Headline roundup - the economy, Costco, EU and bananas and other notes

Here is a roundup of news snatched from the Web this morning. Note that Commerce Department indicated grocery store sales in September were $44.4 billion, down slightly from $44.5 billion in August. Foodservice and drinking places showed sales of $38.2 billion, off from $38.5 billion in August.


September retail sales down 1.2% From Thompson Financial

US retail sales fell in September at their fastest pace in three years as auto sales slowed again and sales dropped in nearly every major retail category, the Commerce Department said today.

Commerce said September retail sales fell 1.2%, the largest drop since August 2005 and much worse than the 0.7% decline predicted by economists polled by Reuters. Retail sales have now fallen for three consecutive months.

Sales at furniture stores fell 2.3%, the largest monthly decline since February 2003. Sales fell 2.3% at clothing stores, 0.4% at general merchandise stores, 0.5% at food and beverage stores, and 0.6% at building material and supply stores.

Quebec produce growers attack Costco From The Gazette:

Criticizing a customer in public might not seem like an overly astute business move.

But the head of the Quebec Produce Growers Association figures his members have nothing to lose - and everything to gain - by calling retail giant Costco to task for failing to buy more of the fruits of their labour.

"They've been giving us the runaround for two years and we're sick of it," Plante said as he described a letter his association sent to Costco last month - which also is being sent to Quebec media outlets - complaining about the lack of Quebec-grown produce in its stores.

"Our produce is good enough for all the major grocery chains in Quebec, so what's (Costco's) problem?"

Plante, whose group promotes and markets fresh produce on behalf of its 300 members, said Costco has repeatedly promised over the past two years to display more Quebec-grown fruits and vegetables in its stores.

EU fines Dole, Fresh Del Monte over banana price-fixing claims From the LA Times

Dole Food Co. and Fresh Del Monte Produce Inc. were fined 60.3 million euros ($82 million) by European Union regulators over claims that the banana importers fixed prices in eight countries from 2000 to 2002.

Dole was fined 45.6 million euros and Fresh Del Monte is jointly responsible for a 14.7-million-euro fine along with Internationale Fruchtimport Gesellschaft Weichert & Co., the European Commission said in Brussels. Chiquita Brands International Inc. avoided a penalty of 83.2 million euros because it told regulators about the price-fixing cartel.

Expect changes to Canada's organic standard From Alberta Farmer

Canada's organic farmers will want to watch for revisions to the planned "Canada Organic" standard between now and its delayed implementation at the end of June next year.

Hugh Martin, organic crops production program lead for Ontario's ministry of agriculture, food and rural affairs (OMAFRA) in Guelph, said in a newsletter to organic producers this week that efforts have been underway to revise the standards, including "many edits and clarifications within the standards and some additional substances within the permitted substances list."