John Lofstock June 21, 2013 CSDecisions While electronic tobacco products and OTP have experienced sales gains, cigarette sales in convenience stores still accounted for more than $54.3 billion in 2012. Cigarettes have long been a staple at convenience stores, accounting for billions in pack and carton sales and boosting the profits from the average smoker’s market basket. And while sales may be down, the value of cigarette customers to the convenience store industry cannot be overstated. But can convenience retailers maintain sales and drive new cigarette business? The stakes are high. Cigarettes, along with other tobacco products (OTP), combined to account for 40.7% of average in-store sales at c-stores. Overall, cigarettes alone accounted for $54.3 billion in industry sales or an average of $51,863 per store per month, according to the 2013 NACS State of the Industry (SOI) Report. As Bonnie Herzog, managing director for beverage, tobacco and consumer research…

Alan Finkel June 26, 2013 The Age Australians are treated as second-rate customers in the virtual shops. Last week, rather than drive to the video store I decided to rent Life of Pi from Amazon. I found it, clicked to purchase, and received the following message: ”We could not process your order because of geographical restrictions on the product which you were attempting to purchase.” Did they really mean to insult me by saying that I could not rent this movie because of where I live? Surely not, I thought, perhaps the real reason is that the movie has not been released into video stores yet. Not so, it was released to cinemas in September last year, to US video stores in March this year and to Australian video stores in May this year. Stumped, I hopped into the car, drove to the store and rented the DVD. A month…

Brian Robins June 26, 2013 The Age Coles is expected to absorb a hefty price rise from its baker, food products group Goodman Fielder, for its ”dollar bread” product following extended negotiations between the two parties. Goodman Fielder’s shares surged 3.5¢ to 74.5¢ Tuesday on the news it had ”successfully negotiated a private bread contract”, which is believed to be with Coles, for the retailer’s Smart Buy Bread and own-brand bread, which covers its ”dollar bread” product. Goodman Fielder has supplied Coles with its private label bread for two years, and on Tuesday finalised an 18-month extension. Goodman Fielder did not reveal details of the contract, although the baker said earlier it needed a price rise to continue supplying Coles beyond the end of June, when the contract was to finish. Last year, the price of Goodman Fielder’s own branded bread products rose about 8 per cent. Analysts said Goodman…

Jeff Karoub June 25, 2013 AAP THE only two McDonald’s restaurants in the United States that were serving food prepared according to Islamic law have stopped several weeks after a $763,192 settlement over a lawsuit that alleged the items weren’t consistently halal. The fast-food giant, in a statement Monday, said the locations in the Detroit suburb of Dearborn, which has a large Muslim population, are no longer offering a halal McChicken sandwich or Chicken McNuggets in order “to focus on our national core menu”. The corporation added it takes into account “local and dietary preferences,” and supports its franchisees in Dearborn. Neither the statement nor a spokeswoman said whether McDonald’s decision was related to the lawsuit. The lawsuit, brought by customer Ahmed Ahmed in 2011, technically covered anyone who bought the halal-advertised products between September 2005 and January from the two restaurants. A letter sent to McDonald’s and restaurant franchisee…

ANDREW CLENNELL June 26, 2013 The Daily Telegraph NSW Environment Minister Robyn Parker is leading the push for the introduction of a national container deposit levy – 10c for every bottle returned to manufacturers – in a move that industry warns could cost Sydney families up to $300 a year on their beer and soft drink. Ms Parker is under pressure from backbenchers to establish a bottle return scheme similar to South Australia, with the nation’s environment ministers set to receive a report from state and federal bureaucrats next month on whether to press ahead with the levy. Those encouraging Ms Parker to get a container deposit levy up include Murray-Darling National MP John Williams and Liberal David Elliott. Opponents argue it will drive up beer and soft drink prices and lead to people going around emptying yellow bins. Ms Parker’s office said yesterday if the evidence stacked up and…

Heather Kennett June 24, 2013 Guardian Messenger AUSTRALIA’S finest pasties are baked at Glenelg’s Orange Spot Bakery. The Anzac Rd institution is again officially home to the country’s best pasties after being awarded the top prize in the national “Great Aussie Pastie Competition” this month. The bakery has won the coveted award, dished out by the Baking Associations of Australia, four years running. It took eight judges three days to sample 1500 pies and pasties in Melbourne this month. “We’re really pleased. We’ve worked really hard as it takes a long time to get it down pat,” Orange Spot owner Nick Davey said. He said changing his pastry recipe was the key to his success. “I’m not going to go into too many details, but the head judge told us it was the best pastry he’s tasted in 25 years of judging. This year Mr Davy changed the formula, production…