America’s love of sweets is coming of age. Consumers are more sophisticated and demanding when it comes to confections, according to “Confections and Dessert: Culinary Trend Mapping Report” from the Center for Culinary Development (CCD) and Packaged Facts.

South African retailer Friendly Stores plans to deploy centralized hosted signage solutions at its supermarket and convenience store operations.

LUNA, maker of the Whole Nutrition Bar for Women, has now introduced LUNA Protein, the first women’s high-protein bar made with entirely natural and organic ingredients.

Tyson Foods has whipped up a line of complete meal entrées for supermarket deli departments across the United States.

Against a trying backdrop of persistently weak economic conditions, fierce competition and financially wary shoppers, supermarket produce departments faced much harsher headwinds during the past 12- month period than they have in recent years, as evidenced by marginal comparable-sales gains and a tentative outlook for the balance of the year, according to results of Progressive Grocer's 2009 Annual Produce Operations Review.

Total supermarket sales were $430.3 billion, up $13.2 billion from the $417.2 billion recorded in 2007 -- continuing the trend of slightly higher percentage increases in each of the past five years, according to Progressive Grocer's 62nd Annual Consumer Expenditures Study (CES), now greatly expanded from the eight-page print edition to 35 pages of research.