http://www.foodinternational.net Elsevier Food International articles on ECR en-gb http://www.foodinternational.net http://www.foodinternational.net/images/logo_rss.gif 34 144 Food International: Tomorrow's food industrie in perspective http://www.foodinternational.net/articles/ecr/1465/gains-still-to-be-made-in-category-management.html Category management has been practised for well over a decade but many companies are failing to maximise its potential. The price wars seen in recent years have also caused it to slip in priority and managers are not being trained to implement it efficiently. But, with the entrance of a new generation of managers there is renewed emphasis on differentiating products and broadening the assortment through effective category management.Elsevier Food International, Vol. 11, Number 2, May 2008 Helen Armstrong Fri, 19 Sep 2008 09:39:00 GMT http://www.foodinternational.net/articles/ecr/1465/gains-still-to-be-made-in-category-management.html http://www.foodinternational.net/articles/ecr/1326/moving-forward-together.html ECR's roadmap on sustainable transport is a reference tool to encourage companies to collaborate. It may seem like common sense yet it requires a new way of thinking. Some companies are already achieving it with positive bottom line results. Elsevier Food International, Vol. 11, Number 2,May 2008 Len Lewis Wed, 04 Jun 2008 13:51:00 GMT http://www.foodinternational.net/articles/ecr/1326/moving-forward-together.html http://www.foodinternational.net/articles/ecr/1325/share-the-vision-.html Within the next few years the supply chain will have to change to take into account carbon output, fewer trucks on the road and better traceability. The Global Commerce Institute has published its Future Supply Chain 2016 report which presents a model for enhanced collaboration in the supply chain and identifies seven specific points to which solutions will need to be found. Elsevier Food International, Vol. 11, Number 2, May 2008 Len lewis Wed, 04 Jun 2008 11:44:00 GMT http://www.foodinternational.net/articles/ecr/1325/share-the-vision-.html http://www.foodinternational.net/articles/ecr/1324/health-shines-through-a-beautiful-body.html Health and wellness has been identified as one of the most important new trends which will drive shopping behaviour in the future. Taking care of ourselves and staying healthy is just one step further from the use of beauty products. Elsevier Food International, Vol. 11, Number 2,May 2008 Helen Armstrong Wed, 04 Jun 2008 10:47:00 GMT http://www.foodinternational.net/articles/ecr/1324/health-shines-through-a-beautiful-body.html http://www.foodinternational.net/articles/ecr/1323/customers-seek-healthy-roi.html Customer buying behaviour is changing. Customers expect a two-way relationship with the seller and a solution to their personal needs, rather than simply a product which fits all. Certainly one of the most important issues in the future will be health and wellness (including diet and obesity care) with the majority of respondents to a Future Consumer survey saying this would be important or extremely important to them over the coming years. With an aging population this will provide increasing opportunities for suppliers.Elsevier Food International, Vol. 11, Number 2, May 2008 Helen Armstrong Wed, 04 Jun 2008 09:52:00 GMT http://www.foodinternational.net/articles/ecr/1323/customers-seek-healthy-roi.html http://www.foodinternational.net/articles/ecr/1285/keeping-shoppers-happy.html It is a myth that purchase decisions are made in the store, says Sjoerd Schaafsma of Unilever. Most shoppers know what they want and that it is the reason for visiting a particular store, which gives retailers clear opportunities to differentiate themselves. Thanks to the digital age there are reams of data about shopping habits but this is of little value if it cannot be correctly interpreted: for example, the shopper is not always the consumer. The winners are those that turn data into actionable opportunities and keep shoppers happy. Elsevier Food International, Vol. 11, Number 2, May 2008 chris Jones Mon, 26 May 2008 11:47:00 GMT http://www.foodinternational.net/articles/ecr/1285/keeping-shoppers-happy.html http://www.foodinternational.net/articles/ecr/1284/listen-to-the-radio-tag.html RFID is nothing new. It identifies objects using radio waves at different frequencies but unlike barcodes no line of sight is required making the identification process faster and more efficient. Although used in many industries and more so in retail to identify pallets, it is still too expensive to use on individual FMCGs. However, there is pressure from industry and even from governments to make the technology cheaper and thanks to radical new advances there are signs that the cost of chips will fall sharply in the future. It will bring many benefits in terms of traceability, error prevention, crime reduction and condition monitoring.Elsevier Food International, Vol. 11, Number 2, May 2008 Vincent Hentzepeter Mon, 26 May 2008 11:08:00 GMT http://www.foodinternational.net/articles/ecr/1284/listen-to-the-radio-tag.html http://www.foodinternational.net/articles/ecr/1283/achieving-sustainable-growth.html Jointly Agreed Growth (JAG) is a framework developed by McKinsey & Co for ECR Europe for profitable, long-term sustainable growth for all trading partners. Collaboration is essential and the plan recommends that all parties work together to ensure a fact-based understanding of market trends in order to drive demand and generate growth over the long term.Elsevier Food International, Vol. 11, Number 2, May 2008 Len lewis Mon, 26 May 2008 10:39:00 GMT http://www.foodinternational.net/articles/ecr/1283/achieving-sustainable-growth.html http://www.foodinternational.net/articles/ecr/1075/lean-and-mean.html Lean production, a 30-year-old concept used successfully by Toyota Motors is now being adopted by the food industry as the hot new solution for an ultra-efficient supply chain.Elsevier Food International, Vol. 11, Number 1, February 2008 Len Lewis Wed, 13 Feb 2008 10:37:00 GMT http://www.foodinternational.net/articles/ecr/1075/lean-and-mean.html http://www.foodinternational.net/articles/ecr/1060/of-hype-and-hope.html In the spring of 1970, a few conservationists and local activists gathered in San Francisco for the first Earth Day celebration. Fast forward 27 years and an informal get-together has been replaced by an influential new brand of corporate environmentalism that is being embraced as one of the key issues in business today. Elsevier Food International, Vol. 10, Number 4, November 2007 Len Lewis Tue, 05 Feb 2008 16:07:00 GMT http://www.foodinternational.net/articles/ecr/1060/of-hype-and-hope.html http://www.foodinternational.net/articles/ecr/1157/the-cold-chain-heats-up-.html Consumer demand for temperaturesensitive fresh foods continues to shoot up. Because product quality and food safety are now a top priority, efforts to improve the cold chain from farm to shelf are now in the spotlight.Elsevier Food International, Vol. 11, Number 1, February2008 Len Lewis Sun, 03 Feb 2008 15:13:00 GMT http://www.foodinternational.net/articles/ecr/1157/the-cold-chain-heats-up-.html http://www.foodinternational.net/articles/ecr/958/future-consumer-how-shopper-needs-and-behaviour-will-impact-tomorrows-value-chain.html Our world is changing, consumers are changing. And the speed of change is rapidly accelerating. Consumer behaviour will be a primary factor in determining which direction this change will take.Elsevier Food International, Vol. 10, Number 3, September 2007 Kees Jacons and Brian Girouard Wed, 05 Dec 2007 09:52:00 GMT http://www.foodinternational.net/articles/ecr/958/future-consumer-how-shopper-needs-and-behaviour-will-impact-tomorrows-value-chain.html http://www.foodinternational.net/articles/ecr/951/wrapping-up-the-upstream-value-chain.html More and more manufacturers ask their packaging suppliers to integrate their operations to create an efficient value chain. Ideally, upstream suppliers become nearly an integral part of the business. But still, these are separate entities with their own systems and p&l structures.Elsevier Food International, Vol. 10, Number 3, September 2007 Pascal Kuipers Mon, 03 Dec 2007 13:56:00 GMT http://www.foodinternational.net/articles/ecr/951/wrapping-up-the-upstream-value-chain.html http://www.foodinternational.net/articles/ecr/949/creating-value-through-price.html Among the classic and well-known four marketing Ps, price has the most direct impact on how shoppers perceive a store, simply because prices can be compared. For this reason, pricing is considered the first marketing lever through which a retailer must create value for its customers.Elsevier Food International, Vol. 10, Number 3, September 2007 Antonella Altavilla Mon, 03 Dec 2007 11:08:00 GMT http://www.foodinternational.net/articles/ecr/949/creating-value-through-price.html http://www.foodinternational.net/articles/ecr/923/going-green-.html In the spring of 1970, a few conservationists and local activists gathered in San Francisco for the first Earth Day celebration. Fast forward 27 years and an informal get-together has been replaced by an influential new brand of corporate environmentalism that is being embraced as one of the key issues in business today. Elsevier Food International, Vol. 10, Number 2, May 2007 Len Lewis Mon, 12 Nov 2007 16:30:00 GMT http://www.foodinternational.net/articles/ecr/923/going-green-.html http://www.foodinternational.net/articles/ecr/617/passion-for-growth-spotting-a-new-product-winner.html IRI has determined that 8 out of 10 new product launches fail. Those that succeed, the cream of the crop, are often clear winners from the outset. Manufacturers and retailers can use proprietary techniques developed by IRI to spot winners from losers early on. [Advertorial] Tue, 22 May 2007 15:56:00 GMT http://www.foodinternational.net/articles/ecr/617/passion-for-growth-spotting-a-new-product-winner.html http://www.foodinternational.net/articles/ecr/582/planning-for-success.html The concept of collaborative planning, forecasting and replenishment has been promoted as a cure for what ails the food industry’s supply chain. However, success has been spotty and the question is whether retailers and manufacturers really want to develop this deep a relationship. Retail competition is intensifying, consumers are less predictable when it comes to where and how they shop, new product introductions are increasing and the lifecycle of existing items is declining. Meanwhile, the battle to hold down excess inventory levels while reducing or eliminating out-of-stocks rages on.Elsevier Food International Vol. 10, Number 1, February 2007 Len Lewis Thu, 03 May 2007 13:19:00 GMT http://www.foodinternational.net/articles/ecr/582/planning-for-success.html http://www.foodinternational.net/articles/ecr/570/purpose-driven-packaging.html Looks are not everything when it comes to packaging. Increasingly, governments, consumers, retailers and manufacturers are looking for packaging that is sustainable, environmentally correct and retail ready. Packaging plays an increasingly important role in supply chain efficiency. But it is also crucial to product protection and an important communicator with staff and shoppers. Elsevier Food International Vol. 10, Number 1, February 2007 Len Lewis Thu, 26 Apr 2007 16:06:00 GMT http://www.foodinternational.net/articles/ecr/570/purpose-driven-packaging.html http://www.foodinternational.net/articles/ecr/478/into-the-pool.html Data pools, designed to be repositories of all industry knowledge and the cure for what ails the global supply chain, are continuing to grow in number. But have they truly reached their potential or are they simply becoming redundant?Elsevier Food International Vol.9, Number 4, November 2006 Len Lewis Thu, 01 Feb 2007 14:02:00 GMT http://www.foodinternational.net/articles/ecr/478/into-the-pool.html http://www.foodinternational.net/articles/ecr/355/rfid-and-shareholder-value.html “RFID is pioneer territory and in the end, the pioneer lies with his face in the mud and an arrow in his back!” said one participant recently at an RFID convention in Germany. Potential RFID benefits for manufacturers, retailers and customers still appear to be a pipe dream. But the question of whether there are retail segments that will benefit sooner, or more than others, from a timely implementation of the RFID technology is gaining in significance.Elsevier Food International, Vol.9, Number 2, May 2006 Jürgen Elfers and Heiko Ulrichs Wed, 13 Sep 2006 15:35:00 GMT http://www.foodinternational.net/articles/ecr/355/rfid-and-shareholder-value.html