Coconut water: Not all it’s cracked up to be?
The Age December 5, 2014 As a refreshing drink it is okay, but the coconut isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Still, Victoria’s Secret Angel Doutzen Kroes puts coconut oil in her hair for lustrous locks and Gwyneth Paltrow admitted to oil pulling with coconut oil. Celebrities from Lara Bingle to Pete Evans have endorsed coconut water and global sales have reached $400 million a year. The coconut, whether lathered on skin or drunk like water, claims to restore skin while boosting your immune system. The Raw C coconut water website says the drink has taken off because of its natural hydrating qualities, as well as being a great source of nutrients, including calcium and magnesium. “Coconut water also contains the same amount of potassium as a banana.” The ABC says coconut water is moderately rich in potassium and minerals, magnesium, sodium, calcium and phosphorus. But it also said…
Read MoreThe Odd Couple: Can Sales and Marketing Ever Get Along?
MICK HOLLISON Inc. The real question is how this odd couple can team up to meet and exceed customer expectations and deliver on business objectives. For the benefit of my undoubtedly youthful readership, The Odd Couple is a television comedy that ran for several years in the early 1970s. The show is based upon the play written by Neil Simon. The stars of the show are Felix and Oscar, two divorced men who decided to share an apartment in New York City. Felix is neat and tidy while Oscar is super casual and a bit of a slob. The obvious clashes in everything from their attire to their dining preferences lead to some truly funny television. In the business world, marketing professionals and salespeople often behave a bit like Oscar and Felix, unable to collaborate or agree on much of anything. Does it really have to be this way? Is…
Read MoreAmbition vs. Appetite
Sherry Frey December 4, 2014 CSNews Americans have been trending toward more health-related food purchases for years now. But Nielsen recently completed a survey on the $374-billion snack industry indicating that we are noshing like there’s no tomorrow. So, what gives? Are we eating healthy and unhealthy foods in equal measure? According to the findings in an August Nielsen/NMI Health & Wellness in America report, we literally want to have our cake — and carrot juice — and eat them, too. Consider the following seemingly contradictory facts: •While 75 percent of us say we feel we can manage health issues through proper nutrition, 91 percent of us admit to snacking at least once per day on candy, ice cream and chips. •Less than half of Americans who rate low salt and sugar intake as important to diet and weight management actually restrict their use of either one. •Seventy-five percent of…
Read MoreAustralia the testing ground for McDonald’s changes
Eli Greenblat NOVEMBER 25, 2014 THE AUSTRALIAN TAGGING Australia as one of its most challenging markets, ÂMcDonald’s, the world’s biggest fast-food chain, will use its 900-strong local store network as a testing ground for a new fitout design that will eventually be launched in its US home market. Australia will also soon be one of the first countries to have the new McDonald’s mobile app with tools such as promotions, pre-ordering and a loyalty program designed to help re-engage with consumers who have strayed to other fast-food options and drive them back to the golden arches. McDonald’s faces a slew of earnings challenges around the globe as people turn to healthier options, upstart rival chains or else pull back their spending on eating out because of rising unemployment, stagnant economic growth and concerns about the cost of living. Young eaters, especially, have been peeling away from McDonald’s, the largest player…
Read MoreILLICIT TOBACCO MARKET HITTING HONEST RETAILERS HARDER THAN EVER BEFORE
November 25 2014 New independent research from by KPMG LLP in the UK shows the use of black market illegal tobacco in Australia has reached levels never before experienced and, according to the Australasian Association of Convenience Stores (AACS), it’s not just honest retailers who are feeling the effects. AACS CEO Jeff Rogut said the rampant market for illicit tobacco robs honest retailers of legal sales while increasing the risk of tobacco ending up in the hands of minors. It also prevents the Government from collecting its rightful tax revenue. The latest KPMG research, Illicit Tobacco in Australia, shows that illegal tobacco use in the last 12 months has increased to account from 13.5% to 14.3% of total consumption. One in every seven cigarettes consumed in Australia is illegal. “Gangs are profiting from the illegal tobacco market in Australia more than ever before and this criminal behaviour is spiralling out…
Read MoreThe Private Label Opportunity for Convenience Stores
Jeff Rogut CEO AACS Consumer perceptions related to private-label products are “overwhelmingly favorable” across the world. This is according to a recently published global survey performed by New York-based Nielsen. As attendees on our recent overseas study tour to Japan and Korea saw, private brands abound in convenience stores across many categories. Private label dollar share of sales ahs grown from approx. 14% in 2010 to 21.3% in 2014 MAT. A quote from the report: “Shoppers are increasingly aware of price, which is no longer a differentiator, but an expectation,†said Caroline Burgess, associate director, client service, Nielsen. “Retailers have traditionally focused on ‘me-too’ offerings rather than creating a point of difference with their private-label products. This is changing as more retailers have taken on the role of brand creator, providing reassurance, personality and something unique in the products they offer. The premium tier is particularly valuable as it allows…
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