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NEW YORK -- Growth in gourmet and organic cookies, as well as laying on the chocolate, are two strategies that might save the faltering cookie market, which has dropped to $5.56 billion in 2005 from over $6 billion in 2001, as consumers increasingly worry about their waistlines and their medical profiles, according to "Cookies in the U.S.," a new report from Packaged Facts. »

NEW YORK -- The stagnating salad dressing market is poised to gET a boost from better-for-you products and those with an ethnic twist, potentially grow the market from $2.72 billion in 2005 to almost $2.9 billion in 2010, according to new Packaged Facts report, "Salad Dressings in the U.S."  »

BLOOMINGTON, Minn. -- Through his Wolfgang Puck Worldwide, Inc. (WPW) corporation, world-renown chef and restaurateur Wolfgang Puck has a partnership in the works with Schwan's Consumer Brands North America, Inc. based here. »

RIDGEWOOD, N.J. - Retail buyers need to be better prepared for meetings with vendors, according to a new study by consultancy MOHR Access here. Buyers not only often enter into negotiations without clarifying their objectives, the study found, but also become distracted by secondary issues.  »

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. - Aiming to become more profitable, convenient, and consumer-centric, Spartan Stores here plans to grow more fuel centers, expand private-label, eye opportunistic store acquisitions, add more convenience services, and generally expand its retail and distribution businesses, the company's chief executive told shareholders at the annual meeting yesterday. »

NATICK, Mass. -- BJ's Wholesale Club, Inc. here yesterday said private label in grocery-type categories was a bright spot in an otherwise mixed second quarter--and chain executives added that they plan to increase their emphasis on private label going forward.  »

SECAUCUS, N.J. and NEW YORK - Leading Hispanic foods supplier Goya Foods has selected Winglatino as the agency for to develop a major campaign that will be launched both in the U.S. Hispanic and general markets nationwide.  »

CHICAGO -- Austin, Minn.-based Hormel Foods Corp. has launched its first-ever U.S. Spanish-language television commercial for Spam, its iconic brand of canned luncheon meat. The 30-second spot was developed and produced by Hormel's Hispanic advertising agency of record, The San Jose Group (SJG), based here. »

BENTONVILLE, Ark. -- Steady sales of food and consumables helped Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. during a challenging second quarter in which the world's largest retailer suffered its first profit slip in a decade. »

AMBLER, Pa. -- Jerome "Jerry" Shupak, an independent sales and marketing consultant to startup and expanding food companies since 1984, died Aug. 10 after a brief battle battle with cancer. Shupak had over 40 years of experience with a wide range of food industry products. »