ALDI celebrates its 1st anniversary of the new banana sustainable sourcing model
ALDI SOUTH Group reported: "Since 2022, the ALDI SOUTH Group has completely changed the way bananas are purchased and how the partnership is lived throughout the supply chain, in an effort deemed an industry best practice."
Source: cr.aldisouthgroup.com
Holland: Albert Heijn launches campaign to boost fruit consumption among young people
Dutch retailer Albert Heijn has teamed up with the KNVB (Royal Dutch Football Federation) to launch a campaign to boost fruit consumption among children playing football. The campaign, entitled Teamfruit, focuses on sustainable behavioral change, the retailer said in a statement.
Source: esmmagazine.com
Romania: Carrefour customers can swap plastic bottles for fruits and vegetables
Carrefour Romania has kicked off the fifth and last edition of its Plata cu PET (Payment by PET) initiative aimed at encouraging people to recycle more. The campaign started on September 1 and will end on November 24. As part of this campaign, customers can exchange plastic and glass bottles or aluminum cans for fresh fruits and vegetables.
Source: romania-insider.com
Belgium: Renovated Spar Colruyt Group in Tielt-Winge reopens on September 7
On September 7, the revamped Spar Colruyt Group store in the centre of Tielt-Winge will reopen. In addition to new, more spacious wall fridges, Spar Tielt-Winge now also has a larger fruit and vegetable department.
Source: press.colruytgroup.com
UK: Ocado and Beano to launch comic cookbook to help tackle food waste
Ocado has teamed up with Beano to launch the comic's first-ever cookbook, designed to help families cut down on food waste. Available in both print and online from September 27 through October's edition of Ocado Life, each recipe uses some of the most commonly wasted household foods, such as bananas and bread, to help food essentials last longer.
Source: grocerygazette.co.uk
August in Estonian supermarkets: Prices continued to rise on year
According to figures released by the Estonian Institute of Economic Research (EKI), Vegetable prices saw a noticeable drop from July to August. The price of carrots fell 45% on the month, reaching €0.77 per kilogram, while import tomato prices fell 30% and onion prices 28%. Cabbage and domestic cucumber prices also fell by a quarter on month, while the price of imported cucumbers dropped 16%. On year, however, only cucumber prices decreased in August, with domestic cucumbers falling from €3.11 to €2.81 per kilo and import cucumbers from €2.28 to €1.85. Other vegetable prices actually rose on year, with onion and carrot prices spiking the most - by 97% and 47%, respectively - to reach €1.30 and €1.52 per kilo. The significant disparity persisted between bulk carrot and packaged carrot prices as well, with supermarkets charging €2.27 per kilogram for packaged carrots, up 54% on the year, and just €0.77 per kilo for bulk carrots, which went up 33% on the year. Potato prices, meanwhile, increased 12% on year in August, heads of cabbage went up 25% on the year, import tomatoes up 26%, and import apples 11% on the year.
Source: news.err.ee
Norway: Norgesgruppen sees profit down marginally in first half
Retail conglomerate Norgesgruppen has reported an operating profit of NOK1.643bln (€143.1mln) in the first half of its financial year, down from NOK1.668bln (€145.2mln) in the corresponding period last year.
Source: esmmagazine.com
Mere focuses on Eastern Europe
Despite a failed offensive in Western Europe, hard discounter Mere is not giving up on its international expansion plans: the focus is now on Eastern European countries such as Serbia and Lithuania.
Source: retaildetail.eu
Australia: Shire fruit and veg businesses battle on as others fall around them
Sutherland Shire's dwindling number of independent fruit and vegetable operators are battling on as other businesses fall around them. The Whole Fruit & Grocery Store at Southgate Sylvania closed on Thursday, August 31. Five weeks earlier, Jannali Quality Fruit & Vegetables rolled down the shutters for the last time. The demise of the Sylvania business came just weeks after it was named Greengrocer of the Year in the Sydney Markets 2023 Fresh Awards and winner of the Fresh Food category of the Sutherland Shire Local Business Awards for the second year in a row.
Source: theleader.com.au
China: JD.com launches second annual agricultural specialty shopping festival to promote high-quality agricultural products
JD.com announced the launch of its second annual Harvest Carnival and Shopping Festival of Agricultural Specialties, kicking off on September 1. Backed by a robust investment of 1bln yuan, JD.com is committed to connecting consumers with exceptional farm-fresh goods from over 2,000 industrial belt zones across China, all while ensuring rapid delivery and optimal freshness. Last year's inaugural Harvest Carnival and Shopping Festival noteworthy sales included 160,000 hairy crabs from Suqian, Jiangsu, over 500,000 kiwis from Xiuwen, Guizhou, and 5.3mln pomegranates from Hui Li, Sichuan.
Source: jdcorporateblog.com
Lidl's largest warehouse in the world opens in Luton following £300mln investment 
Lidl has opened its largest Regional Distribution Centre (RDC) in the world as the discounter continues to strengthen its infrastructure to cater for growing customer numbers. At 1.2mln square feet and half a kilometre in length, it will service 150 stores and create up to 1,500 jobs - almost triple that of any other Lidl GB warehouse. Lidl's largest construction project to date, the warehouse, will be the first to feature automation, helping to create even more jobs.
Source: corporate.lidl.co.uk
US: Dollar General promotes Rod West
Dollar General announced the promotion of Rod West to executive vice president of global supply chain, effective September 1, 2023. West will lead the company's distribution center operations, transportation, supply chain modernization, and its private fleet. West most recently served as DG's senior vice president of distribution.
Source: businesswire.com
Canada: Metro stores in Toronto reopen for business after end of strike
Twenty-seven Metro supermarkets in greater Toronto reopened for business on Tuesday as 3,700 grocery associates represented by Unifor Local 414 returned to work after ratifying a new contract.
Source: winsightgrocerybusiness.com
US: How Food Lion's walk-in produce coolers help differentiate the chain
At a Food Lion store in Charlotte, North Carolina, there's a chilled produce room with fruits and vegetables, a designated plant-based display, bottled smoothie drinks, and crates of pineapples and bagged apples. It's one of the dozens of "walk-in garden coolers" that the Ahold Delhaize-owned banner has steadily introduced in its new stores as well as remodels it has completed in recent years. Those store updates have fueled sales increases across the company.
Source: grocerydive.com
US: Welch's® Fruit Snacks launches new Give Fruitfully Corporate Social Responsibility platform
PIM Brands, makers of Welch's Fruit Snacks, is proud to introduce Give Fruitfully, a new Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) platform designed to support and give back to communities in need. Welch's Fruit Snacks has been donating millions of dollars and pounds of product to causes over the past decade. To officially kick off their new Give Fruitfully platform, Welch's Fruit Snacks is turning attention toward serving one of the brand's most loyal and beloved audience targets: teachers and students.
Source: businesswire.com