Dear Reader,

Our March issue of Global Convenience Store Focus highlights a number of world firsts and they all have a green theme.

Tesco has put a stake in the ground claiming to have opened the world's first zero carbon store. The Ramsey, Cambridgeshire supermarket and petrol station, is a master class in all that can be recycled, renewed and redeployed – extra energy will even be exported back to the national grid.

Elsewhere, the IGD reports support for local food and ethically-produced food is on the increase and shoppers would like to see more of these lines available in future.

Retailers look set to sell more fresh foods and incur less food waste with the introduction of a new bar code in 2014. Read how the technology has being tested on fresh produce and sushi at leading grocery retailers in the US, Canada and Japan. Australia's convenience retailers should listen up – Australian shoppers are big on bananas, largely thanks to an innovative marketing campaign, which promotes bananas as a nature's ultimate energy snack. And, if health is an environmental issue too, that's good news and a further learning for convenience retailers around the world.

Tuck in.

Fiona Briggs, Editor, Global Convenience Store Focus

Retail News

Tesco opens world's first zero carbon store
Benchmark with the best during Insight's autumn event
Australians go bananas for baristas
Spotlight on South Africa: report from the Insight study tour
KSS: the fuel pricing expert on 2010 planning and budgeting fuel volumes Illicit tobacco market up 28% in Australia
Battle between top UK grocers intensifies

Research

Australian convenience stores upbeat for 2010
The Checkout report: brands can compete with private label
Support for local food doubles in five years
US food and drink launches decline in 2009
Convenience is top of the menu for younger diners in US

Technology

New bar code set to boost sales of fresh produce and cut waste

Comment and opinion

Sharon's convenience store report
Kwik Trip exploits e-mail marketing

Products and events

Insight and NACS unveil packed convenience calendar for 2010
Industry urged to work together on food safety