Every now and then, I go back to the old the reports published by company leader in the market analysis and forecast, to see whether they did a good job – and it was worth buying th
e report – or it was just a "storytelling" exercise. When I read the Nielsen's report about the state of CPG (consumer packaged goods) industry in 2015 I just said: "Ok, I think there's something missing.." They wrote about mass supercenters and e-commerce experiencing the most dollar share gains through 2015. Drugstores, mass merchandisers and convenience stores will witness an increase in dollar sales, but will also experience share losses. Consumers will do their shopping via smartphones and digital and social marketing will be leading a company success and so on. But one thing was really missing, and this was sustainability. Wal-Mart is one of the leader in the retail business and they are taking big steps towards sustainability, do Nielsen think that they are wrong and by 2015 this issue will not be of much importance? Comments are welcomed! (Photo source: Flickr, Mazda6 (Tor)
Category Archives: Fresh Worldwide Press
Chinese consumers are going green: this is going to be a great revolution
As stated in this interesting article posted on U.S.A Today, Chinese farmers are now more sensitive to
sustainibility issues, especially after fake or toxic batches of food supplies have worried Chinese consumers in recent months. It seems that even Chinese government is getting involved in fighting against food poisoning, improving supervision and making penalties thougher. Quoting the article, "Almost 70% of China's consumers feel insecure about food safety, according to a survey released recently by Insight China Magazine and the Tsinghua University Media Survey Lab."
Counting a population of more than 1.3 billion inhabitants, China is undoubtedly going to become the biggest market in the world for organic food. Food Retailers, get ready for that! (Picture courtesy of Calum McLeod, USA TODAY)
Does artisanal gelato reduce pollution?
The boom in the consumption of ice cream with local flavours, not only grants to cons
umers a great taste, but also guarantees that products are fresh and genuine and help to reduce environmental pollution because ingredients come from suppliers located at a very short distance.
Coldiretti informed in fact that it is very important that consumers now have the chance to taste a real pistachio ice cream in the center of Catania (Sicily), or a bergamotto one while walking on the promenade of Reggio Calabria (Calabria) or a wild berries and hazelnuts while in Cuneo (Piemonte).
This was not possibile only a couple of years ago, and we think that the trend is still growing this year too. (Courtesy of ecologiae.com)
Gelati stores do not suffer from economic crisis
'Ice cream stores do not suffer from crisis, rather they are growing and re
present a major job opportunity, especially for young generations'. This was stated at Sigep by Ferdinando Buonocore, the president of the Comitato Nazionale per la difesa e la diffusione del gelato artigianalethe (Italian National Committee for the defense of the artisanal ice cream industry). 'In the world – he added – there are 60 000 gelati store, of which only 32 000 in Italy'.
On March 9th there will be the third Ice Cream Day at the European Parliament in Strasbourg (ANSA)
The Ecoacquisti Trentino brand has finally born
The Ecoacquisti Trentino project aims to the reduction of the waste produced in Retail Stores and raises awareness on a more environmental friendly purchase in more than 100 outlets in the city of Trento area (Italy)
But what does it mean in practice "eco shopping?" Means that in the stores that have received this certification you can find canvas bags or other reusable materials, empty cartons to bring your purchases at home, rechargeable batteries, cold cuts and cheese in a ply-separable paper, fruits and vegetables packaged in compostable bags, bottles of water, wine or milk can be purchased in re-fillable containers.You can alsobuy food with special discounts in last-minute market or donate them to charitable organizations.
The project aims to the reduction of the amount of waste, the promotion of recycling practises, requires a constant audit of the POS and sustains educational projects through school and extracurricular activities. (Courtesy of Alternativa Sostenibile)
A consumer point of view on sustainable coffee
Food Retailers sometimes wonder why consumers should have to prefer orga
nic, sustainable coffee instead of the more “known and traditional” brands. We found this interesting article written by Johnathon D. Colman, a coffee snob, who explaines why he chooses sustainable coffee, and it can be summerized with his sentence: life is too short to drink bad caffeine!
Here are some other tips suggested by the Playgreen blog:
- Look for Organically Grown Coffee
- Buy Fair Trade Certified Coffee
- Purchase ‘Shade Grown’ Coffee
- Buy Locally Grown Coffee
We think these are all greats article to show to all Food Retailers who are not yet sure that the key to future success in this business is.
Fashion Retail: is Green cool? A IUM research insight
A new research carried out at IUM shows that “green fashion” is more appealing to North Americans than to Europeans. This is largely due to North Americans’ perception that green fashion consumers are young, trendy and self-confident and not unsophisticated, as Europeans see these same consumers.
Researchers found that environmental protection, health impact and ethical concerns most motivate consumers to purchase green fashion although the interest is merely moderate.
“Although consumers are ready to pay a premium to purchase organic food, they do not yet see the interest in organic fashion,” said Sandrine Ricard, Vice-President of IUM and part of the research team. “There is a need to better inform consumers about the nature of organic fashion and to continue ‘glamorizing’ both the communication and the products.”
Researchers found that North Americans perceive green fashion more favorably, in part because eco-clothing brands have been launched by celebrities, such as the brand, Edun, run by Bono and his wife. North Americans associate green fashion with a woman in her 20’s, simple but sexy, who wears organic shoes and clothing.
On the other hand, European respondents perceive organic fashion consumers as unglamorous. A typical consumer would be a simple woman in her 40’s, wealthy, having a healthy lifestyle but unsophisticated. Because organic products are more expensive, Europeans associate organic with social status and showing-off.
The research team also concluded that the concept of green fashion is not clear to the majority of respondents. Consumers seem lost in the exact meaning of green fashion and lack information on norms and processes. In Europe, green fashion must become more attractive to the young generation to be a viable consumer option. (Image courtesy of Gear Patrol blog)
The Green Key arrives in Italy, for more sustainable hospitality infrastructures
The Green Key is a Danish eco-label for all tourist accommodations (hotels, campsites, 
hostels, farmhouses, cottages and bed & breakfast) interested in reducing their environmental impact in the area .The hospitality structure that is interested in receiving the Green Key Certification must not only comply to a set of environmental, management (i.e. policies and impact assessment), food and product criteria, but also introduce a sustainable use of water and energy resources and waste management in its everyday workflow and operations.
We are sure that this is only the first step to raise the sustainability of Italy’s hospitality structures, which are now not really aligned to the eco-sustainable International standards.
What a sustainable Coffee retailer can do? Climbing mountains!
This is quite an interesting story that shows you a great way for raising awareness about climate change and global warming. Ishand Natalie, the national beverage manager for Woolworths Café and TriBeCa Coffee Roasting Company is a member of a team from Woolworths and that was expected to summit the 5 895m Uhuru Peak (Tanzania) today. The expedition is set to arise the awareness on the effect that the mountain’s melting ice is having on coffee farmers in Tanzania, who grow the organic coffee that Woolworths sells in its cafés (courtesy of IOL lifestyle)
Sometimes when we drink our morning coffee cup we are not aware of all universe that is in that cup – luckily there are companies and people who are starting to spread the word of sustainability and responsibility also in the Coffee Retail market.
When marketing and sustainability strategies are not aligned: the new trend among USA Food Retailers
We are just reporting the new trend among USA Food Retailers as in AzCentral.com.
“Phoenix-area coffee junkies who have grown immune to Starbucks' maximum 24-ounce jolt now can boost their caffeine intake by 30 percent without loading up on extra shots. About 280 Starbucks locations in the Phoenix area are now serving the new Trenta (Italian for 30) drinks and report they are catching on quickly….. Competitors McDonald's and Dunkin' Donuts already offer 32-ounce iced coffee and tea drinks. McDonald's, an increasingly aggressive competitor of Starbucks, sells a 32-ounce iced sweet-tea drink for $1”
All comments are more than welcomed!
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