Lidl to sell fresh produce online | Tesco drops to third in Ireland

German ex-chancellor Schroeder to mediate in supermarket row -
Germany's ex-chancellor, Gerhard Schroeder, will mediate in a dispute between two leading retailers over the takeover of loss-making supermarket chain, Kaiser's Tengelmann, the government said Monday, boosting hopes a deal can be struck to save thousands of jobs. "Edeka, Tengelmann and Rewe today agreed to a mediation procedure, led by former chancellor Gerhard Schroeder," the economy ministry said in a statement. (supermarketnews.com)

Woolworths commences roll out of Country of Origin labelling
From this week Woolworths customers will begin to see new Country of Origin labelling on a variety of Fresh Cut products in stores across Australia. The move comes ahead of the mandatory deadline, set by the Australian Government of July 2018, with 25 Woolworths own brand products to carry the new label by the end of next month. The new labelling is part of the Government’s Country of Origin labelling Scheme and includes products that are 100% Australian, through to products that include a percentage of Australian sourced ingredients. “Woolworths is a long-time supporter of Australian-made and grown products, with 100% of our fresh meat and 96% of fruit and vegetables sourced from Australia. We believe the new labelling reforms are great news for our customers,” said Woolworths Head of Sustainability, Adrian Cullen. (foodmag.com.au)

Tesco drops to third in Ireland's Kantar Worldpanel supermarket rankings
Tesco is now Ireland's third-biggest supermarket chain, according to the latest market share data from Kantar Worldpanel, with rival Dunnes Stores overtaking the retailer for the first time. The data, which covers the 12-week period to 9 October, shows Tesco on 21.6% market share, with Dunnes marginally ahead on 22.0% share. SuperValu, part of the Musgrave Group, remains Ireland's biggest supermarket group, with 22.4% market share. (esmmagazine.com)

India: Jugnoo now plans to launch grocery services
After being successful in the auto services in the country, Jugnoo has announced the launch of a grocery service. This launch is being followed after the success of their recent launch, 'Fresh', delivering vegetables and fruits. The orders will be delivered by auto-rikshaw drivers during their free time. The company has tied up with the local branches of the best wholesalers in the city. It also ensures fulfilment of all items in an order. (financialexpress.com)

German Lidl starts selling fresh produce online
Lidl is following the lead of Edeka and Rewe in launching a full, online offer, and is the first of the discounters to offer fresh food through this channel. Following a successful launch, it will be expanding the offer to Hamburg and plans to expand this further in the future. With Amazon Fresh expected to soon enter the market, retailers in Germany are starting to respond more seriously to the online threat. Lidl is following the lead of Edeka and Rewe in launching a full online offer and is the first of the discounters to offer fresh food through this channel. Lidl is investing heavily in online and will increase its offer to include a range of fresh products, including fresh fruit, vegetables and frozen products. (igd.com)

Russia: Dixy Group commences work with ‘discount aggregator’ Edadil
Russia’s Dixy Group has announced a partnership agreement with discount aggregator, Edadil, which will enable the retailer to provide timely information about discounts to its customers. (esmmagazine.com)

Spanish DIA Group sees sales up 11%
Spain’s DIA Group has posted nine month results that show a rise in sales, under banner, of 11% in local currency terms, compared to the same period last year, of €7.8bn. The retailer said that the increase was thanks to ‘good business momentum in all regions in which the company operates’. In Iberia, sales were up 2% to €5.1bn, while in emerging countries, DIA posted growth of 27.2%, to €2.7bn. (esmmagazine.com)

New York: Gristedes-D'Agostino merger still on
A partnership between one-time New York grocery rivals, Gristedes and D'Agostino Supermarkets, is still on, with a merger of the companies likely to be complete by the end of the year. John Catsimatidis, whose Red Apple Group owns Gristedes, told SN Monday that a combination would help the grocers gain financial strength to better withstand the competition in Manhattan, which he said has accelerated with the expansion of well-heeled specialists, like Whole Foods and Trader Joe's, as well as a move by drugstores to replicate supermarket assortments in their stores. Click here to read more at supermarketnews.com.

Lidl plans to open another 100 stores in Romania
German retailer Lidl plans to open another 100 discount stores in Romania, in additional to the 200 discount shops it already has in the local market, said Frank Wagner, the director of the group’s operations in Romania, reports local Ziarul Financiar. “We want to keep the expansion pace at 10-15 stores per year, and even accelerate if we find opportunities,” Wagner said. (romania-insider.com)

US: Kroger does have one advantage over Amazon, expert says
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India: BigBasket seeks govt’s approval for Rs100 crore FDI
BigBasket has sought government’s approval to infuse Rs100 crore of foreign direct investment to further expand its business. The company, which sells fruits, vegetables and other food products online, plans to use the funds to strengthen backend infrastructure, increasing collection centres and processing units, sources said. According to a company official, foreign investment of Rs100 crore is sought to be put in by existing investors, including an overseas venture capital fund. The government is making efforts to double the food processing level of fruits and vegetables, which currently stands at only 10%. Click here to read more at livemint.com

AU: Woolworths and CHEP raise awareness for cancer
Supply chain solutions provider, CHEP Australia, will be painting some of its iconic blue pallets pink this month to raise awareness for breast and gynaecological cancers. Kicking off this week’s National Pink Ribbon Day, which is part of National Breast Cancer Awareness month, CHEP in partnership with supermarket giant Woolworths, and the Cancer Council, have sent out pink coloured pallets to the Woolworths Distribution Centre in Minchinbury, New South Wales, for circulation into stores. (primemovermag.com.au)