News of Wal-Mart’s latest sustainability push may have been lost amidst news of swine flu and economic recovery here in Australia, but their decision is likely have a major impact on the food and grocery sector around the world. Eco-labels For the last couple of years there has been talk of so-called ‘eco-labels’, which would highlight the environmental impact of each product on the grocery shelf. The notion has had its detractors, who point to issues of measurement, testing and... ...Read more »

Walmart, the world’s largest retailer, has reported plans to develop a worldwide sustainable product index that will see an eco-rating placed on all grocery products sold at their stores. The groundbreaking initiative, announced overnight during a meeting with 1,500 of its suppliers, associates and sustainability leaders, will establish a single source of data for evaluating the sustainability of products. “Customers want products that are more efficient, that last longer and perform... ...Read more »

The consumer packaged goods (CPG) industry (in the USA) performed significantly better than the rest of the market in 2008, as measured by the S&P 500 and Dow Jones Industrial Averages, besting both by at least ten points, according to a report released today by the Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA) and PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP (PwC). The study also found that CPG manufacturer median sales grew approximately 10 per cent last year, down just slightly from 2007 median sales figures. The... ...Read more »

The Competition Commission (CC), the UK’s competitive watchdog, is consulting with industry to establish an Ombudsman to arbitrate on disputes between retailers and suppliers and investigate complaints under the new Groceries Supply Code of Practice (GSCOP) introduced this year. The Ombudsman and Code of Practice were both recommendations coming out of the CC’s inquiry into the competitiveness of the grocery sector, which was completed last year. The CC does not have the power to establish... ...Read more »

Woolworths Chief Executive Michael Luscombe, fresh from announcing another strong sales result, has suggested that a change in the trading terms offered to suppliers of Coles could hurt their rival. Coles reportedly increased trading rebates by four per cent earlier this year without offering suppliers any benefits beyond maintaining their shelf space. The chain said the savings would be passed onto their customers but a number of suppliers were agitated by the move, according to reports. “Significant... ...Read more »

Warrnambool Cheese and Butter has today announced plans to continue with the proposed cheese joint venture with National Foods – Australian Cheese Company Pty Ltd (ACC) – despite deciding not to proceed with a rights issue last week. The rights issue was cancelled following a decision to reinstate the milk price paid to farmers, after suppliers staged a mass exodus. “Following the decision to cut milk prices from 1 April 2009, a number of milk suppliers representing a significant... ...Read more »

The Australian Food and Grocery Council, in partnership with GS1 Australia and industry partners, this week launched the Global Up Stream Integration (GUSI) model for the supply chain within Australia. A project leading to the implementation of GUSI standards in the Australian FMCG sector began in late 2007, with Unilever, Lion Nathan, Simplot and Sugar Australia taking part. They then reported to a reference group of 35 businesses resulting in the final endorsement by Australian FMCG manufacturers. Based... ...Read more »

The Sydney Fish Market hosted the Seafood Excellence Awards at Star City Grand Ballroom on Saturday to highlight outstanding achievements in Australia’s world class seafood industry. With fourteen award categories, no aspect of the state’s vibrant seafood trade went unnoticed, with awards ranging from industry judged categories including Environmental Excellence, Seafood Business Awards and Best Seafood Restaurant, to the People’s Choice Awards for Best Fish and Chips (Sydney and... ...Read more »

Woolworths, Australia’s largest supermarket chain, is reportedly looking to negotiate the direct supply of Vietnamese products to their supermarkets nationwide. The General Director of the Woolworths Australia Supermarket Group, Mark John, will visit Vietnam between March 11-20 to study the market and negotiate the purchase of Vietnamese-branded products with 33 local businesses, according to the Vietnam News Agency. The discussions could see Woolworths acquire Vietnamese goods directly from... ...Read more »

A conflict between one of the world’s biggest grocery suppliers and Belgium’s second-largest supermarket operator, which saw 300 products stripped from the shelves of the retailer, has been defused. Last month, Belgian supermarket chain Delhaize froze orders of about two-thirds of the Unilever products they normally stock due to a dispute with Unilever over pricing and in-store promotion. A survey last month found Delhaize had begun to lose customers who were brand loyal, while Unilever... ...Read more »