Many consumers no longer accept that products in their shopping baskets are produced at the expense of farmers and factory labourers in poor countries. The market demand for ethically-sourced products is growing fast. Retailers that do not (re)act, risk their reputation.
Elsevier Food International Vol.10, No.4, November 2007 Vincent Hentzepeter
01-02-2008 (13:54)

Suppliers’ sweet dreams of collaboration with key accounts may well turn into nightmares should dependency of the key customer become too big and/or should the esteemed key partner be acquired or decide to change its strategy. Large or major accounts are by no means key accounts. What suppliers really need is a new business model that focuses not on the quantity but on the quality of business.
Elsevier Food International, Vol. 10, Number 2, May 2007
Nigel Piercy and Nikala Lane
27-08-2007 (17:03)

Even early traders knew that buying is the key to profit. Value sourcing is a strategic approach to radically redesign the purchasing function in retailing. It encompasses all elements of the value chain and can reduce cost by up to 30 per cent.
Elsevier Food International Vol.9, Number 4, November 2006 Peter Breuer and Robert Klingler
01-02-2007 (16:20)

The Brussels-based Coopernic is the newest of the European grocery buying groups. It is a group of groups; four of its five members are cooperatives which in turn represent smaller retail organisations. Coopernic is a notfor-profit limited company and ownership, political control, cost of running and any savings are divided equally among the five founding members. Aggregated turnover is around €94 billion, making Coopernic the second largest European grocery buying group. The formation of Coopernic has been greeted with some concern by grocery manufacturers, who regard it as a dramatic acceleration of retailer consolidation in Europe, with potential for major impacts on margins.
Elsevier Food International, Vol. 9, Number 3, September 2006
01-09-2006 (13:55)