If 2006 was the year the grocery industry came under more scrutiny than ever before, 2007 is poised to be the year in which it is held to account.
This is the stark message from
some of the biggest names in UK
grocery, who deliver their predictions for the year ahead over the next six pages.
The emerging thinking document from the Competition Commission, due out imminently, will undoubtedly provide the first of many talking points. A selection of eminent industry leaders have provided us with several other. And The Grocer team has made some predictions of its own, with health expected to dominate the agenda (see below).
The war between the traffic light and GDA camps over the labelling of "unhealthy" foods, which intensified this month with rival advertising and marketing campaigns, is just the half of it.
Nutrient profiling - and in particular the controversial 100g measure - will come under renewed fire as the industry gathers evidence to persuade Ofcom that the model is flawed.
With environmental concerns now firmly entrenched in the collective consciousness, there will also be more energy-saving and customer-facing (read positive PR generating) initiatives as businesses attempt to slash soaring energy costs, meet government targets and appease interest groups.
We predict local sourcing will be a key focus of debate as concerns over food miles, food provenance and the state of UK farming come to the fore. (See Living La Vida Local on page 30)
We expect even more merger and acquisition activity, and have teamed up with Cantor Index to provide some predictions. (See page 33)
As our views from the top demonstrate, a host of other issues are set to dominate the agenda this year. These include: rising costs and labour shortages, innovation (or lack thereof), on-line shopping, the impact of the accession of countries like Poland to the European Union and the emerging power of China and India - not to mention the power of the supermarkets.
And don't be misled by Sir Terry's insistence that health and the environment are Tesco's only major concerns.
Price is firmly back on the agenda, as Richard Brasher, Tesco's trading director, made abundantly clear in the national press last weekend when the retailer triggered a price war by cutting the cost of 600 key items by a total of £80m.
This is the stark message from
some of the biggest names in UK
grocery, who deliver their predictions for the year ahead over the next six pages.
The emerging thinking document from the Competition Commission, due out imminently, will undoubtedly provide the first of many talking points. A selection of eminent industry leaders have provided us with several other. And The Grocer team has made some predictions of its own, with health expected to dominate the agenda (see below).
The war between the traffic light and GDA camps over the labelling of "unhealthy" foods, which intensified this month with rival advertising and marketing campaigns, is just the half of it.
Nutrient profiling - and in particular the controversial 100g measure - will come under renewed fire as the industry gathers evidence to persuade Ofcom that the model is flawed.
With environmental concerns now firmly entrenched in the collective consciousness, there will also be more energy-saving and customer-facing (read positive PR generating) initiatives as businesses attempt to slash soaring energy costs, meet government targets and appease interest groups.
We predict local sourcing will be a key focus of debate as concerns over food miles, food provenance and the state of UK farming come to the fore. (See Living La Vida Local on page 30)
We expect even more merger and acquisition activity, and have teamed up with Cantor Index to provide some predictions. (See page 33)
As our views from the top demonstrate, a host of other issues are set to dominate the agenda this year. These include: rising costs and labour shortages, innovation (or lack thereof), on-line shopping, the impact of the accession of countries like Poland to the European Union and the emerging power of China and India - not to mention the power of the supermarkets.
And don't be misled by Sir Terry's insistence that health and the environment are Tesco's only major concerns.
Price is firmly back on the agenda, as Richard Brasher, Tesco's trading director, made abundantly clear in the national press last weekend when the retailer triggered a price war by cutting the cost of 600 key items by a total of £80m.
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