One of Australia’s leading consumer product surveys, Product of the Year, today released its third annual survey results for innovative new products in the Australian supermarket retail industry. Product of the Year was established 25 years ago in France and currently operates in 28 countries worldwide. For a product to be eligible for the survey, each product must be one that has launched 18 months before the survey and a proven established product in the relevant market. Seven thousand Australian... ...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 »

The Dorset Municipality in Tasmania is the northern focus of an innovative food research project aimed at improving the health and wellbeing of the community. Tasmanian Minister for Health, Michelle O’Byrne, yesterday launched Dorset’s efforts in the Tasmanian Food Security Project at the Bridport Primary School garden. The project will assess how easy it is for people in the municipality to get to food stores and the cost, quality and availability of fresh food. “We know in rural towns a range... ...Read more »

Woolworths has sacked three executives from their fresh food buying team for breaching the company’s code of conduct. The breaches are thought to relate to supply arrangements made with wholesalers at the Sydney Market, but this has yet to be confirmed. “Woolworths recently investigated an alleged breach of the company’s code of conduct,” a Woolworths spokeswoman told The Australian. “We have a zero-tolerance approach for any breach of policy and unfortunately had to... ...Read more »

Woolworths was the only major supermarket in Australia to see their customer satisfaction levels rise in the six-months to August, according to the latest Roy Morgan Supermarket Satisfaction Report. Among Aldi customers, 88.9% were satisfied with the supermarket, followed by IGA (87.4%), Woolworths (86.6%) and Coles (85.6%) for the six month averages to August 09. The improved result for Woolworths was largely due to improved satisfaction with their fresh offering. The figures represented an unchanged... ...Read more »

In 1854, Ike Hill took a job as a ‘Butcherboy’ on a convict ship bound for Australia. Since then the Hill family has been involved in butcher retailing and lamb exporting and wholesaling, trading under the name of “Hills of Darling” throughout most of the 80s and 90s. Now, 5th generation family member, Nick Hill, has decided to change the way meat is typically sold. Research shows that of the 70% of people that buy their meat at supermarkets, most do so due to convenience... ...Read more »

For the second year running, UK supermarket chain Morrisons has secured the most sought after award in British retail, ‘The Retailer of the Year’ at the Oracle Retail Week Awards 2009. The UK’s fourth largest food retailer received the award after out-performing its peers, due, in part, to an improved fresh offer and a focus on value-for-money which has resonated with consumers. “When we presented this award to Morrisons just twelve short months ago, no-one could have... ...Read more »

Sydney could be transformed into a fresh food city under a City of Sydney plan to increase the number of community gardens, employ a dedicated garden officer and expand the successful Friday Farmers Market at Cook + Phillip Park.The proposal was discussed at a meeting of Council last night, Monday 24 November. Lord Mayor Clover Moore MP said the idea is part of the City’s Sustainable Sydney 2030 vision to develop local village hubs focusing community, business, retail and cultural assets in... ...Read more »

Power outages this summer could cost supermarkets hundreds of thousands of dollars in damaged or destroyed fresh food.A sudden brown-out or black-out, with increasing numbers of homes and buildings drawing on the power grids, will catch many owners and staff unawares forcing expensive loss of goods. An Australian company, Australian Industrial Rental (AIR), has developed a solution for supermarkets and fresh food retailers, and the fresh food industry, with a power generator that automatically synchs... ...Read more »

Hawkesbury Harvest Farmers & Fine Food Market is to be set up in the heart of Sydney’s CBD on a weekly basis from later this month. The new addition to fresh food trading in Sydney will provide an array of local fresh produce. “These new markets will be a welcome addition to the Sydney CBD, providing a lively place for people to shop, relax and enjoy fresh fruit, vegetables, cheese, wine and a range of local produce,” said City of Sydney Creative Director Gill Minervini.... ...Read more »