The Spanish ministry of agriculture and ASEDAS, the association which represents the supermarket sector in Spain, have launched a joint initiative designed to help promote the country's food industry to the benefit of both the trade and consumers. The new initiative will also give greater support to the growing number of small and medium sized food producers in Spain, in particular when it comes to providing shelf space for their products. Supermarkets will also share information with producers about prevailing consumer tastes and expertise on modern management techniques.
Supermarkets have been fiercely criticised by the Spanish authorities in recent weeks for apparently profiting from reduced supplies of a number of vegetable products by introducing steep price rises. Supermarkets account for 42.3 per cent of all food sales in Spain according to ASEDAS, and as such play a major role in the development of the food industry there.
Following the first consumer poll since the results of the GM crop trials, the Co-op, Britain's biggest farmer and owner of The Co-operative Bank, said it will not grow GM crops on its own land, sell GM food under its own brand or invest Bank customers' money in GM technology. Furthermore it will reject any Government proposals that allow the commercial planting of GM crops in the UK.
Martin Beaumont, chief executive of the Co-operative Group said, "We would urge other consumer-led businesses to follow this precautionary approach. Too little is still understood about this technology and how it would impact on our environment in future generations. Let the science and research continue, but, unless, or until, the case is convincingly made, the Government has a responsibility to keep the lid on commercial growing,"
NOP World survey conducted over the weekend of 18/19 October with 1574 customers and members of Co-op supermarkets and The Co-operative Bank. These results are based on 1183 respondents who claimed to have some awareness of the issues.
Sainsbury is to use information collected from the Nectar scheme to help suppliers better fit customer needs from store to store. As a result of the service, suppliers will be able to find out information including how many of their products are being bought, the shopping profiles of customers purchasing particular products and the most appropriate marketing techniques to attract them.
Sainsbury's has teamed up with Lawson Software and market research group Taylor Nelson Sofres (TNS) to provide the information. The service will be available to all suppliers from this month and follows a successful pilot carried out earlier this year, when the retailer shared product and store-based research with a selection of key suppliers. Positive feedback has led to the supermarket offering the information to all its suppliers.
