Sue Mitchell March 31, 2014 The Age Aldi has appointed one of its longest-serving executives as joint group managing director, moving to the dual-management model in place at Aldi operations around the world. German-born Stefan Kopp, who was part of the team that arrived in Australia in 2000 to launch the discount retailer, will run Aldi alongside Tom Daunt, who has been group managing director for three years. Mr Kopp, who started his new role last week, joined the company 23 years ago and has been head of buying for the past three years. The new structure shows that Aldi has reached sufficient size in Australia to support a dual-management model. Aldi’s 340 stores in Queensland, NSW, ACT and Victoria generate sales of $5 billion to $6 billion a year and, according to Roy Morgan Research, it has overtaken Metcash’s IGA network as the third-largest supermarket chain in Australia with…

ANNABEL HENNESSEY MARCH 30, 2014 PERTH NOW A COFFEE will cost just $2 in Perth during April. As part of a promotion, coffee outlets at the CBD’s Raine Square shopping centre will be offering a ‘cup o’ joe’ for less than half price every Wednesday. “It’s an opportunity to give customers a drastically cheaper coffee price, on a day where they probably need it that little bit more,” Raine Square marketing manager Andrew Wilkinson said. “Some customers could be saving up to $5”. Perth normally has the most expensive coffee in the country, with some businesses charging more than $7 for a flat white. Mr Wilkinson said if the Hump Day promotion was successful Raine Sqaure would consider extending the promotion to following months. There are five coffee outlets at the Murray St shopping centre, including Biscotti and Maven Espresso. Bankwest employee, and espresso drinker, Zac Smith said the promotion…

AAP Any prospective increase to the minimum wage should take into consideration the fact that Australians are set to benefit to the tune of $550 a year once the carbon tax is abolished, the federal government says. And with an economy struggling to find its feet after a resources boom, any increase that comes at the cost of jobs should be approached with caution, the government has submitted to the Fair Work Commission’s (FWC) annual wage review. Unions and business groups are at loggerheads over the FWC’s review, with the ACTU calling for a minimum rise of $27 a week for Australia’s lowest paid workers and employers arguing for $8.50. The national minimum wage is $622 per week. ACTU secretary Dave Oliver said the growing gap between minimum wages and actual wages and raised concerns Australia was heading down the same path as the US with its established class of…

March 24, 2014 The Age Deliveries of tobacco to retailers in Australia rose slightly last year for the first time in at least five years, even after the introduction of plain packaging aimed at deterring smokers, according to industry sales figures to be released on Monday. Australia, which in December 2012 became the first country to ban branded cigarette packs, is being closely watched for signs of success as other nations including Ireland, New Zealand and the United Kingdom explore similar measures. Britain last year appointed a respected paediatrician to examine whether plain packaging would reduce the health costs of smoking. The doctor’s report is expected this week. In 2013, the first full year of plain packaging, tobacco companies sold the equivalent of 21.074 billion cigarettes in Australia, according to industry data provided by Marlboro maker Philip Morris International. That marks a 0.3 percent increase from 2012, and reverses four…

February 28, 2014 CSNews TOKYO — Japanese convenience stores, including Lawson Inc. and Seven & i Holdings Co., are getting their hands dirty for fresh fruits and vegetables. The two retailers are among a growing number of companies investing in corporate farms. Takeshi Niinami, CEO of Lawson, has started 12 farming joint ventures since 2010 and plans to establish 28 more. He also heads an agricultural reform committee that advises Japan Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. The move into farming by c-store retailers comes as the prime minister cuts subsidy payments to food/rice growers and creates land banks to consolidate small holdings into large tracts that can be leased by companies as older farmers put down their plows. Abe also has raised the idea of establishing special economic zones this year that could test majority corporate ownership of farmland, something that’s blocked by current laws, Bloomberg reported. “Farm output will keep…

March 7, 2014 Convenience Store Decisions More than ever, consumers are looking for variety, convenience, speedy service and value when it comes to purchasing cold and frozen dispensed beverages, said Tandy Arrant, business manager for Lubbock, Texas-based United Express convenience stores. Over the past year, Arrant said, the stores have experienced double-digit sales increases in this category, and he expects that trend to continue over the next year or more. Arrant said that equipment, such as the Coca-Cola Freestyle machine, give c-stores a leg up on competing with quick-service restaurants, such as Sonic, which has long promoted its wide selection of beverage flavors and combinations as a competitive advantage. United Express has installed Freestyle machines in two of its stores, a brand new store and an existing one. “We expect big things from this machine because we feel that customers, especially younger ones, are looking for more variety in their…