The Irish Grocers Benevolent Fund launched its Christmas Retailer Appeal on November 8th in an effort to raise funds to continue its work. A letter was sent to over 1,800 retailers appealing for support to provide financial relief for people involved in the retail, wholesale and supplier trade sectors. Development Director of the IGBF, Des Redmond, called on the industry to lend its support, saying, “whilst we totally appreciate the support already received, we are in a situation where in recent years our income has been insufficient to match the level of assistance given”. The IGBF was founded over 30 years ago and is a national registered charity that assists unemployed and retired members affected by sickness or bereavement. Retailers can contribute to the fund on the charity’s website or using the payment form sent out in the information pack. For more information, visit www.igbf.ie
Lucozade manufacturer GlaxoSmithKline has said that it is aware that its products are being targeted by criminal gangs, as part of a fraud investigation into out of date stock that is being resold as fresh. Acording to GSK, "We are aware of an issue with a number of Lucozade Sport and Lucozade Energy Original bottles, where it appears that the applied expiry date has been tampered with." According to investigators, gangs are purchasing near-date products in bulk, using acetone to remove the expiry dates on bottles, and reprinting new expiry dates before selling them back to the trade for a considerable profit. However, GSK has assured customers that there are no health risks posed by the out of date products. "As long as the packaging and seal is intact, we would not expect there to be any safety concerns," it said.
The Irish division of Johnson & Johnson saw its profits decline to €2.3 million in the year to end 30 December 2012, compared to €5.6 million a year earlier. Johnson & Johnson Ireland, which is based in Tallaght, recorded a turnover of €59.7 million, compared to €60.4 million the previous year, while net operating expenses also rose, to €25.8 million (compared to €24.9 million a year earlier). Directors for the company said that "consumer sentiment in Ireland continues to be affected by the economic conditions faced by households driven by on-going austerity programmes. This has the effect of constraining consumption, driving down in-store pricing, and increasing the promiscuity of shoppers' selection of retail outlets."
Bord Bia is hosting its annual Food & Drink Industry Awards this week at the Royal Hospital Kilamainham. The event will see awards presented in seven categories including: Innovation, Consumer Insights, Branding, Success At Home, Export, Entrepreneurship and Sustainability. There are 21 shortlisted companies from over 140 entries. The overall category winner will be announced at the Brand Forum Annual Dinner this Thursday, November 14. The keynote speaker for the event will be Paul Duffy from Pernod Ricard.
Chairman of the Oireachtas Transport and Communications Committee, John O'Mahony TD, presented a report on the sponsorship of sporting events by alcohol companies in the Dáil on Friday. O'Mahoney told the Dáil that a ban would affect sports clubs at a "grassroots" level and cause difficulties for Ireland hosting international sporting events. While he said he supported the main aims for the National Substance Misuse Strategy to ban sponsorship, he felt more needed to be done in replacing the current funding methods. Minister for State at the Department of Health, Alex White emphasised that currently "children's sporting heroes are fashioned in alcohol branded sports gear, and the stadiums where they play are emblazoned in branding." He questioned whether the needs of protecting public health were less important than protecting the future of sporting events.
SuperValu has teamed up with Clarke's Jam to supply Irish jam to its stores, and the retailer expects to sell 144,000 jars or €390,000 worth of the product in 2013. Clarkes produce 100% Irish jam from locally grown fruit at its base in Stamullen, Co. Meath. Pat Clarke of Clarke's Fresh Fruit said, "We are delighted to partner with SuperValu as it gives us the opportunity to bring our produce to communities all over Ireland. Our contract with SuperValu also allows us to guarantee 110 local jobs with the possibility of expansion in the future.” Martin Kelleher, managing director of SuperValu said, "Our customers look to us to bring them the best quality produce and we strive to deliver this offering across our network of independent retailers. As a supporter of Irish suppliers, we believe that this quality can be sourced locally in Ireland."
Fast food continues to dominate the Irish foodservice industry, according the latest results of a report by Bord Bia. The Foodservice Channel Insights Report shows that price is still a factor for Irish consumers, but that people are also looking for 'excitement' and a 'new product offering' when eating out. The report also revealed that the average we spend on lunch daily is €6.24, and that 57% of lunches consumed at work are brought from home. Further growth of the foodservice market will depend on providers revitalising the dining-out experience but retaining a sense of familiarity, it said. "Interestingly, there is an ongoing emphasis on Irish sourcing across all product categories – with provenance, transparency and origin identified as driving trends within the trade," said Bord Bia foodservice specialist, Maureen Gahan.
Kilbeggan Distillery is closing temporarily to undergo restoration work to its distillery and tourist attraction centre. The 256 year-old building closed yesterday, and ail remain closed until mid-December. Kilbeggan distribution will not be affected by the work. Rachel Quinn, Global Brand Manager for Scotch & Irish for Beam, said, "The number of visitors to Kilbeggan has grown in the past two years thanks to the significant investment Beam has made to enhance the visitor experience. This next phase of renovation work will focus on replacing the courtyard roof and updating the fixed electrical onsite." The latest renovations at the Kilbeggan distillery follow Beam’s last year investment of €70,000 to fully restore the historic waterwheel as well as to enhance the visitor tour, tasting bar, gift shop and overall experience.
Moy Park Chicken are giving Irish families the chance to bring a loved one home for Christmas. One lucky winner will get the chance to fly home a friend or family member for the festive season. All Moy Park customers have to do is visit www.moyparkchicken.com and send their chosen one a Moy Park Christmas Card, inviting them home. Winners will receive a return flight for the festive season. Entry is open to residents of Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland aged 18 and over. The closing date for applications is Sunday December 1, 2013.There is no limit to the amount of entries that can be submitted.
The Food Safety Authority (FSAI) is holding a series of free, informal breakfast meetings for small food businesses. The events, called 'Breakfast Bites' will address topics on various areas of the small food business sector. The first upcoming Breakfast Bite, 'Nutrition Labelling- The Basics', will be run by Anne-Marie Boland of the FSAI, who will discuss EU and Irish nutrition labelling rules, highlighting when nutrition information becomes mandatory. Also on the agenda is an overview of the changes that have been introduced to nutrition labelling requirements in the new EU food information rules. The event takes place on November 28 from 8.30-9.30 am, in the FSAI office on Lower Abbey Street in Dublin.
The Irish Malting Barley Excellence Awards honoured Diageo as the largest buyer of malting barley in the country last week. The event, organised by Boortmalt, recognised that Diageo buy over 10% of the total barley supply and is worth over €250 million to the rural economy annually. Tom Hayes, junior agricultural minister, presented William Masterson of Clohamon, Co. Wexford with the overall award, while acknowledging Diageo and Boortmalt, co-hosts of the awards, for supporting and developing the malting barley sector. “The future prospects of this sector are very positive, primarily due to increasing global beer consumption and a general fall in the area of malting barley production internationally,” he said.
The Consumer Goods Forum welcomed almost 300 executives from 30 countries at its Global Marketing, IT and Supply Chain Conference last week in London. The event focused on the challenges facing the consumer goods industry and allowed attendees to share knowledge and best practices. Topics covered by more than 60 speakers included the role of standards in solving retail's 'search and discovery' challenge, unlocking the value of big data to make better strategic decisions, linked data and open data, click & collect, the role of the supply chain within a changing retail environment, and the seamless omni-channel approach to the customer experience. Tony Vendrig, senior vice president of supply chain at Albert Heijn, The Netherlands, and Co-Chair of the CGF Supply Chain Committee, said, “This year’s event has been an enormous success, and initial feedback from attending delegates suggests they agree, and this is what’s important. Through the plenary sessions, workstreams and workshops, there has been a genuine effort to share knowledge and best practices to help ensure a sustainable future for our industry by putting the customer first”.
© 2013 - Checkout Magazine by Genna Patterson
