n.628

Prosecco can still be produced in Brazil for the next ten years. The alleged flaws in the EU-Mercosur agreement


The ban on the use of the name by local producers will not come into effect immediately, leaving the door open for a 'timed' Italian sounding, which also concerns Asti and Marsala. The reason? The phasing out clauses... there are passages and loopholes that seem to leave uncovered the age-old wound ofItalian sounding... The treaty, in fact, admits a long transition period from which the South American industry will still be able to take advantage, especially considering that weighty denominations such as Prosecco are in it. One of the reasons why Coldiretti has voiced its opposition and called for a change to what appears to be a legitimisation of misbehaviour... The Prosecco Consortium replied to Coldiretti: 'without the agreement we would not have the tools to intervene'. As I wrote on the subject of Mercosur: 'those who want too much risk squeezing nothing'.Below: Brazilian Garibaldi prosecco. Drafted 15 January, updated 17 January 2026

AgricultureColdiretti
 

n.625

Saks Global declares bankruptcy after Neiman Marcus acquisition leads to financial collapse


Saks Global listed assets and liabilities worth between $1 billion and $10 billion Among the largest unsecured creditors are luxury brands such as Chanel and Kering, owner of Gucci. Saks finalises $1.75bn package to keep shops open Former Neiman van Raemdonck boss named new CEO; Richard Baker exits The iconic brand's decline culminates with Tuesday's bankruptcy filing Reuters. P.S: the share of department stores in the US has fallen from over 14% in 1990 to less than 3% in 2024 (-78%). The example of Sears is interesting.

Non-food
 

n.624

Walmart launches Digital Health Hub


Better Care Services connects customers with third-party providers for same-day telehealth services. Walmart is launching a new digital health platform aimed at simplifying the way customers find care, fill prescriptions and make healthier food choices. The retail giant's new Better Care Services hub serves as an all-in-one destination that connects shoppers to third-party telehealth providers, prescription services and nutrition resources. According to Walmart, the goal is to reduce the friction that can prevent people from seeking medical care, especially as concerns surrounding cost and convenience continue to mount... Progressive Grocer

Walmart
 

n.622

Sam’s Club – a division of Walmart: its pharmacies will start prescribing oral Wegovy at $149 per month


At the end of 2024 , I wrote: The results - above Walmart's expectations - wereachieved thanks in part to an extensive promotional package and the sale of GLP-1 anti-obesity pharmaceuticals. In the meantime, Walmart has 'grafted on the fifth': the pills will be available from next week and Plus members will be entitled to free same-day pharmacy delivery. GLP-1 (glucagon-like peptide 1) drugs mimic the effects of the hormone they are named after, triggering the post-prandial insulin response. They inhibit the flow of sugar in the blood, making them an effective treatment for type 2 diabetes. These drugs also slow digestion, reduce food cravings and appetite, effects that have cemented their status as powerful weight management tools in the general consciousness. Previously only available in injectable form, the advent of GLP-1 pills has sparked renewed public interest in weight management therapy. As the first - and currently the only - FDA-approved GLP-1-based oral drug for weight loss, Wegovy has drawn crowds of onlookers to Sam's Club pharmacies across the country. Sales of GLP- 1 drugs worldwide have exceeded $80 billion.

 

n.621

Pam has to decide if it is a supermarket or if it wants to be a discounter


Luigi Rubinelli writes: 'At Pam there is an obsession with comparison with the discount store. This can be seen in the price communication variations. Too much repetition" I would add that this fixation was already there years ago, see the first picture below which is from 2021 . The second picture below is from 2026 and is from Alimentando: I included it to make it clear that slogans and colours are always the same. Note that in 2024 the group's growth was lower than inflation but above all that Pam, in the same year, did NOT rank among the cheapest chains in Italy. If Pam wants to measure itself against the discounters, instead of doing useless generic communication, why does it not do comparative advertising against the discounters, like - for example - Leclerc against Lidl, in France? N.B.: in 2025 Pam only 'distinguished itself' - so to speak - by having some of its cashiers do the 'trolley test', sacking them and being obliged to reinstate them, making a big impression.

DiscountInflationLidlMeat
 

n.620

France: Ferrero, Lactalis, Coca-Cola, Mars and Unilever block mandatory use of Nutriscore


The Équipe de Recherche en Épidémiologie Nutritionnelle (EREN), the academics who devised the system: the rejection on 2 December is a 'victory for the lobbies' that have prevailed over scientific evidence and the desire of the vast majority of citizens (94% of French people are in favour of compulsory education). Ferrero is supported by the Italian government which proposed a failed labelling system : the Nutrinform.

Coca-ColaFerreroUnilever
 

n.618

Cultured meat in crisis: market at a standstill, the ‘hybrid route’ is explored rather than the radical alternative


Cultured meat, the honeymoon is over: closures, slowdowns and the 'hybrid way' to survive...the sector of alternatives to meat - and thus also cultured meat, together with vegetable substitutes - is now growing barely between 0 and 1% per year. This is not just a slowdown, but a sign of stagnation. According to Marco Tschanz, Director of Bell Food Group Switzerland, the reason is not mysterious: for many consumers these products remain niche products, held back above all by a trivial and very powerful problem, the oldest of all: taste. The taste does not compare with that of meat, and there is also the image of food perceived as highly processed, 'with numerous additives', admits Tschanz... The only ones to bet on it, for now, are the Chinese.

Meat