Supermarket & Grocery Industry News

FRANKLIN, Tenn. -- Supermarkets plan to increase spending on self-checkout systems and workforce management software in the next 12 months, according to a new report from retail analyst and consultancy firm IHL Consulting Group.

WASHINGTON -- Representatives from the nonprofit advocacy group Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) said yesterday at a press conference that the organization has filed two separate lawsuits that same morning in Alexandria Circuit Court in Virginia against the dairy industry, including a class action on behalf of all Virginia residents, to stop what the PCRM categorized as "phony" claims linking dairy intake and weight loss. The class action targets Kraft; General Mills; Dannon; McNeill Nutritionals, LLC, a division of Johnson & Johnson and the maker of Lactaid, which offers a line of products for people unable to digest dairy foods; the International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA); Dairy Management, Inc.; National Dairy Council; and Lifeway Foods, manufacturer of a cultured milk product called kefir.

BENTONVILLE, Ark. -- It's a good thing for Wal-Mart that people have to eat. The latest figures from ACNielsen's Wal-Mart Channel Service for the 52-weeks ended May 14, show that growth in food and beverage sales more than offset an actual decline in sales of UPC-coded general merchandise at Wal-Mart supercenters and discount stores over the past year.

MINNEAPOLIS -- Retailers saw significant sales hikes in organic products as a result of participating in the April 2005 "Go Organic! for Earth Day" campaign, according to data released yesterday by the Natural Marketing Institute.

INDIANAPOLIS -- Regional supermarket operator Marsh Supermarkets Inc. plans to deploy an Internet-based petroleum solution to improve management of fuel purchasing, replenishment, and invoice reconciliation across all of its grocery and convenience store locations.

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Trade association leaders praised legislation introduced last week by Sen. Rick Santorum (R-Pa.) to replace the mandatory country of origin labeling law with a voluntary program for produce, meat, seafood and peanuts.

Online registration is now open for the most powerful conference and exhibition designed to help retailers maximize their business with the growing Latino market.

NEW YORK -- Buoyed by three straight years double-digit gains, the market for natural personal care products reached $5 billion in 2004, increasing by more than 50 percent since 2000, according to a new report from market research publisher Packaged Facts.