The February meeting of the FWD PR Action Group (PRAG) at Oxford will agree final plans for what activists believe will be the biggest programme yet for the My Shop is Your Shop (MSYS) campaign.

Sterling Supergroup has appointed Vanessa Cooper as chief executive.

Booker is giving pubs the chance to offer pub meals for £2.50 each.

Duty fraud blighted what was otherwise a reasonable trading period over Christmas for wholesalers.

Makro has announced the re-launch of two of its stores - Manchester and Queensferry - with an increased focus on hotel, restaurant and catering (HoReCa) customers.

Retailer Lesley Brown has reported significantly higher turnover after Booker chief executive Charles Wilson challenged his company to increase her store's profitability.

A candidate from the Co-operative sector has been appointed to one of the most high-profile jobs in the wholesale channel.

Today's Group has expanded its membership by recruiting four new members.

Peter Backman, managing director of foodservice analyst Horizons, has announced the acquisition of catering and consumer tracking products Menurama and QuickBite from FMCG Ltd.

Booker has extended its Butcher's Market range of fresh meat with the launch of Pork Loin Spare Ribs in a barbecue glaze. The new product offers a price to shoppers of £3.50 while still delivering profits to retailers of over 28%.

Parfetts Cash & Carry has launched its largest Local 4U store at Bulwell in Nottingham.

Bestway has introduced a new fresh range of cooked meats and cheese slices to its Best-in own label.

Brakes Group has been awarded Regent Inns' Best Supplier of the Year - Non Wet Award.

Booker has launched five new products into its Euro Shopper brand. The new products, four soft drinks and a washing-up liquid, have been selected to help independent retailers sell more by offering value at low prices for shoppers, while also enabling them to further improve their profits.

The perceived wisdom of most leading commentators on the financial scene is that the next few months are likely to be the roughest yet for the UK economy. Despite the fact that every mainstream forecaster got 2008 wrong, their current collective opinion looks about right. Even though the food industry is somewhat protected by our fundamental need to eat to live, wholesalers are also expecting a rocky ride, especially through the early part of 2009. It is in effect a time for businesses to 'hunker down' as our American cousins would say.

Musgrave Retail Partners GB has appointed Willie Hamilton to the position of trading director.

Constellation Europe has made changes to its structure.

Whyte & Mackay has appointed Nick Garland as global sales and marketing director.

* Job title: buyer

== February ==

== BLUEPRINT ==

Retail Consultancy him! has launched a new delivered tracking programme for the wholesale community - both suppliers and wholesalers focusing on both foodservice and retail, supported by Booker, P&H, Nisa and Brakes.

The Minister of State For Pensions stepped from her modest car, parked in a freezing wind-blown Doncaster suburb and walked into the Premier store owned by Ram Odreda, independent retailer with a lot on his mind.

The top performers in the wholesale sector during 2008 were recognised at the 2008 FWD Gold Medal Awards in front of another sell-out audience at the Café Royal.

The top performers in the wholesale sector during 2008 were recognised at the 2008 FWD Gold Medal Awards in front of another sell-out audience at the Café Royal.

Following a year of growth and ongoing commitment to its wholesale partners, Nestlé; Professional has again been formally recognised as Service Company of the Year in Foodservice at FWD's Annual Dinner and Gold Medal Awards, held at the Café Royal in London. The win is the fourth in six years in this highly prestigious sector.

Carlsberg was delighted to be awarded the FWD Gold Medal for the Drinks Brand of the Year following its market-leading performance in Take Home this year. The award is voted for by customers and is testament to the commitment Carlsberg has shown to working with independents to help drive sales.

The trade press is an invaluable media for Mars. It is essential for driving sales, raising awareness of new brands and enforcing key messages. In the UK the bitesize sector is worth £464m and is still showing 12.7% year on year growth. Mars has the top five brands in the market (M&Ms, Maltesers, Revels, Planets, and Minstrels). Maltesers account for 21% of the market alone.

The first time we noticed a lack of trust in the UK's banking system was sitting in a pub in Croydon looking across the road at an orderly queue of savers anxiously waiting to extract their money from the Northern Rock Building Society.

Young's has introduced a large langoustine to tempt scampi lovers.

Jus-Rol is encouraging caterers to celebrate British Pie Week.

Farm Frites has launched an improved version of its Traditional Chips.

Nestlé Professional has launched the Nescafé Go Large offer for wholesalers and cash and carries.

Hot and cold beverage supplier Aimia Foods has launched a 'fair and ethically sourced' coffee from Buendia.

Following the excess of Christmas and the good resolve of New Years Resolutions, the beginning of the year is traditionally a time for detox, diets and healthy eating and drinking.

With consumers displaying a seemingly inexhaustible appetite for new tastes, the ethnic food sector has shown strong growth over recent years, with wholesalers helping to introduce and drive sales of many new types. In recent years the supermarkets have caught on to some of the more popular ones, such as Indian Chinese, Mexican and Thai, but there are other types where independent retailers and restaurants are still leading the way.

Birds Eye has announced that Artic Roll is back from this month.

Nestlé Confectionery has re-launched its chocolate biscuit bar range.

New Covent Garden Food has launched Shape Up With Soup eating plan.

Cadbury has announced a new look for Cadbury Roses to celebrate its 70th birthday.

Premier Foods has announced that Nimble has been adopted into the Hovis bread brand.

Nestlé Confectionery has launched Toffee Crisp Clusters.

Bendicks has added a new line to its Werther's Original range, Werther's Original Creamy Filling.

Unilever UK has added Maximum Protection Tri-Solid cream variants to its Sure Women, Sure Men and Dove brands.

Cadbury has launched two new media campaigns for its medicated confectionery brand, Halls.

The Wrigley Company has announced the launch of Extra Ice Mints.

Spanish wine company Grupo Codorníu has launched a new brand, The Spanish Quarter.

Halewood International has re-launched its Lambrini Light variant.

The Football League and Coors Brewers have agreed a three-year sponsorship extension for the Carling Cup, which will see the beer brand continue to back the competition until 2012.

Nectar's, a pear cider with a 'value for money' price point, has been launched by the Yorkshire-based importer, agent, producer, bottler and distributor of wines and alcoholic beverages, CWF.

== monday ==