South Africa. One-eighth the size of the United States, twice as large as France and over three times the size of Germany, it covers over one million square kilometres. Eleven different languages are spoken among the Rainbow Nation's 50 million inhabitants. The country has a rich and often turbulent history. Since Nelson Mandela walked out of prison on that momentous day in 1990, the...

Brazil is a market full of promise and now one of the world’s top ten economies, but it comes with inherent challenges for international retailers and FMCG manufacturers. We review some of the success stories we have witnessed in São Paulo and Salvador (Bahia) and highlight the key components you need to take into account if you are considering entering this market. Slower or more ...

The environmental debate often focuses on climate change, driven over recent years by high profile events such as the Copenhagen and Cancun summits. Climate change opinions Despite the ongoing debate about climate change, shoppers’ opinions hardly changed between 2009 and 2011, as these findings from IGD's report, Environmental Sustainability - How to Engage Shoppers, shows: Opi...

A Pledge for Change The food and grocery chain … is the ideal place to build a career. We’re the world’s most important industry. We influence health and wellbeing … and we shape the environment. Over 70% of the world’s freshwater is used to produce food … and more than three quarters of UK land is used for farming. We also make an enormous contribution to the economy. Globally,...

Business Sector Foodservice Location Pilot scheme in Ashford, Kent Type of engagement The Brakes Group is a leading supplier to the foodservice sector in the UK, Ireland, France and Sweden. As part of its Corporate, Social & Environmental Responsibility (CSER) strategy Brakes employees are embarking on a new community programme that encourages building relationships within local c...

At his first preliminary results presentation as Group CEO in April 2011, Philip Clarke outlined six fresh strategic objectives to guide Tesco’s short term priorities. One of these raised the bar for Tesco’s international operations, setting a new goal of being outstanding internationally rather than just successful. In this article we explore how Tesco is planning to achieve this ambition...

Walmart intends to position itself as a multi-channel retailer in the US, thereby becoming less dependent on its large format hypermarkets. What are the drivers behind this and what could the implications be for the broader grocery industry? Developing multiple formats It was back in October 2010 that Walmart started to articulate a new multi-format approach, suggesting that the ret...

Business Sector Food Manufacturing Location Bakkavör Caledonian Produce Part of the Bakkavör Group, Caledonian Produce is a fast moving fresh produce business operating 7 days per week, 24 hours with a total current headcount of 900 staff. Type of engagement Part of our strategic intent is to attract and retain new employees and develop employee engagement through our local co...

Business Sector Food Manufacturing Location Hayes Type of engagement Providing Work Experience Placements to 16-19 year olds: Attracting talent and building entrepreneurs of the future. UB has an established track record in supporting schools and colleges to provide opportunities for students to develop business related skills and gain an understanding of the world of work. P...

European shoppers are using a variety of formats – from supermarkets and hypermarkets to convenience stores and online – as they adapt to this age of austerity. In our recent conversations with shoppers across Europe, it has emerged that the desire to hunt around to find the best value for money is a key driver of shopping across multiple channels. However, our latest research, Shoppe...