Ocado hires Amazon exec as European president for Solutions business
Ocado Group 
has hired Amazon director Gregor Ulitzka for the new role of European president for its Solutions business. Ulitzka was director of supply chain and inventory management for Europe at Amazon and has also spent 13 years working for German grocer Metro.
Source: retailgazette.co.uk
UK: Aldi announces major change to Super 6 fruit and veg range
Aldi has announced a change to its Super 6 promotion which will impact all stores across the UK over the next few weeks. Britain's fourth largest supermarket will be renaming its Super 6 to Super 7, with a proportion of profits from the seventh item in the range being donated to its charity partner, Teenage Cancer Trust. From Thursday, the Super 7 range will now include a little gem lettuce, and once purchased, 7p from every pack will go towards supporting the charity.
Source: aldipresscentre.co.uk
Swiss online farmers' market Farmy harvest €10.7mln to achieve break-even by 2025
Farmy, a Swiss online market, and B Corp announced the successful close of its €10.7mln financing round. The fresh capital comes mainly from existing investors but also from new investors who support Farmy and believe in the success of the company, whose core strengths continue to include its sustainability, transparency, and close relationships with Swiss farmers and small and medium-sized food producers from the region.
Source: eu-startups.com
India: LuLu's hypermarket in Coimbatore marks new plans in Tamil Nadu
The LuLu Group recently launched its first Hypermarket in Coimbatore, its first in Tamil Nadu, and the launch has generated a lot of buzz, marking its foray into the state with new expansion plans lined up. The new hypermarket is located at Lakshmi Hills Compound, Avinashi Road, Coimbatore, and it reportedly procures 80% of its vegetables and fruits directly from farmers in the state.
Source: retail4growth.com
Sainsbury's says UK food inflation falling as sales rise
Sainsbury's, Britain's second-largest supermarket group, said food inflation was starting to fall as a return to volume growth helped power a 9.8% rise in quarterly underlying sales. The group, which has a 15% share of Britain's grocery market, also maintained guidance for a 2023-24 underlying pretax profit of 640-700mln pounds ($812-$888mln) versus 690mln pounds in 2022-23.
Source: reuters.com
UK: Kids Eat Free scheme returns to Tesco cafés for school summer holidays
Tesco has announced it will be bringing back its Kids Eat Free scheme to its 310 cafés across the UK over the school summer holidays. Hot main meals include a vegetable side dish, and the sandwich pick-n-mix includes a piece of fresh fruit and two snacks.
Source: tescoplc.com
Lidl reorganizes management structure in Germany
Discounter Lidl is undertaking a reorganization of its management structure in Germany as it seeks to speed up decision-making and streamline operations, according to reports. Newspaper Handelsblatt reported that Christian Härtnagel, head of Lidl Germany, will remain in his position but has been assigned a deputy, Jan Bock, who previously held the role of head of purchasing at Lidl International.
Source: esmmagazine.com
Flipkart-owned Ekart launches B2B transportation solutions across India
Ekart has launched B2B air and surface transportation solutions for businesses in India. The Flipkart Group-owned supply chain network can now move goods throughout India for brands, manufacturers, and retailers, using 21 airports and a fleet of over 7,000 trucks, Ekart said in a press release.
Source: pymnts.com
UK: Mobile food hub supporting Cambridgeshire villages
A mobile food hub with free or cut-price fruit, vegetables, and other items has started in rural Cambridgeshire. The yellow van is delivering essentials to villages to try and alleviate the rising cost of living. Not-for-profit organization Hope CIC, which has put on the hub, said it had seen "need rising every single day."
Source: bbc.com
Carrefour completes the sale of Carrefour Taiwan to Uni-President
Carrefour announced the closing of the disposal, previously announced, of its 60% stake in Carrefour Taiwan to Uni-President. This operation completes the Group's refocusing on its two key markets, Europe and Latin America. The price for the sale of 60% of Carrefour Taiwan shares is c. €1bln.
Source: carrefour.com
UK: Morrisons to stop operations at Bradford distribution centre
Over 450 jobs are at risk after Morrisons announced it will be stopping operations at its Bradford distribution centre. Cutler Heights, which was the Bradford-based supermarket chain's first-ever produce site, supplies 59 fruit products and 115mln packs of fruit a year.
Source: thetelegraphandargus.co.uk
Belgium: Smoothie-making vending machines
Alberts Smoothie Stations are AI-powered vending machines that create personalized smoothies. The machines are stocked with a range of fresh fruit and vegetables, and customers can either opt for one of the pre-set recipes or create their own via Alberts' app.
Source: grocerygazette.co.uk
UK: London wholesaler expands operation with six-figure investment
A South London-based food and drink wholesaler is expanding its operation with support from a six-figure funding package from Lloyds Bank. Seven Stars supplies over 1,000 supermarkets, food and drink wholesalers, restaurants, and takeaways across the UK.
Source: talkingretail.com
France: Casino shares dive again as the retailer faces growing default risk
Shares in France's Casino plunged by as much as 20% to fresh record lows on Monday after the supermarket chain warned it was facing an increased default risk.
Source: reuters.com
Spain: Covirán reports 8.6% gross sales growth to €1.78bln in 2022
Cooperative Covirán has reported gross sales of €1.78bln in its financial year 2022, registering an annual increase of 8.6%. The bulk, or €1.57bln, came from operations in Spain, while the remaining €213.8mln (+7%) relate to sales in neighboring Portugal.
Source: esmmagazine.com
Belgium: New Colruyt Lowest Prices store to open in Noorderwijk on 5 July
On Wednesday, 5 July 2023, a new Colruyt Lowest Prices store will open its doors on Morkhovenseweg in Noorderwijk (Herentals). The renewed store boasts a freshmart that offers an even wider selection of products such as fruit and vegetables, salads, cheese, or ready-made meals.
Source: press.colruytgroup.com
Top 10 supermarket retail chains in the United States
According to the latest data from the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), here's an overview of the top ten supermarket retail chains in the United States, according to their most recently-available full-year turnover: 1. Walmart turnover: $611.3bln (2022); 2. Costco turnover: $162.6bln (estimated - 2022); 3. Kroger turnover: $148.3bln (2022); 4. Target turnover: $109bln (2022); 5. Albertsons turnover: $77.6bln (2022); 6. Ahold Delhaize turnover: $57.9bln (2022); 7. Publix turnover: $54.5bln (2022); 8. H-E-B turnover: $38.9bln (2022); 9. Aldi turnover: $37bln (estimated - 2021); 10. 7-Eleven turnover: $23.8bln (estimated - 2021).
Source: esmmagazine.com
US: Dollar General goes cashierless at one store in North Carolina
Dollar General is experimenting with cashierless technology in one of its North Carolina stores. The discount retailer has partnered with AI retail tech company AiFi to offer the cashierless technology in Banner Elk, North Carolina, reports Business Insider.
Source: supermarketnews.com
US: DoorDash now offers SNAP capabilities
DoorDash will now allow users of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits to purchase select grocery items on its app - a move that impacts multiple grocers who offer delivery via the delivery service.
Source: supermarketnews.com