Australia: People on low incomes forced to skip meals as cost of living bites
Almost three-quarters of people receiving income support are eating less or skipping meals due to the low rate of payments and rising cost of living, according to a new report by ACOSS. Of the 270 respondents surveyed, the report found that 73% are eating less or skipping meals, while 64% are cutting back on meat, fresh fruit, vegetables, and other fresh items.
Source: acoss.org.au
Indian billionaire Ambani's Reliance Retail in talks to raise $2.5bln, sources say
Indian billionaire Mukesh Ambani's Reliance Retail Ventures is in advanced talks with global investors to raise around $2.5bln by the end of September, ahead of a potential stock market listing, people familiar with the matter told Reuters.
Source: reuters.com
Holland: Jumbo to acquire four Jan Linders stores
Dutch retailer Jumbo has agreed to acquire four stores in Beek, Heerlerheide, Roermond, and Swalmen from Jan Linders for an undisclosed amount. Ton van Veen, chief executive of Jumbo, said, "In April, we already announced the acquisition of six Jan Linders stores. The acquisition of these four new stores also fits perfectly with our growth ambitions. All employees are coming over with us and are welcome within the ever-growing Jumbo family."
Source: esmmagazine.com
UK: MPs question Asda about ability to meet cost of living pressures
MPs have raised concerns that Asda's ownership structure could be limiting the supermarket's ability to support shoppers through the cost of living crisis. In a letter to Mohsin Issa, one of the billionaire brothers who bought the supermarket with a private equity partner, TDR Capital, in 2020, Darren Jones, the chair of parliament's business and trade select committee, has asked for details of the retailer's corporate structure, capital investment and profit margins on petrol. In the letter, he also seeks details on loans from the Issas' petrol forecourt operation, EG Group, which helped fund the buyout of Asda, the UK's third-largest supermarket, and the purchase of two private jets for the brothers from Blackburn.
Source: theguardian.com
Lidl becomes UK's highest paying supermarket
Lidl's UK operation has increased its hourly pay rates, with store and warehouse staff now receiving up to £13.15 an hour. The move, announced earlier this year, marks the discounter's third pay increase over the last 12 months, with it claiming that its entry-level pay is now up to 16% higher than traditional supermarkets.
Source: kamcity.com
McDonald's Japan reminds everyone that French fries are vegetables to celebrate Vegetable Day
Japan has a lot of quasi-holidays, and one of them is Vegetable Day. It's observed on August 31, or 8-31, because the numbers 8, 3, and 1 can be read in Japanese as ya, sa, and i, and yasai is the Japanese word for "vegetable."
Source: soranews24.com
French food price inflation likely down 'significantly' in January, Carrefour CEO says
Food price inflation in France will likely fall significantly starting in January, following the government's plan to bring forward annual price negotiations between retailers and consumer goods companies initially planned for next year, Carrefour chairman and chief executive Alexandre Bompard said.
Source: reuters.com
France freezes 5000 food prices in fight against 'greedflation'
The French government wants to break the inflationary spiral on shop shelves at all costs: the Economy Minister has openly accused multinationals of "greedflation" and blocked the prices of 5,000 products.
Source: retaildetail.eu
Australia: Delivering value
Woolworths, like all Australian produce grocers, is very aware of the impact that inflation is having on Australian families. Across Woolworth's vegetable range, there are currently lower prices than that of the same time in 2022. This has been linked to better growing conditions. The supply of fresh fruit and vegetables in 2022 was impacted by heavy rains and weather disturbances in key growing areas. With far better weather in 2023, there has been a great supply of produce, which has helped to deliver value and quality.
Source: supermarketnews.co.nz
Walmart pays $3.5bln to hike stake in Flipkart
Walmart, the US retail major, has raised its stake in Flipkart as it paid $3.5bln (around ₹28,953 crore) to acquire shares from its non-controlling interest holders in the first half of 2023, said a report by PTI citing Walmart's statement.
Source: livemint.com
20 biggest supermarket chains in the US
Insidermonkey reported: "For our methodology, we have ranked the biggest supermarket chains in the US based on their revenues in 2022 in ascending order, based on the publicly available data. For the private companies that made it to our list, we estimated their revenues based on the year 2022. Here is our list of the 20 biggest supermarket chains in the US: 20. Wegmans revenue 2022: $12bln; 19. Hy Vee revenue 2022: $12bln; 18. Trader Joe's estimated revenue 2022: $13.3bln; 17. Harvest Market estimated revenue 2022: $14.26bln; 16. Meijer estimated revenue 2022: $19.6bln; 15. C.S. Wholesale Grocers estimated revenue 2022: $30bln; 14. Dollar General Corporation revenue 2022: $37.8bln; 13. H.E.B. revenue 2022: $38.9bln; 12. Publix estimated revenue 2022: $54.5bln; 11. Albertsons Companies, Inc. revenue 2022: $78bln; 10. Sam's Club estimated revenue 2022: $71.1bln; 9. 7-Eleven revenue 2022: $87.6bln; 8. Target Corporation revenue 2022: $106bln; 7. Aldi estimated revenue 2022: $121bln; 6. Walgreens Boot Alliance, Inc. revenue 2022: $132.18bln; 5. The Kroger Co. revenue 2022: $137.8bln; 4. Costco Wholesale Corporation revenue 2022: $227bln; 3. CVS Health Corporation revenue 2022: $322.5bln; 2. Amazon.com, Inc. revenue 2022: $513.98bln; 1. Walmart Inc. revenue 2022: $611.3bln."
Source: insidermonkey.com
Idaho® Potato Malted Milkshake and Fries Ice Cream Now Sold in Walmart NATIONWIDE
The Idaho Potato Commission's (IPC) popular Idaho® Potato Malted Milkshake and Fries ice cream, created in partnership with Van Leeuwen Ice Cream, is now one of eight fall flavors sold exclusively at 3,500 Walmart locations nationwide starting September 1.
Source: idahopotato.com
US: Grubhub brings Amazon's Just Walk Out tech to Maryland University
Grubhub Campus has made Amazon's Just Walk Out technology available at Loyola University Maryland, making it the first Grubhub-partnered campus to offer the technology.
Source: progressivegrocer.com