A photograph taken on May 5, 2021 shows a general view of the plant of the French mineral water company Volvic, in Volvic. (Photo by THIERRY ZOCCOLAN/AFP via Getty Images)
The public fountains in Volvic, the home of one of the world's most famous mineral waters, have been turned off.
Just down the road from the bottling factory at the foot of the old volcanic hills of central France, streams once powerful enough to drive flour mills are drying up and villages are under a hosepipe ban.
Campaigners such as Sylvie de Larouziere, head of the water conservation group PREVA, point the finger at the Volvic plant. "It seems like it's always getting bigger," she complained.
A local aristocratic trout farmer is suing the company, owned by French multinational Danone, after a stream that fed his 17th-century fish ponds abruptly dried up.
The Puy de Dome region is sometimes called the "water tower" of France, with heavy and reliable rainfall meaning farmers downstream used to slosh around in their fields because the soil was so wet.
But those days are long gone. In early May with supplies "abnormally weak", authorities imposed a hosepipe ban and outlawed the filling of swimming pools in 31 nearby districts, hitting some 60,000 people.
Volvic's public fountains were switched off and villagers fear water cuts this summer.
"It was a shock," said Maria-Louisa Borges, a retired cleaner who has lived in Volvic for 50 years. "We're just coming out of winter."
The restrictions, affecting somewhere so famous for its abundant water, underline the worsening strains on supplies in France and the competing demands for an increasingly rare resource.
Two-thirds of the country's water tables are below normal, Environment Minister Christophe Bechu said last week as he voiced "very serious concerns".
But it also raises questions about the future of France's enormous mineral water industry, already decried by environmentalists for the hundreds of billions of plastic bottles it produces annually.
France is both the world's biggest exporter of bottled water and the home of its most famous brands from Volvic to Evian, Vittel to Perrier.
'Critical state'
For decades, experts have been warning about the risk to global fresh water supplies posed by climate change, population growth, and over-consumption.
Problems have been gathering in France, though mostly beyond the public eye. But this winter, the country went a record 32 days without rainfall, from January 21 to February 21. Even villages in the foothills of the snow-topped Pyrenees mountains are having to be supplied by truck.
The dry winter followed punishing heat last summer with months of drought and high temperatures parching even the normally lush Alps and rendering mighty rivers like the Rhine unpassable for barges.
President Emmanuel Macron said it spelled "the end of abundance".
"Climate change is adding to an already degraded situation, with long droughts, heatwaves but also winter droughts," former French environment minister and a Green MP, Delphine Batho, told AFP. "That's leading to a critical state for drinking water."
In a sign of conflicts experts anticipate in future, activists opposed to farmers building rainwater-capture facilities in Batho's constituency in western France clashed violently with security forces in March.
Two protesters were left in a coma.
Rain shortfall?
No blows are being traded in Volvic, but fears are growing. Similar tensions are playing out in the eastern Vosges region, where Nestle-owned Vittel is accused of over-exploiting the water table.
Other disputes between water companies and locals have occurred as far afield as Mexico, California and Fiji.
"Sending water to the other side of the world while we die of thirst here? It bothers me," said Jose da Silva, a 69-year-old who worked for 30 years at the Volvic plant.
"They try to claim it's not the same source (as for the drinking water), but I'm not convinced," he told AFP.
A view taken at French mineral water Volvic factory on July 2, 2014 in Volvic. (Photo: THIERRY ZOCCOLAN/AFP via Getty Images)
The Volvic brand has been around since 1935, the water naturally filtered through a granite-lined volcanic basin in a process that takes five years, according to the company.
Pumping has rocketed from around 200,000 litres a year in 1950 to 1.7 billion litres in 2020, according to its own figures.
Yet Volvic is exempt from the latest water restrictions imposed on locals. The company, however, has pledged to respect a five per cent reduction of its extraction limit of 2.8 billion litres.
Given that it is currently withdrawing less than the limit, campaigners say the pledge makes no difference.
But the company insists it only uses 22 per cent of the local water, with 50 per cent taken by the public water system.
"Undertaken downstream from the drinking water source, the activities of Volvic do not have an impact on the availability in the drinking water system of the area," it said in a statement.
The local government prefect's office, which sets the annual quota for Volvic, also denied any link between the company and the water restrictions.
It blamed a shortfall in rain, saying it was 24 per cent below average in 2022.
The water use restrictions were "preventative and aim to reduce consumption in order to avoid bigger supply tensions", it said.
Legal fight
But PREVA and another local group, Marsat, suspect the six deep wells used by Danone are drawing down the level of Volvic's aquifer.
Trout farmer Edouard de Feligonde has spent four years suing the French state for €32 million (£27.38m) and taking Volvic to court to recover losses caused by his water source drying up.
He is confident an expert report ordered by a judge last year will validate his findings that show Danone is to blame.
"At the moment, authorities are trying to make us believe that the water shortages are linked to the general problem of drought. It's false," he told AFP.
He said many people are scared to speak out as Danone is by far the biggest local employer, with about 1,000 people on its payroll.
"I'm not the only one affected, but I'm the only one to have the means to fight back," he said.
Scottish business conglomerate Glenshire Group has hired Daniel Arrandale as its new Property Director.
Starting in the newly created role last week, Arrandale brings a wealth of industry experience to the business, including his most recent position as Acquisitions Manager for Asda and his previous position as Development Manager at EG Group.
“I am thrilled to be joining Glenshire Group in a period of tremendous growth, with many exciting opportunities on the horizon,” said Arrandale. “I’m looking forward to working with the existing development team to maximise the opportunities within our current estate, whilst also growing the business further with the acquisition of new sites.”
As part of Arrandale’s remit, he will oversee acquisitions, development, and growth for Greens Retail, Pizza Hut, and wider Glenshire Group property development and investment interests.
The bulk of Arrandale’s career has been as Retail Director at commercial agents Christie & Co, focussing on the convenience, forecourt and franchise markets. Arrandale served at Christie & Co. for 23 years.
Harris Aslam, Managing Director at Glenshire Group added: “We are very excited to welcome Dan into the Glenshire family. Having worked with Dan many times over the years on several transactions, I can confidently say his breadth of knowledge and experience in this sector will give us a huge advantage as we continue to expand our portfolio.”
Currently operating 27 convenience stores and 20 Pizza Hut franchises in Scotland, Glenshire Group has committed to significantly furthering new location openings in Scotland as well as bolstering their property portfolio.
Brewer Carlsberg is shifting some of its marketing focus to cheaper brands, it said on Thursday (31), as consumers in major markets bought cheaper beer and in reduced quantities.
The maker of Kronenbourg 1664, Tuborg and Somersby said beer sales volumes fell by 1.3 per cent in the third quarter, noting declines in China, France and the United Kingdom. Premium sales fell 0.5 per cent in the quarter."In Western Europe, there's no doubt that the average consumer is holding back," CEO Jacob Aarup-Andersen told Reuters.
"In Asia, China stands out as a market where the consumer is very weak. Most other Asian markets are actually okay," he said, adding the company had not yet seen Chinese stimulus measures having any impact on consumer behaviour.For years, brewers have relied on a strategy of developing and promoting their more expensive premium brands to offset an overall decline in drinking.
Aarup-Andersen said he remained confident in the long-term growth potential of premium beer and that the category will comprise a significantly larger portion of Carlsberg's business in a decade.For now, however, the company is adjusting its marketing.
"In markets where we are seeing a significant pressure on premium, we are reallocating some of our focus into making sure that we are promoting properly around the right mainstream brands," he said.
The world's third-largest brewer behind Anheuser-Busch Inbev and Heineken said third-quarter sales rose 1 per cent to 20.5 billion Danish crowns ($2.98 billion), compared with 20.7 billion expected on average by analysts in a poll gathered by the company.
Despite the shift in consumer behaviour, Carlsberg said it still expects full-year organic operating profit growth to be between 4 per cent and 6 per cent. The company lifted its full-year guidance in August.
Also on Thursday (31), the world's largest beer maker Anheuser-Busch InBev reported third-quarter profits, revenues and volumes behind forecasts. AB InBev's third-quarter statement highlighted stronger growth for its more expensive beers, like Corona, which grew 10.2% outside of its home market, Mexico, during the period.
Consumers now want a greater commitment from retailers in cutting food waste, refilling stations, sustainable packaging, and partnering with social purpose organisations, states a recent research, which also highlights that a good majority (69 per cent) of younger consumers are more likely to shop with what they see as socially responsible retailers though price sensitivity still plays a crucial role.
According to the findings, published in Vypr’s Consumer Horizon Report, reducing food waste is the most important factor for the majority of UK consumers (29 per cent), especially for Gen Z women aged 18-24 (38 per cent). More than a third (37 per cent) of men aged 18-24 said they needed food storage advice. A similar number of women aged 18-24 (33 per cent) want meal kits with the exact amount of ingredients included for them to cut down on food waste.
Refill stations for personal care, cleaning products, dry goods, and beverages are also in high demand. Consumers, particularly Gen Z women, are keen to use these stations, provided they offer a cost-saving of 6-10 per cent compared to packaged goods. The study indicates that older shoppers are less likely to use refill stations unless prices are reduced by 15 per cent or more, which Vypr said shows the importance of price in driving consumers to adopt sustainable shopping habits.
The third priority for brands and retailers is to adopt sustainable packaging. Awareness of eco-friendly packaging is high, especially among younger generations. Two-thirds of UK consumers say they expect to pay more for sustainably packaged products, and that figure rises to 86 per cent among Gen Z and Millennials. However, Vypr’s research suggests that while shoppers express willingness to pay more, price sensitivity still plays a crucial role.
Ben Davis, founder of Vypr, said: “There’s often a disconnect between consumer intentions and actions. Brands need to understand that simply offering sustainable options may not be enough if price points don’t match consumer expectations.
“For Gen Z and Millennials, sustainable products need to be competitively priced or risk losing long-term loyalty. We tested this by presenting products with and without the label ‘100 per cent Recycled Packaging’ and found price remained the key purchase decision-making factor for most consumers.”
Another factor in building loyalty among younger consumers is to showcase social responsibility. The research reveals that 60% of shoppers are more likely to shop at retailers that partner with food rescue organisations or promote a charitable cause. Among Gen Z and Millennials, this figure jumps to 69%, showing a strong preference for brands that demonstrate a social purpose.
The report also reveals that 85% of shoppers are willing to pay a deposit for reusable products, though it is younger consumers, particularly those aged 18-24 who express the strongest support for such initiatives.
The Consumer Horizon report which provides insights shaping retail, product innovation, and consumer behaviour going into 2025, can be seen here.
Sugro UK, the number one buying and marketing buying group*, in partnership with b2b.store, is thrilled to announce a further expansion of its existing E-Loyalty scheme programme, which has proven to be very popular with its members and retailers, by introducing E-Loyalty Extra Compliance and Execution scheme as well as E-Coupons.
The E-Loyalty Extra is aimed to boost compliance and execution at retail store level to drive new product launches, core range compliance, some exciting fixture trials with its supply partners and more! It will be available to all member owned and member affiliated retail stores within the group.
The E-Loyalty Extra loyalty scheme will be accessible by retailers via WhatsApp platform and will allow retailers to capture evidence of compliance by simply clicking “take photo” button.
With the addition of another digital enhancement introduced to the group recently – Coupon - based loyalty mechanic, members are now empowered to incentivise and reward customers, driving stronger consumer connections and fostering brand loyalty at a granular level. Retailers can now simply redeem a coupon at the point of check out. Another key digital development within the group is WhatsApp E-Presell which enables Sugro UK’s retail partners to provide advance product volume commitments for new product launches. This functionality is particularly powerful as it ensures that suppliers have accurate forecasts before product launches, enabling better stock availability from day one of product being available on the market.
The ease and speed of using WhatsApp for these commitments simplifies the presell process, ensures accuracy and strengthens relationships across the supply chain.
While other industry players may soon consider introducing similar digital tools, Sugro UK are proud to be at the forefront of enhancing retail-focused digital solutions. This early adoption not only ensures that Sugro UK members remain competitive but also guarantees them access to the best digital tools available in the market. These efforts are part of Sugro UK's ongoing commitment to delivering value to its members and empowering them with innovative solutions for growth and success in an increasingly digital retail environment.
Sugro Head of Commercial and Marketing, Yulia Petitt said: “I am delighted that Sugro UK members are now able to provide photographic evidence of retail compliance and in-store execution to our supplier partners, using a wide range of display and compliance criteria such as planograms, secondary displays, trials, and new product developments (NPDs).These digital features allow members to share real-time proof of execution, enhancing accountability and building supplier confidence. The launch of E-Presell functionality opens a huge digital advantage for the group which will benefit all – members, retailers and suppliers in gaining accurate forecast and ensuring product visibility in store from day one of product being on the market and with the ease of using WhatsApp, the entire pre-sell process becomes a much quicker and easier process to manage for all parties.
"The Group has had 18 consecutive years of growth and, once again, on track to deliver in 2024, with the year-to-date performance of +15% year on year and growth across all categories.” Rob Mannion, CEO of b2b.store, added: “The rate of innovation in the wholesale sector is increasing and these launches are further great examples of that. We’re particularly excited about the developments and different uses of WhatsApp in the industry, with more coming in the pipeline for 2025 – it’s a tool no wholesaler or buying group can afford to ignore because of the level of influence it’s having in the sector and there’s no sign of that direction of travel changing any time soon.”
Sugro UK is proudly owned by its 90 plus independent wholesale members, with a combined turnover of over £2.5 billion.
Expanding its footprint in the World Foods category, Paulig has acquired Panesar Foods, a prominent UK-based producer of sauces and condiments.
Founded in 1992 and headquartered in Tipton, Panesar Foods is a family-owned business with three production facilities, employing 308 staff and achieving a turnover of £59 million in the 2023 fiscal year.
This collaboration is expected to accelerate product launches and drive growth in diverse offerings, including sauces, salsas, marinades, dips, and condiments.
"We have collaborated with Panesar Foods for 17 years, and we are very pleased to welcome the company to Paulig," said Rolf Ladau, CEO of Paulig. "Today, our combined taste expertise and innovation skills unite around a shared ambition: to accelerate our international growth and expand our World Foods offerings."
Bill Panesar, CEO of Panesar Foods, expressed confidence in the partnership, stating, “As Panesar Foods becomes part of Paulig, I am confident that our ambitions for international growth will be realised, and the business will continue to thrive. We share a strong commitment to innovation and delivering high-quality, flavourful products, and I look forward to bringing even more delicious products to the market, together."
Jas Panesar, MD of Panesar Foods, echoed, “This partnership will allow us to reach new markets and deliver our authentic World Food flavors to a broader audience. We look forward to combining our passion for quality food with Paulig’s commitment to sustainability and innovation.”
All 308 Panesar employees will transition to Paulig’s team. Financial details of the transaction remain undisclosed.