply dairy products to Coles Supermarkets under a new consumer brand. The new brand, called ‘Great Ocean Road’, will be sold exclusively through Coles stores across Australian and includes a range of cheddar cheeses and fresh milk products. In a statement released today, WCB said it will work with Coles to formalise the agreement into a contract. Under the supply contract,... ...Read more »

The exponential increase in the number of shopping trolleys (or shopping carts, as Americans prefer to call them) that litter Australian streets has forced the supermarket operators to find new recovery strategies. In addition to being eyesores, especially when dumped in enviro-sensitive areas such as alongside streams or in nearby recreational bushland spaces, governments consider these trolleys as a hazard to pedestrians and traffic.  In some Australian jurisdictions, laws have been passed to... ...Read more »

The NSW Food Authority today advised that Coles Supermarkets Limited is recalling batches of their chicken and vegetable pies sold in NSW and interstate in Coles, Bi-Lo and Pick N Pay supermarkets. The batches are being recalled because of the possible presence of bone pieces. The recalled product is: Coles Chicken and Vegetable Pies, 4 pack in 700g plastic packaging, with ‘best before’ dates 18 MAR 13 and 19 MAR 13. The recall applies only to the above batches of the product and dates. Consumers... ...Read more »