We received an interesting news release from The Harris Poll, which polls just about everything under the sun. For the past decade, The Harris Poll has measured the percentage of Americans who perceive 19 large industries as “generally honest and trustworthy.” This year, this perception has dropped for 18 of the 19 industries, as overall U.S. adults seem to have lost trust in most of corporate America. And, the only industry that did not drop is tobacco companies, as just 3 percent of Americans say they normally would believe a statement from someone in that industry – same as it’s been for the past few years. At the other end of the spectrum, the most trusted industries are supermarkets – where three in ten (30 percent) say this industry is generally honest and trustworthy. For more information visit www.harrisinteractive.com.
In an interesting article in The Washington Post, reporter Reid Wilson wrote about some interesting shopping habits: “If you call yourself a Republican, you were more likely to stock up at Wal-Mart or Costco. Independent voters are more likely to get their groceries at traditional grocery stores, like Giant, Safeway, Food Lion, Publix or Albertsons.”
Giant/Landover and the Marine Toys for Tots Foundation worked together to support children in need during the holiday season. Toys for Tots collected bins in 170 neighborhood stores in Maryland, Virginia, Washington, DC and Delaware.
This was the third consecutive year that the bins were used. As in past years, thousands of children received toys they normally would not have. In 2010, Marines distributed toys to more than 7.2 million children who might not have otherwise experienced the magic of the Christmas holiday season. The Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots Program is now in its 65th year.
In keeping with the holiday spirit, we received a lovely and “newsy” note from retired Baltimore-Washington food broker, Charles “Charlie” Nolte. Charlie and his lovely wife, Susan spent the early part of 2013 on a seven-day cruise around the Hawaiian Islands. One of Charlie’s favorite past times is playing the piano, so while at his 55th college reunion at Washington & Lee University in Lexington, VA, Charlie played the piano at the school. And it wasn’t just any old piano, it was the piano that once belonged to Robert E. Lee. (Charlie was quick to remind us that wife Susan’s grandfather fought in the Civil War for the North.)
Safeway supermarkets throughout the mid-Atlantic area celebrated Chanukah in partnership with the local rabbinical community. Several Safeway stores provided an opportunity for local synagogues to display a menorah, and others hosted cooking demonstrations for the preparation of latkes, one of the food items associated with Chanukah. The company also made product donations to synagogues to assist needy families to celebrate the holiday.
Partnering with Representative Elijah Cummings of Maryland, the Maryland Food Bank hosted a vital press conference to speak out against a proposed farm bill that would cut $40 million from the already-gutted federal food assistance program, SNAP. Also speaking at the conference were Senator Barbara Mikulski, Representative John Sarbanes, and president and CEO of the Maryland Food Bank Deborah Flateman.
Recently saw an interesting article on e-commercetimes.com titled “Beginning of the End of the Supermarket Aisle.” It stated, “A new marketing push is reminding consumers of how easy it can be to shop for groceries online when they have a few spare minutes—say waiting on a platform for a train—and then schedule their orders for later pickup or delivery. Virtual shopping is more efficient not only for consumers, but also for manufacturers and marketers,” said Brian Todd, president and CEO of The Food Institute.
We are all living in a very exciting time. It is going to be really interesting to see where this all ends up. If you are interested in reading more about this, go to http://www.ecommercetimes.com and read the article. It’s fascinating reading and it is about the future of retailing in the grocery industry.
Women’s leadership is critical to the future of the global retail business, but organizations, individuals and society must fundamentally change, according to a report released by the Network of Executive Women at the NEW Leadership Summit in Los Angeles. “Women 2020: The Future of Women’s Leadership in Consumer Products and Retail” reports that while women control nearly three-fourths of consumer spending in the United States and comprise nearly half of the retail industry’s workforce, women are still “vastly underrepresented in senior leadership” and represent only 1.8 percent of the industry’s CEOs. The report concludes with an action agenda for organizations and individuals. “Companies must make having more women leaders an organizational priority,” said NEW president and CEO Joan Toth. For more information, visit www.newonline.org/news
Kathy and I will be ringing in the New Year at our favorite watering hole on Cape Cod – Land Ho – in Orleans, MA, with a toast to all our wonderful advertisers and readers and a wish for a prosperous and healthy 2014 for everyone. Happy New Year to all in the food world!