WASHINGTON — The Grocery Manufacturers Association has decided to issue the industry benchmark report for unsaleables every other year rather than annually, according to Stephen Sibert, the GMA’s senior vice president, industry affairs. The unsaleables benchmark report, produced in concert with the Food Marketing Institute, is typically released in July at the annual GMA/FMI Unsaleables conference, but will be held until the 2008 conference, said Sibert. The annual schedule “wasn’t giving the industry an opportunity to respond to the numbers,” Sibert said. The new schedule “will give companies an opportunity to build a policy [in response to the report].” He said the every-other-year schedule will also apply to the GMA’s logistics and IS reports, which also skipped 2007. GMA’s financial performance report will keep to an annual schedule, however.

Read More of Today's Headlines