Sherman A1
Sherman A1's JournalCampbell Among 100 Most Sustainable Corporations
The Campbell Soup Co. has been included among the Global 100 Most Sustainable Corporations in the World, a ranking from Toronto-based media and investment research company Corporate Knights. Camden, N.J.-based Campbell is one of 10 U.S. companies, and the only U.S. food and beverage company, to appear in the ranking. The Global 100 includes companies from 22 countries across six continents.
According to Dave Stangis, Campbell’s VP, public affairs and corporate responsibility, the listing “recognizes how Campbell integrates corporate responsibility into business strategy. We continue to strengthen our long-term commitment to creating value for our business and society as a sustainable and socially responsible company.”
To assemble the Global 100, Corporate Knights employs a two-step methodology: selecting companies based on such information as sustainability disclosure practices, financial health and product types, and then scoring them by sector-specific key performance indicators mainly related to energy, water, waste metrics and community engagement.
Among Campbell’s sustainability initiatives are investments across its plant network over the past four years that have yielded savings of more than $42.5 million; a reduction in water use by more than 3 billion gallons, and energy savings resulting in the elimination of more than 280,000 metric tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions, since 2009, resulting in ongoing annual savings of more than $2.5 million; the construction of a 60-acre, 10-megawatt solar field at its largest manufacturing site, where 24,000 sun-tracking panels generate 15 percent of the electricity to operate the plant, and a partnership to create a biogas power plant at the same site to generate renewable electricity from waste generated from product production; a product packaging redesign that saved more than 1.2 million pounds of plastic in fiscal 2012; and the rollout of the 10-year, $10 million "Campbell Healthy Communities" program to reduce the rates of childhood obesity and hunger.
http://www.progressivegrocer.com/top-stories/headlines/corporate-responsibility/id37167/campbell-among-100-most-sustainable-corporations/
Super Bowl chicken wings getting pricier, less plentiful
Americans are going to chow down on 1.23 billion chicken wings during Super Bowl weekend this year. But there will be fewer wings available and they’ll cost more, according to an annual report.
The NFL championship game, this year between the San Francisco 49ers and the Baltimore Ravens, is the biggest day of the year for chicken wings, according to the National Chicken Council.
This time around, however, there will be 12.3 million fewer wings eaten than last year, or a 1% decline, according to the trade group.
The group attributed the slide to fewer chickens in 2012, as corn and animal feed prices soared to record highs amid a severe summer drought and ethanol fuel production regulations.
http://www.latimes.com/business/money/la-fi-mo-super-bowl-chicken-wings-20130122,0,4072433.story
Wash U study: Lower drinking age effects alcohol behavior later in life
ST. LOUIS (KMOV) -- Researchers at Washington University say a new study found lower drinking age restrictions can have an impact on drinking habits later in life.
Researchers found residents who grew up in states which permit drinking before the age of 21 were more likely to binge drink and develop alcohol dependency as adults.
The study also found a minimum drinking age of 21 years old had positive effects, including reducing the numbers of deadly traffic accidents.
http://www.kmov.com/news/local/Wash-U-study-Lower-drinking-ages-effects-alcohol-behavior-later-in-life-188077831.html
Boomers Dine Out While Millennials Cut Back
According to The NPD Group, The baby boomer generation and their seniors – also known as “mature traditionalists” – have staked an increasing proportion of the commercial foodservice industry’s traffic during the past five years, while visits from the millennial generation have declined.
According to The NPD’s recent report -- “Boomers and Beyond – Targeting for Success,” which delves into what seniors expect from restaurant visits, the menu items they prefer, and what restaurant operators can do to attract and retain their business – members of the boomer generation are making more visits to every segment of the restaurant industry now than prior to the recession.
Historically, older consumers were less frequent restaurant visitors than those in younger age groups and so received less marketing attention as efforts generally were made to reach the heaviest buyers, according to the report. The visit rate for older restaurant consumers is now the same as it is for those younger. Boomers and older have increased their share of restaurant traffic by six percentage points since 2008, while millennials have decreased their share by six percentage points.
“A lot of restaurant marketing dollars are aimed at millennials but market share capture remains the growth path for restaurant operators, just as it has been for the past five years,” said Bonnie Riggs, NPD restaurant industry analyst. “Gaining market share among population segments increasing in both number and their use of restaurants, like Boomers, eases the struggle. Operators just need to keep in mind that reaching the older customers requires recognizing what it is they want from their restaurant experiences.”
http://www.progressivegrocer.com/top-stories/headlines/consumer-insights/id37156/boomers-dine-out-while-millennials-cut-back/
Food Industry: Storm Response Sparked New Lessons
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — The response to Hurricane Sandy was an eye-opener for retailers, associations and the entire food industry, with plenty of lessons for future crises, said a panel of industry leaders at a Midwinter session here.
Regional leaders faced daunting challenges in coordinating logistics and communicating to stakeholders. While some had faced prior crises, there was really no full preparation for a storm of that magnitude, they said.
Following are some of the lessons learned by panelists,
• Business must take care of itself in this type of crisis, because the first priority of government is area residents rather than businesses.
• Build relationships with parties such as utility companies in advance, because some of these parties fail to become directly involved in high-level crisis discussions with government and businesses at the time of a catastrophe.
Read More: http://supermarketnews.com/2013-fmi-midwinter-executive-conference/storm-response-sparked-new-lessons#ixzz2InUpnpX0
Walmart Canada Plans 37 Supercenters in 2013
MISSISSAUGUA, Ontario — Walmart Canada here on Tuesday said it plans to complete at least 37 supercenter projects in the company’s next fiscal year, which begins Feb. 1.
The company also said it would expand its distribution network to support its ongoing store growth. The distribution center projects, construction of new stores, and expansion, remodeling or relocation of existing stores represents an investment of more than $450 million, the retailer said. These expansion plans are expected to generate more than 7,000 store, trade and construction jobs.
“Our associates across the country have done an incredible job this past year serving our customers and opening a record number of new stores and supercentres,” Shelley Broader, president and chief executive officer of Walmart Canada, said in a statement. “This year, we are ramping up our focus on lowering prices and helping customers lower their cost of living, as we continue to bring our supercenter format to more Canadians.”
Walmart said it would announce specifics of its projects as details are finalized throughout the year. The company said that nine supercenters were due to open in Canada this Friday, bringing its total to 379 stores and 209 supercenters. The company opened 73 new projects in the current year, including the conversion of 39 former Zellers locations.
Read More: http://supermarketnews.com/retail-amp-financial/walmart-canada-plans-37-supercenters-2013#ixzz2InTuOYRX
Chinese workers revolt over 2-minute toilet breaks
BEIJING (AP) — Hundreds of Chinese factory workers angry about strictly timed bathroom breaks and fines for starting work late held their Japanese and Chinese managers hostage for a day and a half before police broke up the strike.
About 1,000 workers at Shanghai Shinmei Electric Company held the 10 Japanese nationals and eight Chinese managers inside the factory in Shanghai starting Friday morning until 11.50 p.m. Saturday, said a statement from the parent company, Shinmei Electric Co., released Monday. It said the managers were released uninjured after 300 police officers were called to the factory.
A security guard at the Shanghai plant said Tuesday that workers had gone on strike to protest the company's issuing of new work rules, including time limits on bathroom breaks and fines for being late.
"The workers demanded the scrapping of the ridiculously strict requirements stipulating that workers only have two minutes to go to the toilet and workers will be fined 50 yuan ($8) if they are late once and fired if they are late twice," said the security guard, surnamed Feng. "The managers were later freed when police intervened and when they agreed to reconsider the rules."
http://news.yahoo.com/chinese-workers-revolt-over-2-minute-toilet-breaks-081615186--finance.html
Consumers' Dec. Spending Boosts Holiday Retail Sales
Solid consumer spending in the month of December helped retailers finish the year with a healthy holiday shopping season, although economic uncertainties kept consumers cautious.
According to the National Retail Federation (NRF), December retail sales (excluding automobiles, gas stations and restaurants) increased 0.8 percent seasonally adjusted from November and increased 2.1 percent unadjusted year-over-year. Total holiday retail sales increased 3 percent, below NRF’s projected forecast of 4.1, to $579.8 billion. Additionally, non-store holiday sales grew 11.1 percent.
“For over six months, we’ve been saying that the fiscal cliff and economic uncertainty could impact holiday sales,” said Matthew Shay, NRF’s president and CEO. “As the number shows, these issues had a visible impact on consumer spending this holiday season. We can’t expect consumers to continue to carry the burden of growing our economy—Washington must put political differences aside and do what it takes to get our country growing again and Americans back to work.”
December retail sales, released by the U.S. Department of Commerce, showed total retail and food services sales (which include non-general merchandise categories such as automobiles, gasoline stations, and restaurants) increased 0.5 percent seasonally adjusted month-to-month and increased 4.7 percent adjusted year-over-year.
http://www.progressivegrocer.com/top-stories/headlines/consumer-insights/id37140/consumers-dec-spending-boosts-holiday-retail-sales/
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