Marketing

Food volume sales are falling, according to the new report by IRI

Impact of economic recovery small as food volumes fall

By Rod Addy

Food and non-food volume sales are falling, indicating ordinary people are not feeling the benefits of economic recovery in Europe and the UK yet, according to market analyst Information Resources (IRI).

A selection of Britvic brands

Britvic: Fruit Shoot market share recovers

By Rod Addy

Fruit Shoot has finally regained the market share it had before the recall that dented brand owner Britvic, with one analyst claiming overall financial performance heralded ‘a new chapter’ .

Twitter, Facebook and other social media outlets can be 'a minefield', warns a leading expert

Social media ‘minefield’ warning for food suppliers

By Rick Pendrous

Social media is a “minefield” and is forcing food manufacturers and retailers to radically change their business systems and the way they manage consumer complaints, according to the boss of a leading food chain traceability and auditing software company.

Heinz recently entered the gluten-free sector with its range of pasta products

Free-from sales to soar on health and wellness trend

By Gary Scattergood

The UK free-from market is forecast to grow by 46% to £561M by 2017, but it is still characterised by the reluctance of many major manufacturers do “dip their toes in the market”.

The group's plans to integrate Makro were 'on track', said Booker boss Charles Wilson

Booker’s plans to integrate Makro are ‘on track’

By Mike Stones

Britain’s largest cash-and-carry wholesaler the Booker Group has revealed plans to integrate Makro, the business it acquired last year, are on track, claims the firm’s interim results announcement.

The stronger performance of Greencore’s UK and US businesses during the fourth quarter should help the firm achieve 9% earnings per share in 2014, said Panmure Gordon.

Greencore’s Food to Go to be the driver: City

By Mike Stones

Greencore’s “resilient business model” means the food manufacturer is poised for growth, with its Food to Go business remaining the driver, says City analyst Panmure Gordon.

Pizza firms focus on authentic styles

Pizza product development

By Lorraine Mullaney

New product development activity in the pizza market is focusing on authentic and traditional-style pizzas, gourmet ingredients and toppings and healthier alternatives, according to Lu Ann Williams, director of innovation at Innova Market Insights.

Soup shelf-life could be 18 months

Heat-processable barrier plastics find new niches in soup

By Paul Gander

The first applications of RPC's new Apollo barrier polypropylene (PP) alternative to the metal can are likely to be in long-life soups, in liquid nutraceuticals and - in a different combination of barrier and structure - powdered nutraceuticals,...

Thorntons's results have given it something to smile about

Thorntons sees strong commercial and export growth

By Rod Addy

Thorntons chief executive Jonathan Hart expects further growth from supermarket sales in the coming year, he told FoodManufacture.co.uk, after the company posted strong fourth quarter growth in the division including that area.

Dairy manufacturers promised lower costing ingredients

Creamy yet clean-label, cost-effective starch

Ingredion's new functional native starch - Indulge 1720 - is a clean-label co-texturiser designed to enable dairy manufacturers to deliver thick and creamy - yet cost-effective - indulgent yogurt products.

Tasty growth: In-home food market is predicted to rocket up by 20% in value by 2017

UK in-home food market could top £100bn by 2017

By Andrew Williams

The UK in-home food market is predicted to rocket in value by 20% by 2017, with a ‘best-case’ scenario seeing it break through the £100bn barrier that year, according to market research specialist Mintel.

Taste the fame: celebrity endorsements from people like Gary Lineker exert big influence on children's food choices

Celebrity endorsements influence child food choices

By Gary Scattergood

Celebrity advertising of food products has a far greater impact on children than previously thought, with a new study finding for the first time that youngsters ate far more of an endorsed product after seeing the star in a different context, as well...

Sainsbury reported total sales up by 3.9% – partly reflecting the contribution of new store space.

Food price inflation to stabilise, Sainsbury sales up

By Mike Stones

Food price inflation is expected to stabilise over the next few months – despite recent reports of big food price increases from Waitrose – according to market research organisation BRC-Nielsen.

Check this out: online food and grocery sales are set to reach £11bn in five years

Food firms miss out on 'millions' of pounds of online grocery sales

By Laurence Gibbons

Food manufacturers are missing out on sales worth millions of pounds by using the internet only to promote their brands and not for direct sales, according to speakers at the grocery think-tank IGD’s Trading in a Digital World conference.

The chilled food giant announced in May a new Indian meal range for Tesco

Bakkavör runs ‘a tight ship’ as sales rise 3%

By Mike Stones

Chilled own-label food company Bakkavör runs “a tight ship”, according to Julian Wild, food group director at legal firm Rollits, after the firm released half-year results for the 26 weeks to June 30.

The health and indulgence categories take the biscuit for top sales

Biscuit sector driven by health and indulgence

By Freddie Dawson

Global biscuit manufacturers are responding to consumers’ contradictory demands by launching new products targeting both health and indulgence, according to market research firm, Innova Market Insights.

Crisps to go with your lager, sir? Manufacturers and retailers may turn to cross-category promotions to stem lost sales arising from a minimum price for alcohol

Food and drink combos to beat min alcohol pricing

By Freddie Dawson

Manufacturers and retailers may use cross-category promotions between drinks and food to stem lost sales arising from government plans to introduce a minimum price for alcohol.

Nestlé acquired Pfizer in a £7.35bn deal

Nestlé beats Danone to Pfizer baby-food takeover

By Freddie Dawson

KitKat maker Nestlé has beaten rival manufacturer Danone in the takeover battle for baby-food business Pfizer Nutrition after agreeing an offer of £7.35bn ($11.85bn) for the firm.

Tesco will invest £1bn in improving its UK business

Tesco £1bn investment underway as UK sales fall

By Dan Colombini

Record profits from its overseas supermarkets have propped up tumbling British sales at retail giant Tesco as the firm revealed it will invest £1bn in improving UK stores and cutting prices.

McMoy's is the fourth largest salted snack brand in the UK

UB quiet on salty snacks sale as sector rises

By Freddie Dawson and Mike Stones

Jaffa Cakes maker United Biscuits (UB) has dismissed reports that it is preparing for the sale of its salty snacks business – ascribed a £500M price tag by some commentators – as “market speculation”.

Premiership football star Rio Ferdinand write messages about the Snickers bar on his Twitter page

Mars given ASA all-clear in Rio Ferdinand Twitter row

By Dan Colombini

Chocolate manufacturer Mars has been given the all-clear from the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) after the watchdog judged Twitter endorsements from Manchester United footballer Rio Ferdinand and glamour model Kate Price to be “acceptable”.

Premier has announced a £10M investment in its Ambrosia brand

Ambrosia leads Premier Foods Power Brand growth

By Dan Colombini

Premier Foods’ Power Brand plan is expected to deliver “significant growth” this year after the firm announced a new £10M investment in its Ambrosia rice snack pots range.

Britvic makes and distribues the Pepsi brand under licence in the UK

Pepsi’s fizzy growth boosts Britvic results

By Dan Colombini

A strong performance from its UK carbonates division, lead by “substantial” Pepsi share gain, has boosted revenues at soft drinks manufacturer Britvic for the all-important Christmas period, according to city analysts.

Frozen food sales reached £5.36bn last year - with a little help from Jamie and friends

Jamie Oliver helps boost frozen food sales by £250M

By Tom Chandler

Celebrity endorsements by TV chefs such as Jamie Oliver plus consumers’ perception of high-value and low-waste helped the UK frozen food sector grow by 5.2% to reach sales of £5.36bn last year, according to the British Frozen Foods Federation (BFFF).

Chocolate sales enjoy a tasty festive boost

UK chocolate bucks EU confectionery trend

By Tom Chandler

Chocolate-hungry consumers are helping UK manufacturers buck the European trend of stagnant confectionery sales, according to market research organisation Mintel.

Food for senior thought. Products designed for seniors will become increasingly important

Food for seniors is one of 10 top trends for 2012

By Tom Chandler

Food products designed for consumers over the age of 65 is one of the key food trends that will dominate 2012, according to marketing research firm Innova Market Insights.

M&S is pinning its hopes on tasty festive sales in order to ensure a profitable New Year

Supermarket wars hit food prices

By Dan Colombini

The first evidence emerged this week of how supermarket price wars were helping to force food prices down. Food prices were 0.5% lower in the first two weeks of this month compared with the previous month, according to the British Retail Consortium (BRC).

Dairy Crest aided by higher cheese prices

Cheese and property boost profits at Dairy Crest

By Dan Colombini

Higher cheese prices and profits from property sales helped Dairy Crest to a strong financial performance for the period ending September 30, according to city analysts.

New recipes: Goodfellas look to reclaim top spot in the frozen pizza market

Northern Foods has big pizza plans for Goodfellas

By Dan Colombini

Troubled own-label manufacturer Northern Foods is aiming to reclaim market leadership of the frozen pizza sector with a rebranding of its Goodfella’s pizza line involving new packaging and processing technologies.

Joanne Denney-Finch: Reformulating products to keep a price point is consumers'

Food quality is king, says IGD shopper survey

By Rick Pendrous

Shoppers have overwhelmingly rejected the re-engineering of foods to keep prices down as the cost of ingredients rises, according to the results of a survey conducted by the grocery think tank IGD.

M&S' Christmas hampers go on sale online tomorrow

M&S plans a bumper natural, novel Christmas

By Rick Pendrous

Marks & Spencer (M&S) is planning a bumper Christmas with novel food and drink products and ‘natural’ packaging design ideas sourced from around the world.

The free-from food sector is seeing meteoric growth

Meteoric growth for free-from foods: Mintel

By Rick Pendrous

Britain’s free-from food sector is witnessing meteoric growth as more consumers report intolerance to certain foods, according to a new report about to be published by market research company Mintel. Retail sales are set to soar from £303M a year to £519M...

Fruit purée processor Fourayes wants to expand its product portfolio

Fourayes to grow fruit purée portfolio

By Rod Addy

Fruit purée processor Fourayes wants to expand its product portfolio, leaving no stone unturned in its quest to keep on top of market trends, drive up sales and offset cash flow fears, md Phil Acock told Rod Addy in this exclusive podcast.

FAB deal: R&R Ice Cream has acquired Pilpa; the ice cream division of French firm Maison Boncolac

R&R scoops up French ice cream unit to rival Unilever

By Mike Stones

Europe's largest own-label ice cream manufacturer, R&R Ice Cream (R&R) has acquired Pilpa, the ice cream division of French firm Maison Boncolac. The firm is now on track ot rival Unilever's European market dominance in the sector, said...

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