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As the economy begins to pull out of the recession, food retailers and wholesalers
are showing a greater propensity to spend on technology, according to
Supermarket News' annual technology survey. More than half (54.4%) of the
respondents plan to increase their IT budgets this year by up to 10%, and 62%
overall expect to spend more on IT. That represents an uptick from last year's
survey, when about one-third (34%) said their IT budget would grow up to 10%,
and 49% overall said it would increase.
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The national volume of sales of grocery-anchored retail centers grew 6.6%
in 2009, to $3.2 billion worth of transactions, according to Marcus & Millichap
Real Estate Investment Services, reported Nashville Business Journal.
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UN officials will decide in April or May whether to add Mexico's food to
the organization's list of intangible cultural patrimony, according to Mexican
cuisine expert Gloria Lopez. Mexican officials previously lobbied UNESCO to
recognize Mexican cuisine with a more general proposal focusing on corn. This
year's application features the traditional cuisine of the Mexican state of
Michoacan, reported The Associated Press.
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Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, Inc.'s Pebbles Acquisition Sub, Inc. subsidiary
extended its offer to purchase all outstanding shares of common stock of
Diedrich Coffee, Inc. to Mar. 8.
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The
Record profiles the various kosher restaurants opening in Teaneck,
NJ. To compete, many of them, such as Fish of the C's, are trying to appeal
to both the kosher and non-kosher community.
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New
Leaf Brands, Inc. formed a distribution agreement with House of Schwan to
deliver its products in Kansas.
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The Doritos "House Rules" commercial was the most talked about
television advertisement on Twitter during the Big Game, according to Squawq.
The Doritos brand as a whole received more than 35,000 tweets during the game
for its ads. More than 21,000 tweets were received immediately after the "House
Rules" spot aired.
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Fine-dining
chef Shaun Doty plans to open two fast-casual restaurants specializing in hamburgers
in Atlanta. The chef is still working out details, including the name, for what
he hopes will become a restaurant chain. The first unit should open April and
the second in September, reported
Nation's Restaurant News.
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Milwaukee, WI-based Lakefront Brewery Inc. will introduce
a new brew next month after seeing sales volume rise more than 18% in 2009,
according to president Russ Klisch. The beer, Fixed Gear, will be rolled out
in March in 22-oz. bottles, reported The Business Journal of Milwaukee.
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New Store News: Freshii franchisor Goel Management plans to open 16 locations in the Baltimore, MD-area, reported Baltimore Business Journal. Full Story (Free Registration Required) ... Costco will open a location in Pewaukee, WI by Nov. 1, reported The Business Journal of Milwaukee. Full Story (Free Registration Required) ... The Cheesecake Factory Incorporated opened a restaurant in Tucson, AZ. Full Story ... NexCen Brands, Inc. opened its first MaggieMoo's franchised store in Asia in Singapore. Full Story
China will be the largest grocery market in the world by 2014,
worth €761 billion, according to IGD. The country will overtake the
U.S. for the No. 1 spot; the U.S. grocery market will be worth €745
billion by 2014. India will become the third largest food and grocery market
in four years' time, while Russia and Brazil will rank fifth and sixth respectively.
Indonesia will enter the top 10 list for the first time by 2014.
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Kirin Holdings ended merger talks with Suntory Holdings. However,
"Kirin will keep looking for mergers as part of its growth strategy," noted
president Kazuyasu Kato, reported Bloomberg.com.
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A D V E R T I S E M E N T
Food Institute members may sign up for the National Association for the Specialty Food Trade webinar Case Pack Optimization for Specialty Food Products: The Hidden Sales Opportunity at a discounted rate! The one-hour webinar, led by Jim Wisner of Wisner Marketing Group, will discuss topics including how distributors and retailers feel about case pack optimization and which products are best suited for optimization. The webinar will be held at 2 p.m. (EST) on Wednesday, Feb. 10. Use the code FINS on the checkout page to save $26! To sign up or learn more, click here. |
Increasing use of aluminum food and beverage packaging in developing
countries will be one factor behind a possible surge in global demand for
the material, according to Philip Martens, president and chief operating officer
of Novelis, reported Beverage Daily.
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Individuals who drink two or more sweetened soft
drinks a week have a 87% higher risk of pancreatic cancer, according to
a University of Minnesota study published in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers
& Prevention, reported
Reuters.
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