Safeway News:

Safeway CPG Forum
The Safeway 2011 Q2 CPG Forum was held on 5/3/11 in their auditorium by invitation only. Several topics were discussed and presented to the vendor community. Some of these included an update on Just for U, Simple Nutrition, and increased focus on core category management principles. For more information, please contact your business manager.

Safeway Named Most Sustainable Seafood Grocer by Greenpeace USA
In the fifth edition of the Greenpeace retailer scorecard, which ranks the Top 20 grocery retailers on the sustainability of their seafood practices, Safeway, Inc. was ranked number one, making it the most sustainable national grocery retailer in the U.S. for seafood.

The "Carting Away the Oceans" report and scorecard, released on April 11, rates retailers' existing seafood policies, initiatives, product labeling/dissemination of information about products, and practices surrounding the sale of certain unsustainable or "red list" species.

Safeway has a Sustainable Seafood Task Force, which assesses the company's entire supply chain, and established priorities for vendors and its own operations. With assistance from FishWise, Safeway met with all of its suppliers to convey its commitment to sustainability, shared recommendations to improve production practices, and explored ways to establish traceability for all products. (Safeway.com - Investor Relations-News Release 4/13/11)

Safeway Kicks Off Annual Campaign to Support People with Disabilities
Safeway, Inc. announced the start of its companywide fundraising campaign for Easter Seals, Special Olympics, Rebuilding Together and a range of job training programs that help people with disabilities live fuller lives. During April, the company's nearly 1,700 stores in the U.S. and Canada will raise funds for organizations that are at the forefront of providing assistance, training, therapy and social outlets to the millions of people who live with physical or developmental disabilities. The company will also be partnering with Rebuilding Together to plan and execute home or community center rehabilitation projects that serve people with disabilities. Teams of Safeway volunteers will be deployed in to each of Safeway's key markets to assist Rebuilding Together "project managers" with various repairs, landscape, paint and remodel work.

Personnel Changes at Safeway:

• Jayne Ferrari, formerly Category Manager for Water, has been moved to Consumer Brands Category Manager.
• Amy Calfas, formerly Event Coordinator for the Safeway Foundation, has been moved to Marketing.
• Monica McCombs, formerly Vice President of Marketing & Planning, has accepted the position a new assignment as Vice President of Supply Chain.
• Michele Rocha, formerly Category Manager for Pasta/Soup/Beans, will be leaving Safeway for another endeavor.

Upcoming Events:

• 5/14 - Easter Seals Gala - San Francisco Hilton
• 5/17 to 5/19 - IFBA
• 5/24 to 5/26 - NCA Sweets & Snacks Expo - Chicago
• 6/5 to 6/7 - Safeway Invitational Golf Tour - Monterey
• 6/15 - Scout Luncheon - Castlewood Country Club
• 6/18 - NCASMC - A's vs Giants baseball game - Oakland
• 8/16 to 8/18 - Safeway LPGA Golf Tour - Portland
• 8/24 - Sales Managers Luncheon - Crow Canyon Country Club
• 9/12 - Frozen Food Council Golf Brookside - Stockton
• 9/23 to 9/25 - COH Marathon Weekend - Lake Tahoe
• 9/25 to 9/27 - CGA - Las Vegas
• 10/14 to 10/16 - PMA Convention - Anaheim
• 10/22 to 10/25 - NFRA Convention - Orlando, Florida

Food Industry News:

Consumers Returning to Specialty Foods
The specialty food sector made a comeback last year, experiencing growth of 7.7% and launches of premium private label products slowed, according to a new market report.

Specialty foods accounted for 13.1% of total food sales last year, according to the report from the National Association for the Specialty Food Trade (NASFT) entitled "The State of the Specialty Food Industry 2011". NASFT defines specialty foods as those that are "foods of premium quality that are often made by small or local manufacturers or have exotic or ethnic flavors."

Vice president of communications and education for NASFT Ron Tanner said: "The rebound is impressive. As consumers feel more confident about the economy, they are coming back to specialty foods."

Looking ahead, the report predicts that terms like "Fair Trade", "eco-friendly" and "sustainable" are likely to increase in importance for the specialty food industry and drive future sales, gaining ground on "all-natural", "organic" and "local". (FOOD navigator-USA.com 4/12/11)

Private Label Market Set to Double
Private label foods are set to double their global market share to 50% by 2025 but leading brands will also gain in importance, according to a new report from Rabobank, a research group.

Rabobank's latest report, "Private Label vs. Brands: An Inseparable Combination," said that the rise of private label foods is likely to put a squeeze on branded products that are not category leaders, but that leading brands will thrive. (FOOD navigator-USA.com 3/28/11)

Food for Thought:
"Praise does wonders for our sense of hearing." Arnold H. Glashow