The ‘sell-by’ dates on your groceries are useless. Here’s why.
Brad Plumer September 28 Washington Post Pick up a gallon of milk or a carton of eggs and it will probably have a “sell-by” or “best-by” label. But what does that date actually mean? It’s unclear! The date can signify different things in different states. And many items stay fresh long after the expiration date passes. In fact, the whole labeling system is a total mess, argues a new report (pdf) from the Harvard Food Law and Policy Clinic. Date labels are often so inscrutable and differ so widely from state to state that they’re essentially worthless as information. (The U.S. Department of Agriculture has a whole page straining to make sense of the whole muddle.) And, the report argues, those labels may be leading Americans to throw out tons and tons of perfectly good food each year — one reason why the United States rubbishes about 40 percent of…
Read MoreThe science of happiness is just a phone call away
Claire Porter September 29, 2013 news.com.au SCIENTISTS believe they have found the key to happiness, and attaining it may be as simple as picking up the phone. A study out of the US found that gratitude is one of the greatest contributing factors to overall happiness. But how do you define happiness? The researchers defined happiness as a feeling of positive emotion, engagement in their environment, work, friends and family and the feeling that life is meaningful. Another group of researchers from YouTube science channel Soul Pancake decided to expand on the study by testing it for themselves. They put together a group of people and asked them to choose the one person who had the greatest effect on their lives. The participants were then asked to write down the reasons why these people were so important and then pick up the phone and call that person to tell them…
Read MorePetrol station owners want thieves to lose their licences
Samantha Landy September 24, 2013 Herald Sun Petrol station operators say fuel thieves should have their licences suspended. Source: News Limited PETROL thieves should be stripped of their driver’s licences or lose demerit points, service station owners claim. Victorian petrol retailers are calling for a tough stance to discourage fuel bandits, which are reportedly costing servo owners up to $40 million nationwide each year. The Australian Association of Convenience Stores has been lobbying the State Government and police to take more serious action on fuel thefts in the wake of changes to the way intentional drive-offs are investigated in Victoria. As of July 1, Victoria Police will not investigate drive-offs unless there is clear evidence of a criminal offence, such as a stolen car or stolen number plates being used. Director of service station chain APCO Peter Anderson said his 18 Victorian franchises had seen an increase in fuel thefts…
Read MorePetrol theft is theft!
October 1st 2013 The Australasian Association of Convenience Stores (AACS) has again urged the Victorian Government and police to treat the genuine concerns of convenience store owners and their employees with due respect by taking petrol theft seriously, in terms of preventing and responding to this crime, and prosecuting the offenders. AACS CEO Jeff Rogut said service station owners, operators and employees have been left repeatedly frustrated at the lack of decisive action taken at a regulatory and practical level to prevent this crime and hold offenders accountable. Steal a confectionery bar from a supermarket or a lipstick from a department store and you will be prosecuted. But steal a tank of petrol from a convenience store or service station and unless the operator fills in onerous paperwork and provides all of the evidence to police, nothing happens. “Petrol theft is a serious crime which costs service station operators significant…
Read MoreNew Location Perspective in Retail: In the Zone
Overview This paper is the result of a strategic collaboration between Deakin University’s Graduate School of Business and Pitney Bowes Software (PBS). In the first of a series of co-authored thought leadership papers, key strategic and tactical marketing issues in retail will be addressed with recommendations and solutions proposed. Click Here to Download the Article
Read MoreIreland Considers ‘Fat Tax’
NACS Online September 25, 2013 Food and beverage companies warn the government that such a tax would have little impact on obesity rates. ​DUBLIN – A tax on fat or sugar would do little to curb obesity in Ireland, food and beverage companies say, the Irish Times reports. In fact, such a tax would only drive shoppers into Northern Ireland to shop. The Food and Drink Industry Ireland warned the government that sugar or fat taxes would have little effect on obesity rates in the country. “Denmark has had discriminatory taxes on certain products since the 1930s and still has seen increasing obesity rates,†the group said. Denmark instituted a saturated fat tax in 2011, but repealed it in 2012 after concerns about cross-border trading, competition and jobs were raised. The industry pointed out that obesity rates continued to soar even though soft drink consumption dropped. With Ireland already staggering…
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