Industry News

AP April 17, 2013 DRINKS giant Coca-Cola has reported first-quarter results above expectations and said it struck deals to start refranchising its US business. The world’s biggest beverage maker, which makes Sprite, Dasani and Powerade, had purchased the bulk of its North American bottlers in 2010 with the goal of streamlining production under one roof. CEO Muhtar Kent has suggested that the company would eventually refranchise the territories to independent bottlers. A franchising model lowers overhead costs for Coca-Cola because it means regional bottlers take on the responsibilities for delivering its drinks to supermarkets, gas stations and other retailers. But the details on how exactly Coca-Cola plans to structure its franchise business in the US over the long term are still not clear. Under the deal announced on Thursday, for instance, Coca-Cola would still own the production plants in the affected territories. The bottlers, which are independent companies, would buy…

Michael Baker April 17, 2013 The global personal computer market is in freefall. According to market research house International Data Corporation, worldwide personal computer shipments declined by 13.9 per cent in the first quarter of 2013 compared to the same quarter a year ago. It was the fourth consecutive quarterly loss. The Asia Pacific region experienced a record 12.7 per cent decline in the first quarter. The key problems in the PC market are not difficult to discern. Global tablet and smart phone sales are soaring as consumers shift their social networking, email, shopping, video gaming and other activities from PCs to the smaller portable devices. Compounding the problem for PC makers has been the introduction of Windows 8 with its emphasis on touchscreen technology. This has not been warmly embraced by consumers, further slowing PC sales. As PC sales implode and sales of smart phones and tablets rise by…

Melissa Matheson April 22, 2013 The Daily Telegraph IT used to be the staple diet of the blokey tradie. But now more women are tucking into the humble pie, thanks largely to exotic combinations and gourmet ingredients. In fact, nearly twice as many professional female workers as male builders or taxi drivers say it’s their favourite snack, according to a survey by retailer Pie Face. Tim Browne, who had the enviable job of being head judge at the Sydney Royal Fine Food Show’s commercial pie competition on Friday, said high-quality ingredients and creativity from bakers had helped create a “foodie” interest in pies. “The quality of ingredients that people are putting in their pies, but also the variety of flavours, it’s a lot more upmarket,” Mr Browne said. Entries in this year’s Sydney Royal Fine Food Show pie competition included a chicken, sweet potato and pesto pie, a Mexican pie…

April 8, 2013 NACSOnline A House bill fails to get a hearing, and the measure appears dead for the year. TALLAHASSEE – Legislation that would have allowed Sarasota County and several local governments to re-impose smoking bans on public property, including public beaches, appears stalled for this year, the Herald Tribune reports. Two state Senate committees previously approved the measure (SB 258), but its companion bill in the House (HB 439) has stalled without receiving a hearing. The panel to which the measure was assigned is not scheduled to meet again. Sen. Rob Bradley, who helped steward the bill through the Senate, said he would work after the current session on trying to find a compromise “so we can move this issue forward” next year. He said House members had indicated to him that their reluctance to embrace the bill was based on their perception that the legislation was “too…

April 8, 2013 NACSOnline Obama’s federal tax increase to fund preschool programs has raised the ire of tobacco companies. ​WASHINGTON – Even before President Obama officially proposed a federal cigarette tax increase to fund preschool programs, many tobacco companies and sellers were already lined up against it. Obama’s 2014 budget proposal, released April 10, would finance a pre-kindergarten program for 4-year-olds with higher taxes on cigarettes and other tobacco products. The president outlined the program in his annual State of the Union speech. White House spokesman Jay Carney declined to elaborate on the proposed tobacco-tax increase. “Wait for specifics,” he told reporters at a briefing — but the tobacco industry didn’t wait. “The idea of increasing taxes on low- to middle-income Americans at this time is ludicrous,” said Bryan Hatchell, a spokesman for Reynolds-American. “As middle-income Americans struggle to make ends meet in a very slow economic recovery period, this…