Albertsons will shutter 13 stores in Sunshine State

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April 12, 2012 News for the food, beverage and consumer packaged goods industry   Company Watch    Anheuser seen as top bidder for Presidente brewer Anheuser-Busch InBev is emerging as the top bidder in a deal that would give it control of Cerveceria Nacional Dominicana, the maker of Presidente beer. The deal would likely be a partnership with Grupo Leon Jimenes the Dominican Republic entity that currently controls 84% of the brewer. The Wall Street Journal (4/11)      Sales of take-and-bake pizzas are up About 41% of consumers now eat pizza at least once a week, up from 26% two years ago, according to a survey by Technomic. Both pizza restaurants and companies that make take-and-bake pizzas sold in grocery stores are seeing a rise in business, with nearly half of consumers surveyed saying they purchase a pizza from a grocery store at least once a month. Los Angeles Times/Money & Company blog (tiered subscription model) (4/11)      Madrina's Multicultural gets distribution deal Madrina's Multicultural Brands, a division of Citrus Springs Beverage Solutions, has signed a deal with Prairie Farms Dairy, which will distribute its ice cream and beverage products in 17 states. Madrina sells ice cream in flavors including cafe con leche and mango with mango swirls; a cinnamon-infused rice water drink called Horchata; and cold-serve coffees under the Madrina's Cafe name. American City Business Journals/St. Louis (4/9)      Other News Unilever launches mini Magnum ice cream bars FoodBusinessNews.net (free registration) (4/11)      NEW White paper: How Food & Beverage Companies Gain Competitive Advantage: The importance of implementing a least-cost formulation strategy. Download this white paper to find out what makes least-cost formulation an ideal way for Food & Beverage companies to overcome their major business challenges — including rising commodity costs, retailer price pressure, and tighter regulations.   Trends    Study: More steps to prepare food bring higher satisfaction Research published in the Journal of Marketing finds consumer satisfaction increases with the number of steps taken to put a finished product on the table. In the study, participants preferred a casserole that required them to fry meat and add spices, even though it was identical to one requiring just heating and stirring. Progressive Grocer (4/11)      Economics of shaving depend on blade life Makers of shaving systems tread a fine line between making money from replacement blades and telling consumers the blades last a long time. Both Procter & Gamble and Gillette have recently launched ads saying their systems are relatively inexpensive because the blades last several weeks. The Wall Street Journal (4/11)      On the Internet, page-loading delays can stop customers from buying. Download our free report 3 Proven Ways to Boost Transactions with Web Acceleration and learn how Limelight Network's front-end acceleration technology can improve Time to Actions.   Supply Chain Management  No barriers to supply chain visibility Companies have been pushing for greater supply chain visibility for about a decade, and technologies including the cloud, GPS and RFID have removed previous barriers. However, visibility is complex, and some companies are moving forward more successfully than others. Supply Chain Digest (4/5)      Earn 2X rewards points on gasoline purchases with The Business Gold Rewards Card from American Express OPEN. Designed to earn Membership Rewards® points faster: • 3X points on airfare • 2X points on advertising, gas, shipping • 1X points on everything else LEARN MORE AND APPLY   Advertising & Marketing    Will Ike and Mike split up? The fictitious candy pairing of Mike and Ike are splitting up, at least according to a marketing campaign by the Elevator Group to reinvigorate the brand. A social-network-driven campaign features pop singers and athletes aligning with one side or the other. The New York Times (tiered subscription model) (4/11)      Coke machine in Singapore use hugs as currency A Coca-Cola vending machine in Singapore has twisted the company's iconic logo to say "hug me" instead of "Coca-Cola." The machines use hugs as currency, and must be squeezed in a specific way to dispense the soft drinks. Forbes (4/11)      How will you satisfy the Foreign Supplier Verification Program requirements of FSMA? Did you know that foreign supplier verification activities include sampling and testing of shipments on arrival? Find out more.   Retail Spotlight  Albertsons LLC will shutter 13 stores in Sunshine State Albertsons LLC plans to close 13 stores and a distribution center in Florida, leaving four stores in the state. All 13 but the Key West store will begin a liquidation sale May 9 and close approximately one month later. The Key West location, reportedly sold to Publix Super Markets, is set to close April 28. Supermarket News (4/11)        Sponsored Content    Which Do You Fear More: Losing Customers-or Your Whole Business? Courtney Rubin How a Real Estate Developer Rode the Economic Roller Coaster Melanie Hicken 9 Easy Ways to Remember Your Presentation Material Bruna Martinuzzi 3 Ways to Make Procrastination Pay Off Rieva Lesonsky   Health & Wellness  Food programs promote healthy diets to counter malnutrition Most Americans, even those with lower incomes, get enough calories each day, but they do not necessarily get the nutrition they need for good health, Idaho State University nutritionist Ruth Schneider says. People with lower incomes are more likely to have malnutrition issues, so rescue missions and other hunger programs work with farmers and focus on donations that provide a healthy diet. Idaho Press-Tribune (Nampa) (4/9)        GMA News  Earth Day registration discount April 22-27 for Sustainability Summit On Oct. 3-5, in Washington DC, The Food Marketing Institute (FMI) and GMA will host the Sustainability Summit, designed to give companies the tools, connections and proactive solutions to take their sustainability programs to the next level. Built on the conference theme of "Uncovering the Possibilities," the Summit will help companies with all levels of awareness, expertise and experience incorporate sustainability into every aspect of their business model. To help commemorate the importance of Earth Day, register for the 2012 Sustainability Summit between April 22-27 and receive a 10% discount off your registration fee. For more information, visit www.tpasustainabilitysummit.org.      Learn more about GMA -> About GMA  |  Issues and Policy  |  Newsroom  |  Events  |  Research and Tools   Government & Food Safety  Industry seeks to label products with lean, finely textured beef Two companies selling meat that contains lean, finely textured beef are seeking approval for a label to place on products containing the controversial ingredient. The label, which requires USDA approval, could help restore consumer confidence, according to the companies. The USDA said it is unclear when -- or if -- the label will be ready. National Public Radio/The Salt blog (4/11)      Position Title Company Name Location Marketing Manager, Carton Foods Tetra Pak Denton, TX Sr. Food Safety Specialist ConAgra Foods Hastings, MN Click here to view more job listings.   SmartQuote  I believe that man will not merely endure: he will prevail." --William Faulkner, American writer          This SmartBrief was created for cpgbrokers@gmail.com   Subscriber Tools       Update account information | Change e-mail address | Unsubscribe | Print friendly format | Web version | Search past news | Archive | Privacy policy Advertise Publisher, Food & Beverage:  Chris Warne 212-450-7970 Download Media Kit Job Board:  Jackie Basso (202) 407-7871   Read more at SmartBrief.com A powerful website for SmartBrief readers including: Industry Home Readers' Choice Search Archive Who's Hiring? 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