Flaws In Wal-Mart’s
Produce-Procurement Thinking
The Financial Times has an article titled, Walmart Aims to Cut Supply Chain Cost, that reports on Wal-Mart’s efforts to reduce supply chain costs. First, the piece highlights Wal-Mart’s intention to avoid third-party procurement companies: Walmart is launching a drive this year to cut billions of dollars of costs from its supply chain by combining […]
Weighing In On The Health Care Debate
During normal times we see no particular virtue in working in the public policy arena. We suspect that those who work in the private sector — creating jobs and building companies — do at least as much for the public welfare as those who work in government. Yet, exceptional times create exceptional responsibilities, so we’ve […]
Introducing PerishableNews.com
The launch of Jim Prevor’s Perishable Pundit back in 2006 created an industry sensation with readership quickly spreading deep within the trade and across the whole planet. Beyond the trade, government officials, journalists, academics and others with direct impact on the industry all joined in the great discussion of industry issues that is conducted in […]
Laying Groundwork During The Recession
It was just over a year ago that we ran a piece titled, Tesco Uses Poor Economy As Excuse For Fresh & Easy Pullback. This was followed up with a piece titled, What Will Be The Fate of Fresh & Easy, which included some validation in the form of a note from one the trade’s […]
Pundit Asked To Speak On Food Policy
In these troubled times, there are few causes more important than encouraging the education of our citizenry. So the Pundit was thrilled when he was contacted by The American Committees on Foreign Relations (ACFR) and asked to consider lecturing on food policy. These committees are the lineal descendents of the old committees affiliated with the […]
New Event Planned For 2010:
Eastern Produce Council And PRODUCE BUSINESS AnnounceThe New York Produce Show And Conference
We are, of course, appreciative for the great national shows that serve the produce industry. We’ve been honored to speak many times at both the Produce Marketing Association’s Fresh Summit event and the annual United Fresh Produce Association convention. We’ve also had an opportunity to write generously of these fine events: Recessionary Reactions / Cutting […]
Great Idea For A
Last Minute Christmas Gift
Even as Bill Gerlach was writing, we were in the midst of a transformational project: The launch of a new magazine named Cheese Connoisseur. Known as “The Magazine of Tasteful Living,” Cheese Connoisseur is a “hybrid” magazine, having both a business-to-business circulation and a consumer circulation much along the lines of a publication such as […]
Tesco Loses UK Market Share While
Fresh & Easy Shows US Sales Growth
Our extensive study of Tesco’s Journey to America as Fresh & Easy continues with lots of news regarding Tesco. First Tesco announced its sales numbers and faced headlines like this in London’s Telegragh: Tesco Sales Suffer As Clubcard Push Fails Despite months of heavy promotion and a doubling of Clubcard loyalty points to customers, sales […]
Branded Giants Should
Pay For Produce’s Halo Effect
We were writing this Pundit while up in Long Island. Mrs. Pundit had run into a Stop & Shop to pick up some pharmaceuticals but she also brought the Jr. Pundits some sustenance in the form of a master pack of Mott’s brand sliced apples. These are marketed by C.H. Robinson and are part if […]
True Purpose Of Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving’s Journey Of Freedom, brought many kind notes. Most contained comments such as this one: Your Thanksgiving Journey article is great to read in these days of over consumption. We often times forget to count our blessings. Thanks for reminding us of the importance of doing so. — Ed MorrisonDivision Director Interfresh Vernon, California Yet […]