• Canadian supermarket chain Metro says that more than 300 of its warehouse employees have gone on strike. “We regret this situation especially since Metro generally enjoys excellent relations with its workforce and their unions. Our proposal does not warrant a strike since it offers the best conditions in the Quebec food distribution industry,” Alain Picard, the company’s VP-Human Resources, said in a statement.
• Irish retailer Superquinn reportedly plans to open more than 15 new stores – most of them in Dublin – over the next five years. The company is in the middle of a renovation program that will affect all of its current 21 units, at a cost that is estimated to be the equivalent of $80 million (US).
• Crain’s Chicago Business reports that stagnant sales at Kraft Foods mean that new CEO Irene Rosenfeld “will have less time to come up with innovative new products and marketing to spark a turnaround, as she was originally expected to do.
“In fact, it looks increasingly like she will be forced to confront bigger picture strategic questions — like which brands to hold onto, which to jettison and, perhaps, what to buy and where — when she unveils her turnaround plan, which she won't discuss until February.”
• Irish retailer Superquinn reportedly plans to open more than 15 new stores – most of them in Dublin – over the next five years. The company is in the middle of a renovation program that will affect all of its current 21 units, at a cost that is estimated to be the equivalent of $80 million (US).
• Crain’s Chicago Business reports that stagnant sales at Kraft Foods mean that new CEO Irene Rosenfeld “will have less time to come up with innovative new products and marketing to spark a turnaround, as she was originally expected to do.
“In fact, it looks increasingly like she will be forced to confront bigger picture strategic questions — like which brands to hold onto, which to jettison and, perhaps, what to buy and where — when she unveils her turnaround plan, which she won't discuss until February.”
- KC's View:
