April 2012 was the wettest April for over 100 years in the UK, with some areas seeing three times their usual average rainfall, according to the Met Office. As a result, drought status has been lifted in 19 areas in the South West, the Midlands and Yorkshire. Nevertheless, groundwater levels are still low at two-fifths (42%) of monitored sites across the country, and parts of East An...

A number of retailers reported strong results around the Queen's Diamond Jubilee week in early June 2012, suggesting that shoppers were only too happy to get into the mood for a unique summer of festivities that would also take in the European football championships, the Wimbledon tennis tournament and the London Olympics. Tesco reported its biggest ever trading week...

As Walmart celebrates its 50th anniversary this year, we look at the milestones on its journey to becoming the world’s largest retailer, and what the future holds. Against a backdrop of continued technological and digital innovation, changing shopper preferences and challenging economic conditions over the next few years, Walmart’s evolution is likely to result in the emergence of a very...

Food and grocery industry unites to offer training and help tackle youth unemployment Farms, factories and stores across the UK to provide training and showcase the diversity of the industry Some of the UK’s biggest employers involved Industry think-tank IGD calls on more businesses to play their part The UK’s food and grocery industry will unite to help tackle youth unemploymen...

Leading UK food and consumer goods companies have avoided creating 70,000 tonnes of supply chain waste. Through ECR (Efficient Consumer Response) UK’s initiatives, businesses are being encouraged to eliminate waste by making better product and packaging design, range and forecasting decisions, with colleagues and trading partners. Prevention is the best outcome from both a commercial and en...

Eight out of ten (78% of) European shoppers believe internet and mobile technology could improve their food shopping experience in the future, according to new research published today (Wednesday) by IGD. The Spanish and French are the most keen on digital innovations and while the Germans and Dutch are less convinced, they still regard it as important: Source: IGD ShopperVista , 'The...

- How are shoppers adapting to the downturn? - Shoppers’ current focus - Shopper missions - Online shopping behaviour - How the industry can help shoppers   How are shoppers adapting to the downturn? How often do you take a step back from the products or categories you're involved in to look at the big picture in terms of what shoppers want? Long before a sho...

Looking for Green Growth Every company in every industry has a direct reason to care about sustainability; it’s about securing the future. But food in particular is at the heart of it all. Food is the biggest industry by far employing about a third of the world’s population. We draw on a big share of the world’s resources including 70% of freshwater. We shape the landscape and almost ...

Tough economic times have done little to dampen the leading grocery retailers’ enthusiasm for international expansion. As modest growth and mature conditions continue at home, overseas markets will be increasingly important for Walmart, Carrefour, Tesco and Metro - the world's leading grocery retailers - over the next three years. We forecast that for all the top four, international g...

With a population of 90 million and strong economic growth during the past decade, Vietnam offers exciting prospects for modern consumer goods retail. But it may not all be plain sailing... In Ho Chi Minh City - Vietnam’s largest city - the evidence of the country’s growing urbanisation is clear. It’s a buzzing metropolis and it offers a suitable setting for the modernisation of the gr...