Progressive Grocer - January/February 2009 - (Page 36)

NEWSMAKERS PG picks the grocers that will grab the big headlines in 2009. n a year in which headlines are sure to be more dramatic than usual across the country, you can also be sure supermarket operators will be creating their own share of headlines in 2009. The expanding pressures of a contracting economy will doubtless drive the retail news over the course of the year, and PROGRESSIVE GROCER will be there to record the highs and lows as this pressure cooker affects the industry. What follows is our best estimate of which supermarket industry players are most likely in this volatile climate to make news, good or bad, in the coming year. The trends to watch will include escalating price wars, expanding private label programs, decelerating store openings and cap ex strategies, and sadly, the real potential for layoffs to spread as pressures for cost cuts continue. The food retail world will also be closely watching the face-off between global corporate giants Tesco and Walmart as they brandish their latest weapon of choice, the small, fresh-focused store format. The bill reads: Fresh & Easy vs. Marketside, a battle royal for the hearts and wallets of Phoenix shoppers. Indeed, shoppers—most of whom are under just as much pressure as grocers, if not more—and the decisions they make as they seek to feed themselves and their families, will drive the most important news for grocers in 2009, whether they make the headlines or not. Retail I Ahold USA AHOLD USA has managed to keep comps rising, despite a tanking economy, and a considerable bite taken out of its second-quarter margins last year by the ongoing Value Improvement Program (VIP) at U.S. banners Stop & Shop and Giant-Landover. The key to this has been that its price investments have allowed it to stay competitive in its markets. 36 • Progressive Grocer • January/February 2009 A H E A D O F W H AT ’ S N E X T www.progressivegrocer.com http://www.progressivegrocer.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Progressive Grocer - January/February 2009

Progressive Grocer - January/February 2009
Front End: Aldi’s Private Label Showing its Fitness
Nielsen’s Shelf Stoppers/Spotlight: Prepared Foods-DryMixes/Rice Mixes
Market Snapshot: Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minn.
Outstanding Independents Awards: Up with People
Current Events: Retail Newsmakers
Contents
Lempert Report: The Phoenix Format Face-Off
Independents Report: Making your Workplace Family-Friendly
Multicultural Marketing: Where there’s Mystery, there’s Margin
Wake-Up Call: New Habits Die Hard
Beverage Alcohol: Wine 101
Soft Drinks: Creating a Buzz
Whole Grains: The Brown Version
Packaging: The Whole Package
Meat: Master Beef Backer
Pet Care: Financing Fido
Executive Insight Series: Technology and the Independent Grocer: Eye of the Gale
Equipment Case Studies: Food. Service. Equipment
Financial Insights: What the Yield Curve Shows
What’s Next: Editors’ Picks for Innovative Products

Progressive Grocer - January/February 2009