Nonfoods

WASHINGTON - Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. is taking steps to ensure its future in Maryland by adamantly opposing zoning rules that have been proposed in Montgomery County.

LEEDS, England - U.K. grocer Asda yesterday introduced four new Cafedirect hot beverage lines in response to the success of this year's Fairtrade Fortnight, a two-week awareness campaign that, according to the retailer, led to a huge increase in sales of fair trade products at the its stores.

FRANKLIN, Tenn. - North American consumers transacted nearly $128 billion in sales using self-checkout lanes, ticketing kiosks, and other self-service machines in 2003 -- but for some retailers, high-touch is still the way to go.

WILMINGTON, Del. - Fruit and vegetable offerings by quick-service, quick casual, family, and casual dining restaurants are increasing, but foodservice operators are still largely missing opportunities to appeal to their customers' interest in better health -- and to ring up better sales in the process.

AUSTIN, Texas - With the start of school right around the corner, Whole Foods Market is aiming to help parents build better lunchbox menus for their children by advocating new twists and alternatives that add variety, nutrition, and energy.

WASHINGTON - The Food Marketing Institute and other industry groups offered praise yesterday for the House Agriculture Committee's passage of a bipartisan bill calling for the implementation of a voluntary country-of-origin labeling program.

MIAMI BEACH, Fla. - Food, beverage, and consumer products manufacturers reported that the cost of unsaleable products declined to 1.11 percent in 2003, compared with a record high of 1.18 percent in 2002, according to the Grocery Manufacturers of America-Food Marketing Institute 2004 Unsaleables Benchmark Report.

RACINE, Wis. - Two former executives of the now-defunct Kohl's Food Stores chain are establishing a new store under the Country Market USA banner that they hope will grow into a four-unit operation within a year.