Even though European retailers acknowledge the importance of sustainability, the ultimate recognition still has to happen: sustainability becoming a regular part of purchasing discussions.
After all, what is wrong with giving sustainable suppliers a better deal or with rewarding producers who help the retailer to reach his sustainability goals? Nothing at all! Still, almost every purchasing discussion only revolves around the “p” of price.
Wal-Mart sets sustainable example
In 2009, Wal-Mart was the first to present the sustainability scorecard, allowing the American retail giant to measure the sustainability score of every product it sells. British Sainsbury's followed that example this month with the installation of the Carbon Academy: a training program for employees and suppliers to limit the CO2-emission caused by Sainsbury's's activities as much as possible.
Sainbury's follows with Carbon Academy
“We want to make sure all our colleagues and suppliers are becoming advocates in the battle against CO2-emission”, says Neil Sanchev, director of real estate at Sainbury's. “We hope to make new environmental technologies as common and usual as possible.
“Our diary development group is a good example how we at Sainsbury's reward sustainable suppliers. This group lets Sainsbury's reward farmers who improve animal welfare, reduce the pollution load and work more efficiently with a higher price for milk”, says Ooi. “We hope this approach will find its way into every purchasing process.
Extra condition in purchase discussions
Nice words and targets indeed, but isn't the fastest and most effective way to accelerate the realisation of sustainability targets simply its permanent inclusion in purchasing discussions?
“A very interesting question”, says Sainsbury's spokesman Darragh Ooi. “I will suggest it right away.” Only a few hours later comes the disappointing formal answer: “The conditions of our contracts with suppliers is sensitive information and we can not discuss it in public”.
Sustainable purchasing is still not mainstream with retailers, but there is hope: thanks to the growing attention of sustainability monitors like Wal-Mart's, ever more people realise that both retailers and suppliers really can make a difference.
By Pascal Kuipers, Alsano Communicatie
In many countries, retailers are running experiments with automatic scanning and payment. In theory, the system would guarantee no theft, no errors and no cashiers to pay out.
Trade unions in the UK and many other countries are worried, because aside from the Rewe example, automatisation is used to do the same work with fewer people. This can also be in other areas than the tills: Tesco has been testing an automatic navigation system for their customers. The fact that searching customers no longer have to bother employees during their work is estimated to be such a big cost reduction, that it would more than make up for the loss in impulse purchases that the system would cause. 
Serge Papin, CEO of French supermarket chain Système U, gives himself five years to reach a market share of 12%. By 2016, Papin wants to break into the French “big three” (Carrefour, Leclerc, Auchan). 
Louis Delhaize's French Delitraiteur stores have been renamed to DOD (Dish of the Day) because of a legal battle with a competitor about similar names and logos. The Belgian Delitraiteurs would keep their original name.
French supermarket chain Casino has joined forces with the “Institut de la Vision” to improve access to its supermarkets for the visually impaired. The first result of that cooperation is a test store in the centre of Paris. 
Casino also tests new technologies, like a gadget that lets the customer zoom in on labels and packaging. Another service includes a downloadable map that shows obstacles like doors, stairs and steps, ... The first test phase lasts for six more months, after which test phase two will start: opening a real supermarket that actually incorporates the ideas from the lab and the new technologies. Casino hopes to open that supermarket, also in Paris's XIIth district, in 2012. “If test phase two is a success, Casino will include its conclusions and ideas in all the Casino supermarkets”, says de Pompery. 
French newspaper Journal du dimanche states that Carrefour has started negotiations with Brazil’s biggest supermarket chain CBD about a possible merger of CBD and Carrefour's Brazilian activities. The French chain would have asked Bank Lazard to explore this possibility.
The main obstacle in joining the 30 billion dollar group and the "disappointing" activities of the French chain lies in another part of France: Carrefour's rival Casino holds 35% of CBD's shares, about as much as the Diniz family does. Neither of the European chains wanted to comment the possible merger. 
General Mills, one of the world's major food producing companies, has bought the 51% majority in Yoplait that private equity fund PAI had since 2002. The other 49% of the second biggest diary producer in the world stay in the hands of French cooperative SODIAAL. 
McDonald's has revealed a new policy to let its customers order: touch screen terminals will replace cashiers, and credit cards will supersede cash payments. The hamburger giant hopes to gain “3 or 4 seconds per customer”... but will store your information as well.
Coca Cola is celebrating its 125th birthday in hundreds of different ways, but from a retail point of view, one is really catching the eye. On the prestigious Champs-Élyseés, possibly the most famous avenue in the world, the beverage icon opens a bar/restaurant that is completely dedicated to Coca Cola.
Britain's biggest supermarket chain Tesco has appointed Sir Richard Broadbent, aged 58, as new chairman. He will replace David Read, Tesco's chairman since 2004, when the latter retires in November. This is the second major change at the top of Tesco, after its retiring CEO Sir Terry Leahy was replaced by Philip Clarke earlier this year. 
High profile locations obviously cost more to rent, but Lewis sees two reasons why discounters should still consider opening stores there. “Owners are more likely to lower their prices for respectable companies that are certain to pay the rent in time, than for a small store with a higher chance to go bankrupt.”
French supermarket chain Carrefour has opened its second 'City Café' store in Paris. Four months after opening the first trial store in Bordeaux, the “laboratory for innovations” has proved itself strong enough to earn a second store in the fifth department of France's capital. 
