A panel of experts and industry commentators on the United States’ private label sector, brought together by the U.S. Private Label Manufacturer’s Association, has cast its predictions for the sector in 2012. Many of the experts believe that 2012 will see American food retailers attempting to condense their stores, with urban centres becoming the prime location for locating new stores. Food Retail Industry Consultant Michael Sansolo, who is also senior vice president of the U.S. Food Marketing... ...Read more »

This article has been written as a special briefing for Australian Food News readers on an important topic. The author Joe Lederman is the Managing Principal of FOODLEGAL.  He is  both a specialist lawyer and strategic consultant for food suppliers. He has expertise in food regulatory compliance and marketing law and is involved in all food sectors.   Experts from the World Health Organisation and the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation are warning governments around the world... ...Read more »

Cookbooks and lifestyle magazines were amongst the top-selling items in Australian newsagencies during the lead-up to Christmas 2011, according to anecdotal reports emanating from a number of sources including various shops, blogs and advertising media websites monitored by Australian Food News during December 2011. There have been concerns about long-term viability for newsagencies reliant on newspapers and magazines competing against growth in on-line publications. However, the indications were... ...Read more »

Australia’s leading online commerce enablers are predicting this week will be the busiest online shopping week Australia has ever seen. PayPal, eBay and Australia Post have forecast their busiest online shopping day this year will be on Sunday 11 December 2011. According to PayPal’s Secure Insights report, eBay, PayPal and Australia Post predict a surge in spending this week as Australian consumers seek to save time and money by shopping for this year’s Christmas presents online... ...Read more »

A UK-based independent research organisation, has predicted the food and drink trends set to make an impact in 2012. The top 10 food and drink trends identified by Leatherhead Food Research are: Health and wellness  Leatherhead say that health and wellness is a trend which has had an over-arching influence on the developments of the food and beverage industry in recent years and this influence is set to continue into 2012. Key priorities for companies will include the continued efforts to meet guidelines... ...Read more »

Research findings published today by market researcher Newspoll suggest that almost half of Australians are ‘supermarket grazers’, who admit helping themselves to free produce while shopping in supermarkets. In Newspoll’s nationwide online survey of 1,214 adults between the ages of 18 and 64, almost half (46 per cent) of respondents said they taste food in the supermarket without paying for it. Younger Australians appeared to be the main culprits with the research suggesting that 18-34 year... ...Read more »

A market report on Australia’s packaged food sector from market research consultancy Euromonitor predicts that ongoing economic uncertainty and weak consumer confidence could provide Australia’s packaged food retailers with enhanced opportunities to grow retail volume sales. Euromonitor’s ‘Packaged Food in Australia’ market report, released yesterday, says the packaged food industry displayed resilience against lowered consumer confidence following the global financial crisis of 2008 and... ...Read more »

The proportion of grocery products sold on promotion in the UK has hit an “all time high”, according to the latest data from research firm Nielsen. UK grocery sales witnessed a “dramatic” slowdown in March prompting the sector to employ “powerful” promotions in order to maintain sales, Nielsen claimed yesterday. “Shoppers are responding well to powerful promotions and we are seeing 40% of all sales now on promotion – an all time high,” senior... ...Read more »

Retailers are facing “promotional fatigue” and are looking to better target their offer to consumers through a “360-degree” understanding of their needs, according to software company Aldata. Speaking about the group’s 2011 Global Retail CIO Survey, Aldata vice president of customer support Mark Croxton told just-food today (24 March) that the shift is a reaction to efforts by “everybody to increase price competition in the market” at the start of the global... ...Read more »

Australia’s market for sauces, dressings and condiments is growing, with 2008 sales clocking $1.8 billion, say market research group Datamonitor, with growing health concerns, including childhood obesity, plus an increase in at-home consumption, boosting the trend. The report, Sauces, Dressings and Condiments in Australia to 2013, found that the market for Wet cooking sauces and Seasonings, together, contributed more than half of total sales. In comparison, Table sauces, Dressings and Pickled... ...Read more »