Workers at cereal company Weetabix are to go on strike in the new year after voting for action in a row over shift patterns. Members of the Usdaw union backed industrial action by 9-1 on a turnout of almost 70%. The union said action would affect workplaces in Corby and Kettering, with the first strike taking place in the new year. Each strike will run for 24 hours, with no more than one stoppage in a single week. (The Guardian)

Danone, the world’s largest yoghurt maker, has lowered it sales forecast for 2016 due to difficult conditions in European markets for dairy and a disappointing relaunch of its Activia probiotic range. The French company said it now expects 2016 like-for-like revenue growth to be “slightly below” its target of 3-5%. (The Financial Times £)

The FT’s Lex column says Danone’s falling shares “deserve their discount” highlighting its problems with growth prospects in dependable categories such as bottled water and baby food, tightening dairy margins and concerns over the reliability of health and organic food claims after its WhiteWave acquisition. (The Financial Times £)

Corner shops suffering as supermarkets muscle in on their territory have some new, if rather unlikely, allies. A group of consumer groups, giants including Diageo, Coca-Cola, Mars and Heineken, have teamed up to back a start-up aiming to get convenience stores online and to run a 24-hour delivery service for them. (The Times £)

Online retail giant Amazon is chartering its own aircraft as it eyes cheap and reliable logistics network this Christmas. (The Financial Times £)

One in three UK consumers admit to binning turkey and sprouts for their Christmas dinner before it even reaches the table because of their lack of culinary knowhow, a new report has revealed. (The Guardian)

Just Eat chairman John Hughes has pocketed £13.4m after selling 235,000 shares in the takeaway app as it bids to buy-up rival Hungry House. (The Daily Mail)

The FT’s Lex column looks at the US craft brewing market, writing: “The beer market in the United States has been in a ferment. Commodity markets are responding. The US Department for Agriculture reports a 44% increase in the total value of this year’s hop crop compared to last year.” (The Financial Times £)

The pound has suffered a wobble as markets experience a fresh bout of jitters over Brexit. Sterling slipped by a cent against the US dollar to below $1.24, its lowest level in a month, before recovering a little. It was also down by a cent against the euro to less than €1.19. (Sky News)

The UK manufacturing industry suffered some of the biggest job cuts this year of any sector, in the face of cheap overseas labour and the rise of a ‘robot workforce’. According to a report issued by the accountancy group UHY Hacker Young, a fall in employment numbers was attributed to technological advances and the ongoing shift in manufacturing to countries where labour costs are lower, such as China or Vietnam. (The Daily Mail)

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