February 20, 2014 NACS Online A law firm believes it has a case against “Big Food” to recover obesity and health-related costs, even though the evidence is severely lacking. ​WASHINGTON – A law firm’s prompting of state attorneys general to try to recover a portion of their obesity-related Medicaid bills from food companies lacks the “smoking gun” of the 1990s Big Tobacco lawsuit, Politco reports. Bruce Silverglade is a food industry lawyer who maintains there is no evidence that food companies made their products addictive at the expense of public health. “Food is not tobacco,” he said. “The case simply isn’t there.” The effort by Valorem Law Group to recover billions in obesity-related health-care costs, while generating significant media buzz — does not offer the contingency fee payday like the case against the tobacco industry that resulted in a $246 billion settlement. “One of the main issues here is the…

February 20, 2014 NACS Online Seventy-seven percent of Millennials, Gen X and Baby Boomers bought groceries from a non-grocery outlet last year. ​NEW YORK – Increasingly, U.S. consumers are turning to outlets other than grocery stores for their groceries, Forbes reports. According to a study by King Retail Solutions (KRS) in conjunction with the University of Arizona’s Terry J. Lundgren Center for Retailing, Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s, and Safeway stores are losing food shopping market share to Walmart, Target, dollar stores, pharmacies and convenience stores. KRS reported that 77% of Millennials, Gen X and Baby Boomers bought groceries from a non-grocery outlet last year. Additionally, 96% of those surveyed said they’ll purchase food from places other than grocery stores this year. Target and Walmart top KRS’ list of the 20 most popular non-traditional grocers, followed by Walgreens, CVS, Costco, Dollar General, farmers markets and food stalls, Dollar Tree, 7-Eleven and…

February 19, 2014 CSNews DALLAS — Perhaps nowhere is 7-Eleven Inc.’s innovative spirit demonstrated more clearly than in the chain’s foodservice offerings. In 2013 alone, the retailer rolled out its first warm bakery item, a Pillsbury Cinnamon Roll; new hot snacks including corn dog bites, mozzarella sticks and chicken chipotle taquitos; Latin-inspired products such as breakfast empanada bites and mini chicken chipotle tacos; and heartier fare in the form of two premium sandwiches, the Steakhouse Roast Beef and the Bistro Deluxe. 7-Eleven last year also hosted its first “Fabulous Fresh Foods Friday,” a late February event that featured free samples of the chain’s prepared foods and hot beverages. “7-Eleven is focused on creating foods and beverages that are not just convenient, but also delicious,” said Larry Hughes, zone leader for Oregon and Washington 7-Eleven stores. “Whether someone is hungry for breakfast, lunch or a snack and drink to tide them…

FEBRUARY 21, 2014 THE AUSTRALIAN THE Productivity Commission will be given wide-ranging powers to recommend sweeping workplace changes, including giving employers greater rights to try to remove conditions from enterprise agreements, under the terms of reference that cabinet is finalising for its inquiry. Employment Minister Eric Abetz will announce the terms of reference next week when he introduces a bill into parliament to allow workers to trade off more easily key entitlements, including penalty rates, for more flexible working hours. The bill will also impose fresh restrictions on unions entering workplaces and limit their ability to get pay deals on new resource projects. Cabinet will give the commission broad scope to identify economic gains within the industrial relations system, including the ability of employers to vary enterprise agreements, a key area of recent dispute between Toyota and unions. Business groups have been urging the government to order specific inquiries into…

MITCHELL NEEMS FEBRUARY 19, 2014 BUSINESS SPECTATOR WESFARMERS has lifted its interim profit by more than 10 per cent, driven by strong earnings growth across its retail portfolio, particularly Coles and Bunnings. In the six months to December 31, Wesfarmers posted a net profit of $1.43 billion, an 11.2 per cent increase on the $1.26 billion recorded in the first half of fiscal 2013. In the same period revenue was $31.85 billion, a 4 per cent lift on the previous corresponding period’s $30.61 billion. The group will pay a fully franked interim dividend of 85c on April 2 to shareholders on the register at February 28. The previous corresponding dividend was 77c, fully franked. Wesfarmers said it would continue to strengthen its existing businesses, secure growth opportunities and renew and develop the portfolio in order to deliver satisfactory long-term shareholder returns. The retail businesses were expected to continue to grow…

JOHN DAGGE FEBRUARY 21, 2014 HERALD SUN Shell has sold its Geelong refinery as part of a $2.9 billion deal. THE new owners of Shell’s Geelong refinery say they intend to keep it running. Oil giant Royal Dutch Shell today announced it was selling its 870 Australian petrol stations and the refinery in a deal worth $2.9 billion. The buyer is Swiss-based group Vitol, the world’s biggest oil trader. Under the deal, the petrol stations will keep the Shell brand. Vitol spokeswoman Andrea Schlaepfer said the group did not have plans to convert the refinery to a fuel import terminal — a process that would have cost more than 400 jobs. “The intention is to keep it going,” Ms Schlaepfer said. Vitol said the jobs of 450 permanent employees and 150 contractors at the refinery were safe. Industry experts had raised serous doubts that any buyer would keep the ageing…