Fresh
Unit sales have increased by 36.2 per cent year-on-year, and value sales are up by 18.1 per cent y-o-y thanks to ‘Potatokens’
Greenvale is celebrating what it claims to be an outstanding response to its current current ‘Potato Pals’ interactive initiative in retail stores.
Launched in February 2015, the aim of the cross-platform loyalty campaign in Tesco, Ocado and Booths has been to increase sales and generate trials of Greenvale’s branded All Rounder and Jacket Potatoes ranges.
The ‘Potato Pals’ loyalty scheme involves the collection of ‘Potatokens’ in order to claim a range of potato preparation and kitchen equipment.
Figures from grocery research bodies Nielsen and Dunnhumby show that unit sales have increased by 36.2 per cent year-on-year, and value sales are up by 18.1 per cent year on year.
Greenvale also developed a CRM system in order to maintain consumer enthusiasm for the promotion – emails, prize draws, recipes and potato usage tips have been deployed to encourage participants to keep collecting and redeeming points, and to share the promotion with their social media contacts.
According to the potato giant, this activity has generated over 3,500 Facebook ‘likes’ to date, and the highest ever number of unique visitors to the Greenvale website since its launch in 2012.
Tracey Mattock, Greenvale’s marketing manager, said: “This type of direct communication with shoppers was a new venture for Greenvale, and we are absolutely delighted to be delivering sign ups and entered codes above all expectations – between 200-400 per cent on a number of measures – plus the highest repeat rate in the last 12 months.
“The ‘Potato Pals’ scheme was designed to be a fun and attractive mechanism to extend GreenVale’s social media presence and to increase awareness, trial and purchase of our branded potatoes – and it is proving to be a fantastic success on every level.”
The scheme runs until August 2015
Grape intake reversed stress-related cognitive, behavioural and biochemical deficits, according to a University of Houston study
Results from a study recently published in the Journal of Nutrition Research have suggested that a grape-enriched diet may help over come the effect of stress.
In the study, researchers observed a protective role of grapes on stress-induced anxiety-like behaviours, and learning and memory deficits in an animal model of post traumatic stress, attributed to both gene activation and enhanced antioxidant activity resulting from grape intake.
This study, conducted at the University of Houston in the US, investigated the protective role of grapes against stress, and the mechanisms by which grapes achieved this.
For the animals on grape-enriched diets, freeze-dried, whole grape powder was added to the drinking water for 3 weeks, followed by either the stress or control exposure, and then behaviour tests.
The results showed that feeding the animals a grape-enriched diet prior to stress exposure successfully countered the detrimental effects of that stress on brain function and behavior. Specifically, grape intake prevented the memory impairment and anxiety-like behaviors that were observed in the rats with stress but no grapes in their diet.
The researchers propose that the protective benefits of grape consumption start with enhanced antioxidant activity that reduces oxidative stress levels: systemic markers of oxidative stress were reduced in the grape consuming group. Once the oxidative stress is minimised, activation of key genes that help promote the survival of brain nerve cells is triggered.
“Grapes appear to influence several processes that support brain health,” said Samina Salim, the lead investigator. “The potential interplay between grapes’ antioxidant activity and their impact on cell communication is very intriguing to us and we intend to study it further.”
Major retailers distancing themselves from CP Foods following allegations supply chain is linked to slavery
Thai company Charoen Pokphand Group, a major food conglomerate involved in the produce breeding, processing and grocery sectors, is under fire following allegations that its seafood supply chain is linked to illegal labour practices.
As with the recent horsemeat scandal in Europe, the scandal looks set to cast doubt over the integrity of international food retail supply chains as well as the CSR programmes that suppliers involved in the grocery trade are nowadays so keen to publicise.
A six-month investigation by the Guardian revealed that CP Group’s Thai-based subsidiary CP Foods buys fishmeal to feed its farmed prawns from suppliers linked to Thai fishing boats that are allegedly manned with slaves.
CP Foods released a statement Wednesday saying it denounced slavery and will use its commercial weight to influence the Thai government to act on the matter, rather than walking away from the country’s fishing industry.
CP Foods distributes, both directly and indirectly, to major retailers including Walmart, Carrefour, CostCo, Tesco and Aldi, who have been quick to distance themselves from the allegations, condemning slavery and announcing social audits. Carrefour has condemned the allegations, releasing a statement that said: “As a precautionary measure, Carrefour has decided to immediately suspend its direct or indirect purchases from this company until light has been shed on the situation.”
As the US prepares its 2014 Trafficking in Persons report, the Guardian reported that the US may downgrade Thailand’s ranking to tier three, setting it alongside North Korea and Saudi Arabia for apparently failing to address human trafficking issues. Such a move would potentially lead to restrictions on foreign aid from the US and the World Bank.
CP Foods is a subsidiary of CP Group, an agribusiness conglomerate that operates Siam Makro stores in Thailand as well as Lotus SuperCenters in China.
The group’s Chia Tai unit is involved in the research, development and supply of vegetable and flower seeds.
In 2012, CP Foods opened a Melbourne office, supplying frozen foods to Woolworths, CostCo, 7-Eleven and some IGA stores