Top 10 stories for GMA SmartBrief

As promised, here are the 10 most-clicked GMA SmartBrief stories from the past 30 days. Feel free to share these greatest hits with your colleagues and tell them about SmartBrief. Also, if you enjoy GMA SmartBrief, we'd appreciate you recommending it to others who might find it useful. It's FREE and open to everyone. Thanks for subscribing!
1) Kraft is trying to spark old brands to new life
Stove Top stuffing and a few other mostly forgotten Kraft food brands may be due for a comeback. Kraft is launching Operation Spark, a project to inject life back into brands that have faded from view due to a lack of promotion. Budget-conscious consumers are increasingly staying home for meals and looking for convenience -- a trend Kraft hopes to tap into. New York Times (tiered subscription model), The (04/12)
2) Coca-Cola Freestyle delivers 106 flavors in test markets
Coca-Cola is testing its Freestyle beverage fountain in Salt Lake City, Atlanta and Orange County, Calif. The machines, which have touch screens and track customer choices, offer 106 beverage options and are available in two versions, a self-service one for customers and a smaller one for restaurant employees. Salt Lake Tribune (Utah), The (04/13)
3) ConAgra responds to increased frozen-food demand
Supermarkets have expanded their frozen offerings, with the average length of the frozen-food aisle double today what it was in 1990, according to grocery consulting firm Willard Bishop. "As more innovation comes to the freezer, it's going to bring more news and draw more people to the category," said Corey Berends, ConAgra's vice president of research and development. Omaha World-Herald (Neb.) (04/10)
4) Tasty Baking will become part of Flowers Foods
Flowers Foods, maker of baked goods under the Nature's Own, Whitewheat and Blue Bird brands, agreed to acquire Tasty Baking for $34.4 million. Tasty Baking, which makes Tastykake desserts, delayed some debt payments because of liquidity problems. Wall Street Journal, The (04/11)
5) No more double or triple coupons at Kroger
Kroger changed a policy in place since 1983 and is no longer allowing doubling or tripling of coupons. At least one shopper vowed to go elsewhere. "We have to change our whole plan, our whole strategy for grocery shopping," said Tiffany Ivanovsky, who appeared on the TLC show "Extreme Couponing." KTRK-TV (Houston) (04/12)
6) Kraft brews retail strategy for Gevalia coffee
Kraft Foods plans to sell its Gevalia coffee at groceries, starting with 10 products and adding discs for its Tassimo single-cup brewing system. "By tapping into our global coffee pipeline, we'll have more products and innovations to come," said a Kraft official of the premium brand, which is sold online and through mail order. Wall Street Journal, The (04/14) Seattle Times, The (04/14)
7) Frito-Lay brings kitchen and chefs to Times Square
Frito-Lay is establishing a version of its Flavor Kitchen in New York's Times Square this week, giving consumers a glimpse of how it creates flavors for its snack brands. Culinary demonstrations will be performed by Frito-Lay executive chef Stephen Khalil, who will be joined by celebrity chefs and Frito-Lay employees. New York Times (tiered subscription model), The (04/10)
8) Wal-Mart campaign touts more items and low prices
Wal-Mart Stores, reversing a strategy of reducing the number of items in stores, is heralding the return of those items in a campaign called "It's Back." Store signs starting in May will highlight the return of items such as fabric and fishing gear, and store managers are being encouraged to highlight low prices compared with other retailers. Wall Street Journal, The (04/11)
9) Consumers find ways to save as food prices increase
A survey for Coupons.com shows that 99% of adults are aware that food prices are rising, and 95% plan to use savings strategies when they shop for groceries. Coupon use is the most popular strategy, at 72%, followed by price comparison, shopping at discount stores and stocking up when prices are low. Progressive Grocer (04/11)
10) P&G uses stick-and-carrot approach to green its supply chain
Procter & Gamble has unveiled its second-generation sustainability scorecard -- last year's version focused primarily on collecting data, but the new edition aims to reward suppliers according to their environmental credibility. Results from the scorecard will feed into P&G's supplier-rating system and have a direct effect on the company's willingness to enter into new contracts. Environmental Leader (04/07)

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