Canned vegetables, in particular, are disappearing fast because consumers prefer fresh, chilled or frozen. And, of course some vegetables, like carrots, don't migrate to the can very well. They are over processed. The only growth in vegetables is where they are used as ingredients, such as tomatoes and red kidney beans, and sweetcorn which is put with tuna and mayonnaise for salads and fillings. Baked beans are strong, too, because of their kids' appeal and versatility as a snack. The only canned fruits holding up are pineapple, because it's versatile, and sliced peaches. Desserts like custard and rice are losing out, too, because consumers prefer chilled. One of the few areas in growth is fish, particularly tuna which is the star performer. John West's pouches have done well, and added value to the category. Ready meals are back in slight growth because of product innovation. Soup's decline has been reversed, and we have seen strong growth in our stores in the last year largely because of aggressive promotions, such as Heinz tomato 4-pack for £1.19. Promotions like these account for most of our soup volume. The category's overall decline means our stores have to be on top of the game and be prepared to remove non-performers very quickly. We've cut back on own label and now concentrate on the best selling lines from the brands. {{FOCUS SPECIALS }}

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