With the United Nations declaring 2012 the “International Year of Cooperatives,” the National Cooperative Grocers Association (NCGA) will officially kick off its year of celebrations with a “virtual” premiere of an online video series hosted by Kevin Gillespie, co-owner and executive chef at the Woodfire Grill Restaurant in Atlanta and sixth season finalist of the […]
Category: National
Posted in, National, Suppliers
Company announces partnership to develop solutions for bottles made from plants
The Coca-Cola Co. has entered into multi-million dollar partnership agreements with three leading biotechnology companies to accelerate development of the first commercial solutions for next-generation PlantBottle packaging made 100 percent from plant-based materials. This effort to commercialize a plastic bottle made entirely from plants builds on the company’s introduction and roll-out of its first generation […]
Posted in, National
Former Chicago Mayor Daley Elected to Coco-Cola Board
The Board of Directors of The Coca-Cola Co. has elected Richard M. Daley as a director of the company. Daley, 69, is the former mayor of Chicago and currently serves as counsel at the international law firm Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP and is the managing principal of Tur Partners LLC, an investment and advisory firm. […]
Posted in, Equipment & Technology, National
2012 Food Trends Reflective of Economy, Digital Age
What do a plankton-feeding fish from Australia, Curry Powder’s golden ingredient, and explosive corn have in common? They may play a starring role in 2012’s American food trends, according to food and nutrition forecasters at Publicis Consultants USA. “Economic circumstances are prompting more than the usual degree of change in the highly adaptable food and […]
Posted in, Grocery News, National
Kraft Foods’ Limited Edition Holiday Treats Available
Northfield, Ill.-based Kraft Foods, the world’s largest chocolate maker and biscuit baker, is making the holidays around the world even sweeter this year with seasonal biscuits and chocolates, in addition to annual favorites. “People around the world eagerly await the special chocolates, cookies, crackers and other products we make only for the Christmas and New […]
Posted in, National
Retail Trade Group Ups Holiday Sales Forecast, Expects Record Spending
The National Retail Federation has raised its holiday sales forecast, saying it now expects holiday sales to increase 3.8 percent this season to a record $469.1 billion. The NRF had previously forecast on Oct. 6 that holiday sales would increase just 2.8 percent, according to the San Francisco Business Times. The increase would come after […]
Posted in, Corporate Store News, National
Kroger To Merge Four Pension Funds
In a move expected to reduce Kroger Co.’s annual pension contribution expense and secure pension benefits for more than 65,000 employees, the Cincinnati-based grocer will merge four of the UFCW/multi-employer pension funds into a new fund Jan. 1, according to the Los Angeles Business Journal. Kroger expects to contribute about $650 million to the new […]
Posted in, National
Report: MyPlate Icon a Sharp Contrast to What’s Actually on Our Plates
The nutritionally-balanced quadrants of the USDA’s MyPlate, the graphic interpretation of the new federal dietary guidelines that depicts a healthful daily diet, looks very different than what’s actually on the plates of most Americans, according to The NPD Group, a market research company. NPD’s food and beverage market research finds that, for the average consumer, […]