Hancocks is to open a new depot in Liverpool this month, taking its total of cash and carries across England, Scotland and Wales to 16.

Makro has launched a delicatessen range designed for its independent hotel, restaurant, retail and catering customers.

Palmer & Harvey McLane is closing its Winerite alcohol distribution depot in Leeds.

Scottish & Newcastle Pub Enterprises has named Booker as the recommended food supplier for all 2,100 of its licensees.

A new category management initiative aimed at increasing sales and profit has been launched at the Martex cash and carry division of CJ Lang & Son.

Birds Eye has set up a dedicated foodservice division which began shipping a new range of frozen products to wholesalers this week.

Premier Foods has awarded its Manager of the Month title to Jason Wouhra, depot manager at East End Foods in Highgate, Birmingham, a Landmark Wholesale group member.

The takeover of Woodward Foodservice by Brakes has been given the green light by the Office of Fair Trading.

Parfetts Cash & Carry has been mentoring local primary school children as part of the Stockport Young Entrepreneur competition.

The Foodservice division of CJ Lang & Son has introduced an every-day-low-pricing (EDLP) policy on a core range of non-food products for a three-month period, and has unveiled its new logo.

Brakes has added a new range of soups to its portfolio of ambient products and has extended its range of frozen desserts.

Wholesalers continued their fight against a possible tobacco display ban at retail when earlier this month the Federation of Wholesale Distributors sent a robust response to the Department of Health on its latest consultation on future tobacco controls. FWD first raised its concerns on this matter in a letter to Dawn Primarolo, the Minister of State for Public Health, last April when the "going dark" idea was first mooted.

CJ Lang & Son has announced a management restructure, following a series of promotions and retirements.

Richard Brittle has announced he will be retiring as purchasing director at Hancocks on September 26.

Costco opened its first warehouse in Wales at Cardiff last month and Mark Dowling has been appointed as depot manager. Dowling was previously depot manager of the Chingford depot since it opened in 2002 and has been with Costco for 10 years.

* Job title: senior buyer

Imperial Tobacco presented a forecourt retailer with a Rizla Suzuki motorbike following its prize draw. The draw was to support My Shop is Your Shop and the winner was Chris Dobbe, manager of Godfreys of Horsham, West Sussex.

The Wrigley Company held a cash and carry tour last month appearing in three cash and carries around the country.

The Today's 21 roadshow has visited 32 Today's Group wholesale member depots with celebrity look-a-likes Del Boy, Elvis, Bruce Forsyth and Cher taking part in karaoke and card games.

== September ==

SENSITIVE. Strong language was used in a letter to the Editor of our local paper about a local Spar charging 10p for a plastic bag. It's not the first complaint about local shops charging for shopping bags.

Many retailers set up their own business because they want to be their own boss, and the findings of the 2008 Cash & Carry Retailer Tracking Programme from him! reflect this spirit. Three times more independent retailers want to find out category top sellers as want to receive suggested planograms, which sounds distinctly like: "Tell me what I need to know, don't tell me what to do - give me the information and I will decide how to use or interpret it."

Costcutter owner Bob Gill has doubled the sales of his spirits category since implementing the FWD Take Home Blueprint's latest initiative PLOD in his store.

Parfetts Cash & Carry customer Terry Fieldhouse has reinvigorated his off licence sales and added value back into this category thanks to the FWD Take Home Blueprint.

Twelve years old Inderdeep Singh Bal swooped on to a pass from midfield, dropped his right shoulder to beat the defender, moved left at speed and hit a stunning shot with the outside of his right foot to score.

With competition in the cash and carry sector increasing all the time many of the major players have set up their own symbol groups and retailer clubs in a bid to retain their best customers and attract new ones.

Leading figures from wholesalers, suppliers and the catering industry will be providing insight into the business at Catersummit's 20th anniversary event this year.

Any point of customer contact has the potential to be business critical, and at a time when business is tough to predict and hold on to, every point of contact is worthy of review.

Nestlé Professional is bringing back its Britain's Favourite Events promotion on Nescafé and Nescafé Gold Blend.

AAK Foodservice has launched a new Prep Premium range of Infused Oils.

Daloon has a new range of snacks for Halloween called Devil Bites.

Unilever Foodsolutions has launched a Knorr promotion to offer chefs the chance to win a millionaire lifestyle.

Heinz Foodservice has launched Heinz Select soups range.

Batteries remain a key purchase for consumers, as they power so many day-to-day items. And the ever growing number of high-drain devices has resulted in longer life batteries. The rechargeable segment is also seeing a rise in popularity as consumers begin to see the cost saving element as well as the green credentials.

While soft drinks, juices and waters have all made in-roads into the nation's range of refreshments in the last two decades, coffee and tea retain a fundamental role in the life of most consumers. But while sales volumes have remained broadly stable over that period, within the category there has been considerable change as the sophistication of consumers has developed, and health has become a prominent issue.

Snacks continue to be products that consumers want to buy, whether for an evening with friends or food on the go. And with the move towards sharing and premium it seems the trend is fixed for a while.

General Mills UK has launched Green Giant Soup.

PepsiCo and Britvic have announced Gatorade's partnership with the Guinness Premiership.

Premier Foods is launching a new product from Mr Kipling, The Big French Fancy.

Gallaher has announced the launch of a range of limited edition pack designs for the Benson & Hedges Gold range of cigarettes.

Cadbury has added to its Dairy Milk range with Cadbury Dairy Milk Cranberry and Granola and Cadbury Dairy Milk Apricot Crumble Crunch.

The Feel Good Drinks Company has launched a range aimed at kids, called Feel Good Kids.

Heinz is investing £2.5m and adding 13 new varieties to its ambient soups range.

UBUK has relauched its McVitie's Boasters range with new packaging and two new variants.

The Wrigley Company has launched three new products for the summer.

Kepak Convenience Foods (KCF) has introduced a new variant to its UGO's Deli Café range.

Following feedback from consumers who responded positively during launch trials, Coors Light is embarking on the largest piece of sampling activity since its introduction into the UK market in a campaign exclusive to the independent retail sector.

UB Drinks is introducing new competition to the UK vodka market with the launch of Dannoff Vodka, which will be supported by a £3.5m marketing campaign.

South African wine brand FirstCape will be the official wine sponsor of the British and Irish Lions, who tour South Africa from next May.

Krombacher, the number one premium beer in Germany, is being brought to the UK by United Drinks.

== monday ==

Appleby Westward, together with Spar’s Wessex Guild, has become the first regional distribution centre within Spar to deck its vehicle fleet with advertising from the symbol group’s new Sorted! advertising campaign.