US: The Coca-Cola Company has entered into an agreement with Dr Pepper Snapple Group to distribute certain Dr Pepper brands, subject to the completion of The Coca-Cola Company's acquisition of Coca-Cola Enterprises' North American bottling business. The Coca-Cola Co will make a one-time cash payment of $715m to distribute the products in the US and Canada where they are currently distributed by CCE.

"Through this new relationship, The Coca-Cola Co will become one of the largest Dr Pepper trademark bottlers in the US and provide CCE's current customers with uninterrupted distribution of Dr Pepper brands," said Muhtar Kent, chairman and CEO, The Coca-Cola Co.

Whole Foods Market is testing a new format in Marin County, California. The stores have been designed with a farmers' market look and are focused more on local produce with more than 1,000 fruits, veg and packaged goods from Northern California, including several hundred from Marin County.

Walmart is to provide financial aid to help US employees gain a college degree in partnership with a web-based university. Walmart will invest $50m over three years in tuition assistance, while American Public University will offer a 15% reduction in tuition fees.

Germany: Metro Group is to launch its Metro Punct format in Russia next year in a bid to enter the country's smaller cities. The new-style C&C depots will be about 16,000 sq ft, compared with Metro's standard 110,000 sq ft C&C, and will specialise in selling fresh and own-label products. The Metro Punct concept currently operates in Poland and Romania.

Australia: Woolworths is increasing the number of own-label contracts in its milk supply chain. It has been sourcing own-label milk from sole supplier National Food since 2002, but will now also source from Parmalat and Murray Goulburn.

The retailer denied the change was influenced by a report produced by the Australian Senate, which said the scale of Woolworths, Coles and some milk processors left dairy farmers at a competitive disadvantage.

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