A survey among teenagers aged 14 to 19 found that, while a career in retail was far from the most popular choice, it was also far from the least.

The Food Standards Agency has handed over the issue of removing artificial colours to the UK food industry and European regulatory agencies and turned up the temperature of the debate.

The Co-operative has been promoting its "water for water" initiative - which raises money for clean water systems in Africa - to British schoolchildren.

I am becoming increasingly concerned about emotionally charged, misleading and inaccurate media reports justifying the introduction by some retailers of alternative packaging formats to glass.

Influenced by Tokyo's department stores, Swiss food emporiums and Parisian gastro-boutiques, John Lewis has opened its first Foodhall in London.

Cadbury Trebor Bassett is to shut its Keynsham factory, with the loss of 500 jobs.

I was chatting with friends when the conversation turned to shopping. Jackie was moaning about the fact that she had to go to Asda for the week's food shopping and didn't have a clue what she was going to buy.

Over 90% of shoppers questioned in a survey from Capgemini said they are dissatisfied with their grocery shopping environment, with concerns over issues such as product availability and navigation of stores.

Sainsbury's has launched two lamb lines in an effort to support UK farmers hit by foot and mouth export restrictions. The multiple hopes to source 10,000 British "light lambs" per week through its new quarter lamb pack. The product "has a mixture of meal occasion uses and is ideal for freezing". This is the first time such lambs have been used by Sainsbury's. The other line is a boneless "cushion" shoulder, not traditionally sold in UK supermarkets.

Fast-becoming the second-biggest seasonal occasion next to Christmas in terms of retail sales, Halloween is an increasingly important event for retailers. UK consumer spending on Halloween has increased ten-fold over the past five years. This offers a perfect opportunity for retailers to create a Halloween-themed experience with some in-store theatre.

There's a lot of grunting and groaning, a lot of talking, but physically doing something they are finding a challenge." This is how Chris May, of leading customer management training company FXL, characterises relations between retailer buying teams and their supplier counterparts.

nWaitrose is well known for having a closer relationship than most with its suppliers, and for having sophisticated and credible sustainability policies. However, in terms of its fish counters, it's going further, in some cases - such as the new store in Marylebone High Street, central London - providing virtually all of the offer fresh, not frozen. How does it manage that?

Q We regularly implement new initiatives in store which involve staff training. How can I ensure a consistent customer experience - with no drop in service levels - is maintained during the training period?

nWell, we finally got round to it - the Store Manager. That hassled inhabitant of the back office and sometimes shop floor, an unsung hero of retail, pulled three ways by the demands of customers, staff and head office. The long-suffering Arkwrightus is perceived - and expected - to wield power and influence without actually having very much. The creativity and ambition of Managers is stymied by the twin horrors of central office diktat and health and safety regulations.

QI want to make the best use of the display space at the checkouts. I already have confectionery on a couple of them, but don't want to put it on every checkout - what other impulse items could I put there and what kind of sales uplift might I expect?

Bustling, fun and full of theatre. Those are terms you might apply to the cheeky, gaudy and quintessentially British seaside resort of Blackpool. However, you might also apply them to the distinctly classier interior of Booths' second 'Artisan' store in Lytham St. Annes, six miles down the Lancashire coast.

When one of the country's most-well-known chefs launches a range of bagged snacks, you know it means big business for retailers.

As years go, 2007 has been less than perfect in the beers, wines and spirits category. After rain, rain and more rain through the summer, high profile players such as Magners and Scottish & Newcastle reported sales downturns leading to fears that the weather, plus the lack of a big football tournament, could leave 2007 as the industry's annus horribilis.

The first commercial canning factory was set up in England in the early 1800s, providing foods for colonial explorers and servicemen. In those days before easy-open ends, cans came with instructions to "cut round on the top near to the outer edge with a chisel and hammer". Fortunately, technology has moved on and today's consumers need not resort to the toolbox to extricate their beans, soup, fish, pasta, vegetables or fruit.

The Ghost of Christmas to come...