EGGS MARKETS

AMERICAS: As the size of flocks increase, consumption declines.

Before WWII the majority of egg producers in the USA had flocks of less than 400 hens. Technological developments in the 1960s predicated the shift to large commercial farms.

There are presently 64 companies with more than a million layers and 11 with more than 5 million

Per capita egg consumption peaked at 405 in 1945, nearly 60% higher than current levels. The industry believes the explanation for the decline lies in life style changes and health concerns.

DAIRY PRODUCTS

EUROPE: Rising global milk price has varied causes and effects.

The benchmark price for skimmed milk powder in the UK has risen by 60% in the last six months. The reasons behind this increase are manifold and include factors such as the price of milk falling below the cost of production in the UK resulting in a 50% decline in the number of dairy farmers over the past ten years; severe draught in Australia impacting production and rising demand from China where consumption is predicted to further expand by 15% for the next three years.

The effect of these price rises feeds through not only into the market for pure dairy products such as milk, cheese and butter but also to products which incorporate them e.g. chocolate, cakes and pizzas.

RETAILING

EUROPE: Weather and interest rate rises impact UK retailers.

The BRC-KPMG Retail Sales Monitor for July 2007 shows that UK retail sales rose 1.2% on a like-for-like basis compared with July 2006 when sales rose 3.4%. The current rate of growth was half that experienced in the second quarter of 2007 and the slowest since November 2006.

In contrast to July 2006 which is reported as the hottest on record this July was one of the wettest. Comparisons are also impacted by the occurrence of the World Cup. Sales of food, clothing, footwear, DIY and gardening equipment have suffered whilst department stores and out-of-town shopping centres have benefited from being shelters from the frequent storms.

COAL MINING

EUROPE: Poland plans flotation in coal mining industry.

Poland's Deputy Economy Minister Krzysztof Tchorzewski announced in late July that the government could list state-controlled coalminer Katowicki Holding Weglowy (KHW) on the Warsaw Stock Exchange in late autumn 2008. The funds raised in the IPO would be used to finance investment in the company's facilities.

It is planned that other companies in the sector would subsequently be privatised although the government would retain control over the listed entities.

RETAILING

AMERICAS: E-commerce technology spend focused on systems and applications.

In a recent editorial the trade journal ''Online Retailer'' reported that online retailers are spending more on systems and applications as slower sales growth focuses attention on customer retention.

Leading online retailers are now spending between 4% and 11% of their sales revenue on e-commerce technology whereas the figure averaged 3% a decade ago. More specifically the top ten quoted retailers who derived all, or a majority of, their revenues online spent an average 7.7% which is an increase of 54.8%.

PORTS

ASIA: The Port of Rotterdam advises the Indian Ports Association.

The Port of Rotterdam was commissioned about a year ago by the Indian Ports Association to offer strategic advice to the major Indian ports.

Their key recommendations were the delegation of power downwards from the Ministry of Shipping to the individual ports and from senior management to executives within organisations.

The report also suggested that investment in mechanised cargo handling rather than increasing the number of berths would lead to economic efficiencies.

Further recommendations were for increased outsourcing and the development of transport connectivity's which would facilitate the offer of total transport solutions to clients.

MEDIA

EUROPE: The winds of change are blowing through the French business press.

Bernard Arnault's LVMH is in exclusive talks to buy Les Echos from Pearson Plc and has, according to Reuters, made an offer of 250 million Euro's.

Arnault currently owns the loss-making La Tribune and its journalists fear that if he acquired its rival he would divest La Tribune in such a manner that its future would be threatened. Financier Vincent Bolloré has declared his interest in acquiring it.

In common with their counterparts at Dow Jones the French journalists are also concerned that their newspapers' new ownership would threaten editorial independence. Christine Albanel, the French culture minister, said that the government would examine the competition implications of a sale of either or both newspapers.

RECORDED MUSIC MARKETS

AMERICAS: Music piracy costs the global industry $4.2 bn annually.

The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) fetchingly describe piracy as 'Old as the Barbary Coast, New as the Internet' and they are concentrating their efforts on counteracting it in all the forms in which it impacts their members. They estimate that it costs the global industry $4.2 bn annually.

The RIAA's team of internet specialists, with the assistance of a 24-hour automated webcrawler, attempts to stop internet sites that make illegal recordings available.

ADVERTISING MARKETS

AMERICAS: Brazilian city lives happily without public advertising.

In September 2006 the Brazilian city of São Paulo voted to ban all advertising in public spaces with effect from 1 January 2007.

This restriction applied not only to billboards, screens and neon displays but also to the distribution of fliers, hoardings on public service vehicles and the size of shop fascias.

Initial impressions are that the public supports the ban and welcomes its positive impact on the environment whilst the advertisers are learning to live with it.

AIRLINES MARKETS

EUROPE: Private equity demonstrates appetite for European airlines.

Private equity house TPG (formerly Texas Pacific Group) is, in conjunction with British Airways, exploring an approximately $5 bn bid for Spanish flag-carrier Iberia. It is also one of three short-listed bidders for the Italian government's 49.9% interest in Alitalia.

British Airways currently owns 10% of Iberia and has first refusal on a further 30% so is able to thwart alternative bidders.

It has been argued that British Airways should be focussing its attention on growth markets in Asia rather than consolidation in the relatively stagnant European arena.