List of blog entries

The number of retailers who feel sufficiently confident in their operations and processes is not particularly impressive. According to a recent study from Capgemini, just 21 percent of the American supply chain managers believe their current systems do a great job of providing the company with precise and real-time insights into the performance of their supply chains. Launched in 2009, GS1 Standards may help them enhance their supply chain visibility.

More than 2 million companies, operating in 150 countries across more than 25 industries, use GS1 Standards for unique product identification, information capture and data sharing among trading partners. Soaring consumer demand for precise and complete information about what is in the food they buy and where it came from is another significant factor in the growing emphasis on traceability and food safety. Grocery industry has already realized that field-to-fork mentality can pay off big time.

At the end of this year, new legislation (the EU Food Information for Consumers Regulation 1169/2011) will come into force. It will require food businesses to provide allergy information on food sold unpackaged in, for example, bakeries and sandwich bars. But there also will be changes to existing legislation on labelling allergenic ingredients in prepacked foods. Regulations aside, consumers also want to have access to reliable food information.

Brace up for a new era in retail, one marked by a shrinking number of brick-and-mortar shops and smaller stores. The trend is already emerging, with more traditional stores closing their doors. But retailers are not calling it quits just yet, especially that business losers are no longer the only ones shutting down stores.