Elsevier Food International

Volume 6, No. 1 February 2003

Market Vision
Neo-liberalism and its one-sided focus on shareholder value is a thing of the past. The new century indicates the importance of well being and this applies to Swiss retailer Migros' tradition of customer care, offering healthy products for reasonable prices in a socially responsible business annual report model. That is the conviction of Claude Hauser, president of Migros, expressed in the retailer's 2001 annual report.

Playing the Swiss on home ground

EFI Special
Retailers are tightening the screws at all levels when negotiating prices and trade terms. At a national level they are asking for more favourable trade terms from manufacturers along with more and more services - often without any additional counter-performance. At an international level, retailers are taking the opportunity to compare prices and trade terms across national borders in order to push prices to the lowest level possible.

Managing prices and trade terms successfully

ECR
Shoppers have corne to expect much more than just food and standard non-food items from their supermarkets. Retailers are jumping through hoops trying to provide their customers with more select services.

Going Beyond Food on a Shelf

R&D
Producers, retailers and scientists are telling the consumer that "food has never been better". Yet, confronted with food crises, diseases associated with food, and numerous scandals, consumer confidence in food safety has suffered tremendously in the last few years. Is this perception of "unsafety" justified?

100% food safery remains an illusion

Country Profile
Virgin territory, rapidly losing its virginity. A sleeping giant, about to wake up. All typifications of the Russian food retail situation refer to its rapid development, but even more to its impressive potential.

Russia: wide open for retail development

Food Watch
In-store pharmacies are to be seen as a desirable destination department. However, in some cases it is proving difficult to determine whether continued operation is a profitable option. This article looks at developments in supermarket pharmacies and gives a brief overview of the present state of employment and education in the pharmaceutical branch in the US.

Supermarket pharmacies: low margins, high prescriptions

Food Buying
"If you want to be successful locally, you have to source likewise." In response to accusations of disrupting local economies in emerging markets such as South-east Asia and the former Eastern bloc and the increasing demand from consumers in European countries for more assurance about their food, large retailers are increasingly sourcing local foods.

Think global, source local

Instore
Data, data everywhere, but ne'er the time to think. That is the state of most companies' knowledge of their customers today. "Know your customer" is one of the most widely used maxims in business. Yet, many companies devote little thought to improving their own understanding of their customers, or using insight to drive actions.

Going beyond food on a shelf

Retail Profile
The year 2002 was an eventful one for Casino. Early in the year, the group acquired a stake in Dutch retailer Laurus, giving it a number two position in the Dutch market and extending its European presence to another country. In September, its Opera buying alliance with Cora was Dismantled as a result of the dispute between the two retailers. This article by IGD provides an overview of Casino’s current position.

Casino: where next?

Fresh Foods
The perceived health benefits of non-dairy yellow fats have clearly passed the French by. With its consumers being less concerned about the fat content of food and unprepared to compromise on taste, France leads the global butter rankings.

Butter tops the French toast