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January brought further evidence of the seismic shifts taking place in the global retail sector. Established retailers have largely responded to these challenges through an emphasis on cost cutting and price slashing. Others, however, continued to benefit with the likes of Lidl, Casino and Intermarche all expanding in the month. Here is just-food's digest of the top retailer stories from the past 31 days. 

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Online giants Amazon and Alibaba eyed expansion into new markets, sourcing was put in the spotlight as Wal-Mart owned Asda launched a range rationalisation in the UK, while Casino and Dia formed a strategic purchasing alliance. 

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Global retailers have continued to expand into emerging markets, in spite of the political and economic turbulence seen in many of these countries and the challenges to profitability.

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In such a price-focused environment, manufacturers will need to find innovative ways to grow in 2015. Data, IRI's Anne Lefranc argues, will be central to these strategies.

Since setting up their baby food business from their home in Northern Ireland in 2009, husband-and-wife founders of Heavenly Tasty Organics James Blair and Shauna McCarney-Blair have seen the firm go from strength to strength. Now the firm is about to launch its range of snack products in Asia. James Blair, operations director, tells John Shepherd about the firms latest expansion plans.

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James Lambert, CEO of UK-based R&R Ice Cream, has suggested the company's plan to buy local rival Fredericks Dairies will give retailers a "real alternative" to market leader Unilever.

Mars and McCormick & Co. are among the food groups potentially facing court action in France over allegations of undeclared nanoparticles in their products.

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French retail body, the La Fédération des Entreprises du Commerce et de la Distribution, has unveiled its own voluntary labelling scheme, which it is planning to test by the end of the year before a full roll-out in 2016.

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Heavenly Tasty Organics has entered the French market in a deal the a UK-based group said should be worth more than GBP100,000 (US$152,000).

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French retailers are lining up to show their support for the introduction of a national charter for responsible supplier relations.

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United Biscuits is set for a new owner - Turkey's Yildiz Holding. The UK-based snacks maker announced this week brands including McVitie's and BN would join Godiva chocolate in the Yildiz portfolio. The M&A spotlight was firmly on the UK last week, with German giant Müller striking a deal to buy Dairy Crest's liquid milk assets - competition approval pending.

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The French competition authorities today (6 November) announced two distinct lines of inquiry into the planned purchasing partnerships between Casino and Intermarche and between Auchan and Systeme U.

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A busy week in the food industry calendar, with the SIAL exhibition in Paris, ended with a shock announcement: Chiquita Brands International's shareholders rejected the company's plan to merge with Ireland's Fyffes. Elsewhere, we heard third-quarter updates from Unilever, Premier Foods and Mead Johnson.

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Major suppliers operating in France will lose money from the two buying partnership deals announced by four of the country's largest grocers, a senior executive at dairy group Bongrain has said.

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French retailer Casino has seen a drop in total first-quarter sales despite organic gains as currency translation weighed on the top line.

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This week, the annual CAGNY investment conference took place in the US, with leading FMCG companies discussing their strategy and outlook for their businesses. One of those, PepsiCo, found itself in the spotlight again after activist investor Nelson Peltz called - not for the first time - for the group to split in two. Elsewhere, US beef jerky firm Jack Link's snapped up Unilever's meat snacks arm and Ian McLeod, the MD of Coles, said he would step down after a successful five years at Australia's number two grocer.

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French retailer Casino today (18 February) reported a near-10% rise in underlying annual profits and expressed "confidence" in its growth prospects for 2014, helping its shares to recover recent lost ground.

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Colombian retailer Exito has struck a deal to buy 50 Super Inter stores in a move it said would "consolidate" its "leadership" position in the country's grocery retail market.

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French retail giant Casino has reported a near-6% increase in annual sales as growth overseas offset a challenging year at home.

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UK retailer Marks and Spencer has remained tight-lipped over claims it is looking to acquire a batch of stores in France from retail giant Casino.

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Carrefour is in discussions to buy French regional retailer Coop Alsace.

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Casino has agreed to buy over 40 Le Mutant outlets and struck a licencing deal with the chain's owner in the north of the country.

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Casino has booked an increase in third-quarter sales, with its stores in Latin America and Asia again offsetting lower revenues in France - although the retailer claimed positive signs from its domestic business.

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Jean-Charles Nouri, chief executive of Casino, looks set to become chairman of CBD, the Brazilian retailer that the French grocer controls.

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Brazilian investor Abilio Diniz will stand down as chairman of Casino-controlled retailer CBD, bringing to an end disputes between the two over the business his family founded.

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Casino has booked higher half-year profits helped by a jump in international earnings but the French grocer's numbers also revealed continued challenges at home.

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French retailer Système U has entered Andorra through the acquisition of two former Casino-owned Monoprix stores.

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France's competition watchdog has cleared Casino's bid to take full control of convenience chain Monoprix.

French retail giants Casino and Auchan have insisted they will press ahead with their negotiations over a possible buying pact after it emerged a potential partner for the tie-up, Systeme-U, is in its own talks with Carrefour.

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Buying partnerships between France's food retailers have been a feature of the country's grocery landscape for a number of years but this week came news of a potentially significant new tie-up - and suppliers have expressed their consternation.