Coca-Cola, Cadbury Trebor Bassett and Müller have signed up to the carbon footprint measurement scheme first put on pack by Walkers, although the product standard has yet to be finalised.

A leading figure in grocery retail has rejected the OFT's findings that supermarkets and the dairy industry "colluded" to keep milk and other dairy product prices high at a cost to the consumer of about £270m.

Branston is a strong, traditional British food brand and we felt that it would be good to offer our shoppers an established name as an alternative to Heinz.

Ribena is claiming to be the first "major UK soft drink" to use 100% recycled plastic in its ready-to-drink bottled blackcurrant range.

The IGD has predicted that spending on organic products will double over the next five years to reach £2bn by 2012.

Despite a disappointing summer, sales across all grocery retailers have stabilised recently, reports Nielsen, with a 4% gain in the past 12 weeks versus the same period last year. The four weeks to 18 September saw sales up 5% in value on last year. ACNielsen said better weather had helped, but there were other factors such as strong promotions in the liquor (+10%), fresh fruit & veg (+10%) and non-food (+8.5%) categories".

I can just imagine the turmoil at Morrisons head office as the chain continues to deal with the food poisoning aftermath. But aside from the rigorous inspections and other admin and legal loops the chain will be jumping through, there's also the less tangible issue of shopper confidence to deal with.

Despite forays into doing the Continental, the Brits are coming back to tried and trusted home-grown regionals such as Lancashire, Cheshire and Red Leicester, according to Mintel.

There has been a significant increase in the number of restaurant brands available in retail.

Following a desperate plea from UK pig farmers to retailers to pay them a higher price for pork, sausages, bacon and ham (the British Pigs are Worth It! campaign), it looks like there may be some hope on the horizon. A poll by the British Pig Executive found that 78% of pork and poultry consumers said they would be prepared to pay a "few extra pence" to cover rising costs. The BPE's campaign is being supported by chef Antony Worrall Thompson who said: "Consumers happy to pay more? It sounds unbelievable but it's true." The survey by YouGov found only 9% of those polled thought farmers were paid a fair price by the big retailers. The National Pig Association said "huge" worldwide rises in feed prices had pushed up costs by more than 30% in the past year.

Have you got Christmas wrapped up this year? It's not necessarily a given that stores and suppliers always get their acts streamlined enough to really make the most of the frenetic season. The weekend before is sure to see intense shopping, although it may be tougher to predict what will happen on Christmas Eve (this year it falls on a Monday).

n As the nation continues to struggle to achieve a work-life balance, the Government's latest steps to assist this have been welcomed by parents. However, the Work and Families Act 2006, which came into force on 1 October last year, has also had a significant impact on employers.

Retailers are brought up on the principle that 'the customer is always right". Yet customers are abusing the system - making unreasonable demands outside company policy which we cannot afford to meet. How can my staff say 'no' to a customer yet still keep them?

n Of all the visitors to Supermarketland, the Tosserus is the most likely to get up everyone's nose. As he strolls nonchalantly down the aisle, gabbling into his slim, glossy black state-of-the-art mobile phone, it's not hard to see why.

Q'Time-of-day' merchandising, as described here last month, is all well and good, but some managers don't have the resources or space to change the store around regularly. However, they may be planning to target evening shoppers who need quick and easy ideas for evening meals with a 'meal solution' fixture. What's the best way of creating this?

Far from turning its local high street into a ghost town, Ed Barton gives his Waitrose in London's fashionable Marylebone High Street credit for helping turn the area into a mecca for foodies.

Gigantic, colossal, gargantuan or just extremely large: the common synonyms for the confectionery market all perfectly describe a sector that cont­inues to provide grocery retailers with excellent sales opportunities.

Healthier confectionery ranges are becoming more common, but what does 'healthy' mean in this sector?

The next 12 months is going to be an exciting time for Nestle Rowntree, and we are supporting our brands heavily by communicating the message to customers. Total media support across all our brands is £57m, led by KitKat at £14m, Aero at £7m, and Heaven, Smarties and Rowntree's at £4m. This is how serious we are about our consumer communication. You can do great things with your products, strategies and retailers, but it has to be underpinned by talking to the consumer. It is also critical that retailers know when this media support is happening - how often do they get caught out when a media campaign breaks and they run out of stock?

Countlines - single bars - are struggling, although better merchandising could work wonders, say suppliers

We find that buyers are asking for more help in understanding how they can grow and attract more consumers to the category by clear and concise product ranging and promotions. Category management plays a vital role within this - helping the account achieve its objectives is paramount, and this is something we are currently investing in. I also believe that in today's climate the ability to promote off-fixture is becoming more difficult when such great focus is placed upon the 'ease of shop'. The majority of confectionery bought is on impulse, so coming up with new and unique ideas to gain those extra impulse sales with POS is a challenge.

Dark chocolate is finally coming into its own, after spending a long time on the confectionery margins

Shelf space dedicated to brands and own-label versions of premium chocolate bars is testimony to the significant and continued growth in this sector. Luxury boxed chocolates for general and seasonal gifting is also growing, with the majors dedicating more space at the expense of sectors such as pick 'n' mix. Premiumisation will continue to grow due to consumer trends towards greater sophistication in taste, time poverty and the need to indulge. Information on the health benefits of dark chocolate has led to greater consumer awareness of cocoa content and bean origin. Appreciation of chocolate is becoming like wine - there is a certain snob value!

The emergence of Trident caused a sticky situation in gum, but giant Wrigley is holding its own at the top

It is important to keep core confectionery ranges fully stocked at all times, and the confectionery category should be flagged by key brands such as Cadbury Dairy Milk. Dual features have been proven to deliver big sales increases in store, particularly if merchandised within a high-footfall area. Positioning hanging bags near large block chocolate provides an option for retailers looking to stock the sharing area of their store. We would advise wholesalers to site chocolate within the main confectionery section of the store. Strong POS that enhances the shopping experience can be used to drive impulse sales.

When William Cowper wrote more than 200 years ago that "variety is the spice of life" he probably wasn't talking about the market for wet cooking sauces. However, having shrugged off the stigma from the early bland and uninteresting days, the ethnic cooking sauces market (including Italian) has grown into a hotbed of innovation, with new flavours, cooking experiences and ethnicities hitting the shelves.