Nothing is too good for your cat. Gourmet Gold (Nestle Purina) had once again demonstrated his last Christmas with advent calendar for cats. Within bloated, with about 300 references in hypermarkets, market participants are trying everything to distinguish. Increasingly segmented, the offer meets the multiplicity of races and needs (neutered cats, dogs, seniors …). If the volume growth is limited by the stagnation of the animal population, this does not prevent the market to go upmarket. "The market valuation is an underlying trend for twenty years, due in significant R & D of the two main actors," says Sophie Dubois, president of Nestle Purina PetCare France, leading supermarkets. "It's a market that is still growing despite the crisis through a range of increasingly sophisticated," said Mr. Klersy, boss of Mars Petcare & Food France, elbow to elbow with Nestle.

All channels, the market grew by nearly 2% last year, driven by the cat food in supermarkets (+4.8%) and by specialized circuits (+2.2%) and hard discount (+ 2.8%). Manufacturers are dealing with consumers particularly loyal to brands and less fussy about spending. "The teachers treat their pets like their babies, says Paula Flores, an analyst at Euromonitor. They prefer to arbitrate in their other expenses rather than penalizing their animals and they pay more attention to product composition and origin of ingredients. "

The niche of organic

As in the human diet, it is the aspect that health and nutrition is most strongly developed in recent years. Revenues have been revised to aid digestion, promote the beauty of the hair, oral hygiene … Purina has launched earlier this year provides a digest of Friskies. The challenger, Spanish Ultima (Affinity Petcare), which is gaining ground in France, it has launched a premium milk "digestion light" for cats minibouteille plastic. He also headed for the prevention of aging dogs with Protect +, based antioxidants.

Manufacturers have also seized of the issue of overweight, which affects 40% of dogs and cats, often in search of exercise. Offers a light there for six years. Pedigree (March) has launched a range of kibble for the prevention of obesity. For the first time in the pet food, calories per serving and recommendations daily on the packaging. "We want to make it more accessible nutrition that was found previously in dedicated circuits, but more expensive," explains Michel Klersy.

The form and content are treated as one as the other: in March launched a new container (Sheba Dome Fusion), Purina an offer for the week (Gourmet A la Carte) … In high growth (+10%), the individual portions Cat boosted the market because of their practicality. The pouches have the tackiness can. At the initiative of March, challenger on this radius, the portions are smaller (50 g) and more refined (and steaming grill). As for brands, down like the rest of the food, they are the only ones to have invested the organic niche.

"There is still a high growth potential"

But the big winners of the linear snacks are undoubtedly dominated by Mars. Another commonality between the companions and their masters, adepts of snacking … This is the fastest growing segment of the market (+ 12% of the dog, 23% of cats). Along with sweets, biscuits and dental sticks, there is even now a … sauce pour over patties signed Brekkies (Ultima), which resembles nothing so much as a bottle of ketchup!

Dedicated circuits (garden centers, pet …), who suffer their price image, continue to hold the upper hand on the superpremium. Proplan (Nestle) is working to reduce the gap with the great leader, Royal Canin (Mars), and target new health benefits as those of older cats or those suffering from urinary stones. In these circuits, "there is still a strong growth potential because we have to convert all those who have not yet aware of how nutrition," says Isabelle Bellet, development manager for France Procter & Gamble (Eukanuba , Iams), the youngest, who put on animal protein composition and gluten and soy products.

]]> http://amarnathindustries.com/the-pet-food-does-not-know-the-crisis/feed/ 0 http://amarnathindustries.com/germany-merkel-agrees-to-the-proposed-minimum-wage/ http://amarnathindustries.com/germany-merkel-agrees-to-the-proposed-minimum-wage/#comments Fri, 27 Apr 2012 04:28:04 +0000 admin http://amarnathindustries.com/germany-merkel-agrees-to-the-proposed-minimum-wage/  

The conservative party of Angela Merkel (CDU) just make a new turn to conquer the center-left electorate for the election scheduled next year. Once he was fiercely opposed for several years, the union of conservative Chancellor has finally decided to support the introduction of a minimum wage in Germany.

Holding that the adoption of a "generalized minimum wage" in German might undermine negotiations between industry by industry employers, unions and employees, the CDU had long opposed the project.

But the Minister of Labour and Social Affairs, Ursula von der Leyen, has announced the development of a bill going in this direction. According to his plan, an apolitical committee comprising representatives of employers and employees will be trained to fix a minimum wage at the federal level. This committee will reassess the amount of income each year. Industrial areas that have already negotiated a minimum wage, will not be affected by the introduction of national minimum wage, even if its level is lower. It remains to convince liberal allies of the Chancellor. Advocate for the Mittelstand, the SME network which is the strength of German industry, the FDP strongly opposes the minimum wage.

Centrist electorate

By offering a new bone of contention with the FDP, the Chancellor has again demonstrated that it has no intention of taking gloves with the Liberals in disarray. Her greatest hope is to cut the grass under the feet of his rival Social Democrats and environmentalists, who planned to make the minimum wage one of their main proposals for the parliamentary elections in September 2013. Since coming to power in 2005, Angela Merkel has pushed his party to focus on issues traditionally left – environmental issues, education and child protection – to seduce the centrist electorate. The Chancellor made his most dramatic turnaround last year after the disaster of Fukushima, deciding in the closure of German nuclear power stations and programming for 2022 abandonment of atomic energy. Von der Leyen hopes his proposal will offer a minimum wage "huge boost" to the CDU at the regional elections scheduled May 13 in North Rhine-Westphalia, the most populous regional state of Germany.

The CDU, however, risk of alienating some of its traditional supporters. "The disastrous consequences of such solutions can be found in European countries that have adopted similar rules, and judge Dieter Hundt, president of German Employers (BDA). Once again it is the weakest who suffer from these measures, because this will complicate their entry into the labor market. "The unions believe instead that the shortage of manpower across the Rhine to help negotiate end of the precariousness of wages.

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When Samsung reports on its activities in France, this looks like a show of force. Thursday, March 22, local teams of Korean have an update on the business performance of the brand in France. The balance is simple: Samsung is number one on almost all markets.

Last year, Samsung has done just under 3 billion euros in turnover in the Hexagon, an increase of 18% compared to 2010. He now owns 40% of the French mobile market, "20 points ahead of number two (note: Nokia)," says David Eberle, head of the division in France Telecom. In 2011, 24 million phones were sold in the country, including 11.5 million smartphones. On the latter segment, Samsung also advanced in first place with 36.6% of sales. He is now focusing on its capacity for innovation and new products to strengthen its positions.

On the TV market, Samsung has also managed to conquer France. Last year, about 8.3 million televisions sold nearly one in four was a Samsung. A position that the Korean intends to maintain, despite an expected decline in the market which is expected to fall to 7 million units. To support sales, Samsung highlights the features of its TV connected as the availability of Skype.

Now the Samsung steamroller is on its way. In the computer first. The group is "a number of monitors on the market with 20.8% of sales, number one on the printer for individuals, and a number of digital signage, with over 50% of the market," said Agnes Van de Walle, head of the IT sector. With the launch of new PCs Ultrabooks, Korean intends to carve cruppers its competitors in this field.

But Samsung's ambitions do not stop there. Still very present in digital photography, it intends to change the situation, including through cameras with WiFi function. The brand is considered "legitimate" to offer such products, given its experience in telephony. One way to answer the picture of historical actors who consider themselves to be often the only "legitimate" for everything that is shot.

Korean is also seeking to strengthen its presence in home appliances, starting with the cold (refrigerator) and washing (washing machine and dishwasher). Not to mention the lighting: the first Korean LED will be in stores in the coming weeks! Samsung builds on the reputation acquired in the two markets are the flagship of the TV and the mobile to reach its global sales. A strategy that so far has paid off.

This is not the strong political message expected by Paris, but Europe has decided to speak up to protect themselves from competitors judged disloyal. Under control of the Commission, certain public may soon be prohibited suppliers from countries that close themselves the door to EU exporters.

This "reciprocity" commercial, written in a bill introduced Wednesday, is officially open to third markets rather than to protect the old continent. "Europe is an open market, and we do not see why others would not like us. It is therefore encouraging, "said EU Trade Commissioner, Karel De Gucht.

The compromise, snatched after eighteen months, is far from 'Buy European Act "recently proposed by Nicolas Sarkozy, even in small-step approach

. "Protectionism"

The bill is based on two mechanisms. One, almost consensual, will allow Brussels to close the procurement of Member States to a third country guilty of repeated discrimination against European companies. Beijing, which closed its borders to any technology that has not previously "registered", is like a number one target.

This is the second mechanism that clashed European capitals, notably France, the Netherlands and Britain. It would enable a single Contracting Party in the EU – a municipality, for example – to get the Commission to prohibit a tender to foreign competition under the pretext of non-reciprocity, if the procurement covered exceeds 5 million euros.

To impose this device, which struck the most liberal of the Commission, Michel Barnier had to defend himself publicly accused of "protectionism". With a strong argument in a recession: Brussels amounts to 12 billion euros a lack of European companies to export because of obstacles put in third countries. Furthermore, public procurement represents about 20% of GDP in the EU, and they escape to international competition rules, set by the WTO.

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Since the tsunami of 11 March and the Fukushima nuclear disaster, the Japanese atomic reactors were arrested, one after the other to be auscultated. Today, on the fifty-four boilers that supplied 28% of electricity in the Archipelago, only two work. And they should, they also stop in April to be tested for safety.

The streets of Tokyo shine though all their neon lights, and the life of the megalopolis of 35 million people saw the usual pace of its thousands of trains daily. Certainly, the corridors of Meti, the Ministry of Economy, are left in the dark, for an example. But the great campaign to save energy this summer ended.

This return to almost normal life despite the closure of fifty-two reactors, Japan pays a high price. Imports of oil and gas only for rotating thermal power plants in 2011 jumped by 77% and 18%. For the first time in thirty-one years, Japan had a trade deficit in 2011, 24 billion euros. And began the year with a record monthly deficit of 15 billion euros for the month of January, dug by the price of crude.

In this context, the government and power companies do not hide their desire: to restart nuclear plants faster. Large industrial fear a surge in the cost per kilowatt hour are pushing in this direction. The electrician Tepco, which operated the plant in Fukushima Daiichi and navigates to the brink of bankruptcy, announced an increase in its rates 17% for its major customers.

Restart nuclear facilities, just a year after the nuclear accident which forced 100,000 people to evacuate contaminated area? "For the Japanese, it's almost existential debate," says a French expert on energy, visiting Tokyo. The surveys that follow indicate that the majority of the population wants a nuclear phase-out.

Breach of trust

Reflecting Yuichiro Yonei, student 23 years specializing in energy met at the University of Tsukuba, who lived on March 11 as "a break" pay day loans. The young man, who no longer has confidence in the government's word on disaster management Fukushima, became antinuclear. Many young people who share his position on social networks come to sign the petitions in the tent erected militants since the fall before the Ministry of Economy.

The government Yoshihiko Noda walking on eggshells. It will not go into force. Formally, it does not need the green light of regional governors, elected, but nevertheless takes shelter behind them. To restore confidence, after pointing a report of TEPCO and failures of government, the government is reforming the nuclear safety authority, discredited.

Sixteen reactors only have registered for "stress test". Two of them, Ohi 3 and 4, have been deemed suitable by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and could be the first to restart.

The government plans to present in June or July of its energy strategy for the coming years. "We must remove our dependence on nuclear power and build medium to long term a company that will not have to rely on this energy," said the Prime Minister Noda Saturday.

By the summer season of peak power consumption due to the massive use of air conditioning, the Japanese will have to make tough choices: restart their nuclear reactors or pay the current high price; suffer outages new current or reduce their consumption of 10 to 15%.

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The debt crisis in Europe continues to impose experiencing this ritual to Angela Merkel and her center-right coalition. As in the previous six votes, in which MPs have urged the German solidarity towards the euro area, the approval by the Bundestag of the second bailout Greek turned yesterday at Calvary for the Chancellor, threatening its majority an existential crisis. Monday, she called politicians to approve the plan of 130 billion euros, for which the German contribution will be $ 35 billion, saying any other way "irresponsible" as the risks of bankruptcy of Greece are "incalculable ". However, Merkel has obtained the ratification of the Bundestag that through the voice of the opposition, throwing his government in limbo.

"The risks of turning away from Greece are incalculable, Merkel warned before the elected lower house of Parliament. Nobody can anticipate the consequences of the German economy, on Italy, on Spain, on the whole euro area and for the world "would have a bankruptcy of Greece. "I can not throw myself into the adventure, my oath forbade me," she said. Before insisting once again on the dramatic challenge: "If the euro fails, Europe is lost. If the euro wins, Europe wins. "

The Bavarian conservatives had turned up the heat in recent days by calling to stop pouring money into "a bottomless pit." Many elected Merkel of the CDU feel that Greece is a "lost cause". Result: The Chancellor received only 304 votes out of 311 needed to gather his own majority. The humiliation is even larger than the text was adopted by an overwhelming majority of 496 deputies, with the votes of the opposition instant payday loan. Some elected opposition will surely call early elections. For doubt now weighs on the viability of the Merkel government by the next legislative elections in 2013.

Soothe the discontent

The conservative chancellor acknowledged that "the path that opens before Greece is long and certainly not without risk." "This also applies to the success of the new program, no one can give guarantee 100% success," she added. His finance minister, Wolfgang Schäuble warned MPs in a letter last week that it was probably not the last time they had to look at the Greek case. "The Bundestag will vote a third package for Greece," predicted Steinbrück for his part, is the opposition Social Democrats, during the parliamentary debate.

To try to calm the discontent in his camp (conservative CDU / CSU and liberal FDP), the Chancellor reiterated that his Government had "no need for a debate on increasing the volume of rescue mechanisms" to work (EFSF) and future (MES). A response to the demands of the G20, the last weekend, which was insufficient to convince its members. Following the appointment of a consensus candidate wanted by the opposition, Joachim Gauck, as president, Merkel cash their second defeat in a week.

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Inequalities between men and women die hard. On wages, women continued to earn 20% less than men in 2009, INSEE said Wednesday in its latest publication on employment and wages. If this gap has narrowed significantly since 1954 (he was then 35%), it is virtually stagnant since the early 1990s.

This inequality is calculated based on hours of work the same for men and women. But if one takes into account the number of hours actually worked over the year, the gap increases again, due to the higher proportion of women working part-time while they earn nearly 30% of less than men. Positive, however, wage inequality tends to be reduced in less than 25 years.

INSEE explains this persistent inequality by "a qualifying structure" different from each sex. More men, for example, are managers (19% against 12% of women). Even within the same occupational category, inequalities remain payday loan online. And sometimes compounded: a female manager in the private sector and 23% earn less than men.

Involuntary part-time

This is partly the effect of the famous "glass ceiling" that prevents women from accessing certain positions. It is also, according to INSEE, the resulting choice of training, industries or career operated by women. Many of them, for example, moving towards the sectors of health or social work, pay less.

The highest proportion of female part-timers do not necessarily result also a choice, especially motivated by family reasons. Even among those who have no children, the proportion of part-time employees is 17% higher than that of men. A figure that reflects the overrepresentation of women in the service sector, where part-time is more widespread.

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Small businesses with fewer than 20 employees (TPE) through a difficult period. "They are in survival mode. They no longer have the slow growth of France, said Jean-Marc Jaumouillé, director of professional techniques in Fiducial. They suffered more in 2011 than in 2008 and 2009. They did not contribute to wealth creation in the second half of last year. Only 20% showed an increase in their revenues above inflation. "

According to the 45th quarterly barometer of TPE made by Ifop for Fiducial, small employers have not created jobs last year. 82% have stabilized their numbers. 10% have cut jobs. They are only 7% have increased their staff. "This is one of the worst year for employment since 2002," says Jean-Marc Jaumouillé.

Small employers monitor carefully the evolution of the payroll. They were limited to 1.7% wage increases for their employees last year. However, the situation varies across sectors. A company has upgraded four of less than 1% wages. 18% gave an increase of more than 4%. They are all to have frozen wages.

Assuming a stabilization of their sales in the first quarter, small businesses are cautious for 2012. The average wage increases should be limited to 1.2%. But 42% of small employers that will provide zero or less than 1%. "One good sign. For the first time since 2008, a perceived tightening of access to credit has fallen to 15% while it was never dropped below 20% since 2008, "says Jean-Marc Jaumouillé.

Employees overtime takers

While the debate on working time is one of the key topics of the presidential campaign, half of the patrons of TPE (49%) practice a working week not exceeding 35 hours, against 44% in October 2007 . One in ten exceeds 39 hours, against 21% in October 2007. "The law Tepa introduced in August 2007 that would allow firms to relax the 35 hours has had limited impact. She did not call for air hoped, "says Jean-Marc Jaumouillé.

As in October 2007, 47% of businesses use regularly to overtime. TPE over eight in ten (82%) pay them according to the legal scale. One in three places recoveries. One in five exceptional bonuses.

For their part, employees are increasingly likely to want to work overtime. They are 55% to 26% against the wish five years ago.

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Saturday accused by Marine Le Pen to slaughter according to halal "all meat" distributed in the Ile-de-France, industrialists defend themselves. President of the National Association of interprofessional Livestock and Meat (Interbev), interviewed by France Info, the judge charged the president of the National Front "absolutely false".

"In the Ile-de-France, a vast majority of meat is not slaughtered according to halal or kosher," which involves killing animals without stunning, ensures Dominique Langlois. "It may be that parts or pieces of meat from carcasses are slaughtered according to these rites, but that does not change the quality of meat and it does not change at all the qualities of the product," adds Will it.

For professionals in the meat, the charge of Marine Le Pen "is meant strictly political and did not match the reality of things." "It's a debate that can only be detrimental to both the meat industry to French and French production that does not need it," warned the president of Interbev.

The animal rights groups mobilized

This debate is not new. Last year, six associations have denounced the increasing proportion of animals slaughtered according to Jewish or Muslim rites. According to the Foundation Brigitte Bardot, who had made an investigation in slaughterhouses, more than 60% of sheep and goats, 28% of adult cattle and 43% of calves were then killed without stunning, but that consumers are warned.

In France, however, requires the slaughter, since a decree of 1964, the stunning of animals before killing, thereby mitigating their suffering. But European legislation provides an exemption, "when stunning is not compatible with the ritual prescriptions under the free exercise of religion."

Approval before waive stunning

Two bills were filed in late 2010, the Senate to the Assembly, without success, to obtain a specific labeling of meat slaughtered without stunning. "The consumer has the right to know what he eats. He has the right not to eat meat slaughtered in a ritual which does not believe him, "argued the UMP deputy Nicolas Dhuicq. A new amendment, introduced in September 2011, was also rejected.

On 29 December, a decree was published in the Official Journal, however, requiring slaughterhouses to obtain, on or after 1 July 2012, before an official authorization from the rule of stunning. "It does [may] be granted only to slaughterhouses in favor [...] of a registration system to verify that it is used to slaughter without stunning as a result of justifying the commercial orders, "said the Ministry of Culture.

Marine Le Pen wants to complain

The animal rights groups have expressed quite satisfied with this text. "Being able to justify a ritual slaughter is a specific order is important because, currently, most of the meat of this kind of slaughter is found in conventional circuits without any indication to consumers," recalled Christophe Marie, spokeswoman Brigitte Bardot Foundation.

Marine Le Pen was not in favor waiting for the entry into force of the decree. On the sidelines of the convention of his party, being held this weekend in Lille, it announced its intention to attack "a few major retail supermarkets in Ile-de-France for misrepresentation of the product." She said wanting to file a complaint with a civil order for a judge to be seized, which could lead to an investigation of several months.

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SNCF will release on February 16 as "good" annual results, in the words of its leadership. Yet they will undergo a severe movement of the plane. On 14 February, the president of SNCF, Guillaume Pepy, unveiled to participants of a seminar on "business model TGV" that his group would carry out an impairment of € 700 million on its TGV . "The value of TGV, now in the books of the SNCF, amounts to nearly 4.5 billion euros," he said, according LaTribune.fr who reports his remarks. We will depreciate the 700 million euros because we have too many trains and they are mostly old. "

The fleet has 457 SNCF trains whose average age is 17 years. This decision comes as the SNCF profitability of the branch TGV group – very profitable long – has deteriorated in recent years. An evolution largely attributed by the public company to the concomitant increase in tolls which it must pay with Réseau Ferré de France (RFF), owner of the tract payday loans for bad credit. Since late last week, SNCF and RFF have agreed on changes in rates of tolls until 2018. Guillaume Pepy was this medium-term visibility a prerequisite for engaging in orders for new trains. He said Tuesday that such investments would only be possible when the operating margin of the travel industry would reach 20%. Or it tops out at 14% today.

Until 2015, the fleet will continue to welcome new trains: 15 "Euro Duplex" will be delivered by Alstom in 2012, 11 in 2013, 11 in 2014 and seven in 2015. According to its chief financial officer, David Azema, who intervenaitle February 15 parliamentary days when the rail is in fact particularly after 2025 that the station should replace trains end of life.

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