Walmart is not only focusing on regenerative agriculture, but aims to eliminate non-natural products from its private-label range. It has also invested in a 2300 square metre production facility in Arkansas. Source : Dominique Pierre Locher
FMGC: consumer goods
... In the immediate future, the most important news concerns ..- the launch of a new format dedicated to health and wellness, Benessity. Inspired by a formula that has enjoyed great success in the Anglo-Saxon world, it aims to be a one-stop shop for all health and wellness needs of consumers. Classic wellness products will only be part of what the customer will find in the shop. In fact, Conad's experience with parapharmacies and opticians' shops will also converge in it. The great novelty in terms of design will be the spaces dedicated to examinations (of the hair, skin, Moc), also with the aid of telemedicine, i.e. with the expert connecting remotely (dietician, dermatologist for skin cancer and remote reporting).
How this will be done remains to be seen, but the idea seems very interesting and innovative.
Conad beat inflation with growth at 4.4% . Mdd at 34.1%
Drafted 21 December, updated 22 December 2025
Bump between the CEO of NewPrinces Group and the president of Centromarca Francesco Mutti. Between 'disorderly association' and 'shouted messages'. With the mystery of the company's registration in the middle. What will be the developments? And Mastrolia denies that his company is a member of Centromarca (Confindustria): is he being populist or has he simply gone into confusion? It is difficult to wear the two jackets of opposing fronts (GDO and IDM) at the same time!
In view of the decisive meeting between Lula and Von der Leyen, Coldiretti is back on the streets in Brussels, while the Italian Wine Union is pushing to close the treaty and thus open new trade outlets. Source
Read more on the subject here
(from French sources: an agreement has been found on economic and environmental safeguard clauses)
A 2000 study concluding the safety of the well-known herbicide, widely cited since then, has just been officially refuted by the journal that published it. The scientists who signed the study are suspected of having endorsed a text prepared by Monsanto executives...
In 2017, in part of its investigation into the 'Monsanto Papers', Le Monde reported that Monsanto executives exchanged emails in 2015 on how to produce new summaries intended to prove the safety of glyphosate in the scientific literature. The aim was to convince regulatory agencies... According to a count by Le Monde, it is cited about forty times in the 2015 European expert report that led to the reauthorisation of the herbicide in 2017. Source: Le Monde
Monsanto's Roundup was classified as 'possibly carcinogenic'
Read about lobbying by Monsanto – now owned by Bayer – here.
Written on 13 December, updated on 16 December 2025. Below: Roundup sold on Walmart shelves.
Normal, which opened its Italian subsidiary in March 2025, now has five outlets between Milan and Rome. Founded in Denmark in 2013, Normal, with almost 900 shops in Europe, has been a resounding success in France with 210 shops and a turnover increased from €9 million to €347 million in 4 years (2020- 2024).
In France, it opens a shop every 9 days with the aim of reaching 1,000 (today Action has almost 900 in France. source: Le Monde).
The Danish chain sells mainly personal care products. It also has sweets.
With Action, it proves that simplicity, speed and standardisation in a small format can be successful.
In Italy perhaps, given the speed of the French subsidiary, development will have to be accelerated.
Drafted on 15 December, updated on 16 December 2025
The retailer will accept express delivery orders until 5 p.m. local time on 24 December, with items arriving in as little as one hour depending on availability(while Amazon is testing half-hour delivery).
These deliveries will include hampers, Christmas dinners, even customised ones(note that Lidl has also embarked on the offer of value-for-money dinners), beer and liquor (for the latter 'only' in 2,800 shops).
Progressive Grocer
Below: a Walmart turkey meal (2024).
Bump between Princes Group CEO and Centromarca president. Between 'disorderly association' and 'shouted messages'. With the mystery of the company's registration in the middle. What will be the developments?
And Mastrolia denies that his company has ever been a member of Centromarca (Confindustria) as it turns out: is he being populist or has he simply gone into confusion?
It is difficult to wear the jackets of two opposing fronts (GD and Brand Industry) at the same time.
Three strengths :
1) Warner's catalogue is historically and qualitatively very interesting.
2) the number of subscribers : Warner has 130 million subscribers (Reuters). Netflix has more than 300 million subscribers (a total of 430 million).
3) Warner is strong in gaming with $1 billion in sales (Reuters).
Then there are Netflix's popular series. The deal will have to be scrutinised by the US Federal Trade Commission (antitrust), but above all, the agreement is hated by Donald Trump, friend of David Ellison - Larry's son - who, with Paramount, has launched a hostile bid on Warner for $108 billion (New York Times).
There has been a lot of confusion about the purchase value of $72 billion (correct figure), not to be confused with the global enterprise value of the acquired group of almost $83 billion.
Compiled 5 December, updated 8 December 2025
