Sue Mitchell October 30, 2014 Fizzy drink fans will have to wait until April to taste test Coca-Cola Life, the mid-calorie cola that The Coca-Cola Co and bottler Coca-Cola Amatil are relying on to reinvigorate soft drink sales. Coca-Cola is confident Coke Life, the beverage giant’s first new cola variety in seven years, will restore sales and volume growth to its beverage portfolio and the entire carbonated soft drink category, which is under pressure as consumers shun sugary drinks in favour of healthier beverages. “I think the whole trademark is going to grow behind it. It’s going to really make the category more buoyant,” said Coca-Cola South Pacific’s group marketing manager, Dianne Everett. Coming soon: Coca-Cola Life. Photo: Edwina Pickles Coca-Cola Life is sweetened with a blend of cane sugar and stevia, a plant based-sweetener 300 times sweeter than sugar. The drink has 35 per cent less sugar and 35…

Linda Lisanti October 29, 2014 Convenience Store News Rendering created by api(+) TAMPA, Fla. — In the future, convenience stores will evolve into savvy neighborhood markets that listen to their customers whose voices say: give me local flavor; embrace my multichannel retail demand; create an experience that offers tantalizing variety; give me healthy, fresh meals on the go — and make all of this easy and convenient. In November, Convenience Store News will present a special edition of the magazine centered on the question: What will the “convenience store” look like a decade or more from now? The c-store industry’s leading media brand is partnering with some of the top thought leaders and design firms in the nation to give readers a preview at how the convenience store will evolve over the next several years and how it will serve a changing customer base. Just like today where we see…

JOHN DAGGE NOVEMBER 03, 2014 HERALD SUN Lobby group’s election expectations THE Australian Industry Group wants all sides of state politics to commit to cutting payroll tax, harmonising workplace-safety laws and ensuring businesses are favoured in major infrastructure projects. In a pre-state election report released yesterday, the industry lobby group said planning restrictions for wind farms should be eased and a clear process around the scientific study of using fracking to tap the state’s coal seam gas ­resources be put in place. The Ai Group has criticised a moratorium on fracking imposed by the Victorian Government in 2012. The group also backed the East West Link and Port of Hastings expansion but said any government must ensure local businesses have full and fair access to project tenders. Ai Group state director Tim Piper said decisive policy was needed to help reinvigorate the Victorian economy. Read more

October 24, 2014 CSNews CHICAGO — Average is so yesterday. With more than 2,500 unique paths to purchase, consumers are embarking on a new journey to shopping. In light of this, IRI took a closer look at current shopping trends and provided a roadmap on how marketers can protect and grow share in the $737-billion consumer packaged goods (CPG) marketplace in the new Times & Trends report, Channel Migration: The Road to Growth Has Many Lanes. “Following years of economic trials, the ‘golden ring’ of CPG shopping is value,” said Susan Viamari, editor, Thought Leadership, IRI. “Today, more than 80 percent of shoppers visit three or more channels to carry out their CPG shopping journey. And, as more nodes crop up along the path to purchase, capturing shoppers’ attention and wallet will become increasingly complex. Retailers and manufacturers must provide value to each and every shopper through individualized targeting and…