Retail Beat

• Schnucks test kitchens produce prepared food for shoppers
  Schnuck Markets added two test kitchens to its headquarters in Maryland Heights, Mo., where the company tests and tweaks recipes of prepared food. The kitchens use fresh produce from an outdoor garden created last year at the headquarters. St. Louis Post-Dispatch/Consumer Central blog (6/25)

• Target is going full steam ahead, CEO says
  Target CEO Gregg Steinhafel speaks about changes in inventory, pricing and more during an interview with USA TODAY. Changes include more fresh food, higher-end clothing and housewares, and expansion in Canada. USA TODAY (6/27)

Trend-Spotter

• Discount supermarkets battle in Boston
  Discount supermarket ALDI opened in Medford, Mass., competing with several discount grocers in the Boston area. The 10,000-square-foot store offers staples such as eggs, chicken and ice cream but stocks mostly private-label items. Boston Herald (6/24)

• 3 tips for selling a grocery
  Timing the sale of a grocery is key to getting the most offers and consequently the highest price. Progressive Grocer gives business owners three considerations to keep in mind when selling their operations. Progressive Grocer (6/24)

Health, Nutrition & Pharmacy

• Wal-Mart increases brand-name diabetes drugs' prices by 32%
  Wal-Mart Stores has steadily reduced the price of generic prescription drugs since 2006, but a study shows that the retailer increased the price of brand-name diabetes drugs by 32% between 2008 and 2010. "The message used to be to send uninsured and underinsured patients to Wal-Mart to get a great deal on generic drugs," said Dr. Ronald Tamler, an endocrinologist at New York's Mount Sinai Medical Center and co-author of the study. "Now, the message is to tell patients to shop around for their medications." Reuters (6/25)

• Advocacy group's plan to swap soda for fruit fizzles
  Hunger Action L.A.'s plan to get Koreatown residents to swap soft drinks for fresh fruits and vegetables at a food fair was not as successful as hoped, with only two people accepting the offer. The advocacy group said it will continue to persuade people to drink healthier beverages, despite the lack of interest. Los Angeles Times (6/26)

• Snacking accounts for 25% of Americans' daily calories
  Eating and drinking between meals accounts for a quarter of calories consumed by Americans, according to research presented at an Institute of Food Technologists expo. The research blames the busy, on-the-go lifestyle for increased snacking. Researchers said people consume about 580 extra calories daily by snacking, which might increase obesity. Yahoo!/MyHealthNewsDaily (6/25), Convenience Store News (6/24)

Supplier News

• Cheerios celebrates 70 years at the breakfast table
  Cheerios, a favorite cereal of toddlers and adults, turns 70 this year. General Mills tried 10 shapes before settling on the famous "O" in 1941. One of every eight boxes of cereal sold carries the Cheerios name, with Honey Nut Cheerios outselling the original. USA TODAY/The Associated Press (6/26)

• Perdue takes customers to the farm in an ad campaign
  Perdue Farms, famous for injecting humor into commercials, is getting serious in an ad campaign. Frank Perdue's son, Jim, Perdue Farms' chairman, is featured alongside employees in "documentary-style" ads that show the company's farms and how chickens are "always raised cage-free." The New York Times (tiered subscription model) (6/26)

• American Heart Association certifies Bolthouse's carrot products
  Bolthouse Farms gained certification from the American Heart Association for its 100% carrot juice, baby carrots and cello carrots. That allows the products to carry a heart-check mark on their labels. "The heart-check mark on our packaging can be a beacon for consumers looking to live healthy, active lives," Bolthouse CEO Jeff Dunn said. Drug Store News (6/24)

• Kozy Shack introduces pudding and brings gelatin to retailers
  The foodservice industry can serve Kozy Shack's gluten-free pudding Coffeehouse Blends, available in caffe latte, cappuccino and caramel macchiato. The company also is bringing a line of vegetarian gelatin to the retail level. SmartGels, which is kosher, comes in a single-serve cup. Drug Store News (6/26)

Hot Topics

Top five news stories selected by FMI dailyLead® readers in the past week.

• Nielsen: Online grocery sales will more than double by 2014 (Yahoo!)

• Ahold CEO sees "good" consumer sentiment (Bloomberg)

• Bar codes become works of art (The Wall Street Journal (tiered subscription model))

• 3 reasons not to always let your customers have their way (Bloomberg Businessweek)

• Safeway intros Open Nature with world-record picnic (Retailing Today)

• Results based on number of times each story was clicked by readers.

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Technology Solutions

• Coca-Cola Bottling rolls out hydrogen-powered forklifts
  Coca-Cola Bottling began using hydrogen-powered forklifts at its Charlotte, N.C., bottling plant this month. The forklifts are part of a larger green initiative to reduce waste. "The hydrogen fuel cell technology follows major strides in environmental stewardship, including aggressive recycling programs, high-efficiency lighting and one of the best water-usage ratios in the world at our Charlotte plant," said Vice President Lauren Steele. Procurement Leaders online (U.K.) (6/24)

Featured Content

FMI Spotlight

• Sustainability Summit
  Sept. 12 to 14, 2011
  Fairmont Scottsdale Princess in Scottsdale, Ariz.
  
  Join other socially and environmentally conscious executives at the FMI-Grocery Manufacturers Association Sustainability Summit, your opportunity to gain resources to accelerate sustainability programs within your company. Discuss topics ranging from packaging innovation and design thinking to sustainable agriculture -- attendees can find programs and activities that fit their needs. Register today!

Daily Quote

The crown of life is neither happiness nor annihilation; it is understanding." --Winifred Holtby, British novelist and journalist