Amazon is in South Africa for the long run, says marketplace head
U.S. e-commerce giant Amazon.com is in South Africa for the long run, its regional marketplace head said, after its first foray into Sub-Saharan Africa four months ago. In other news: Amazon, Walmart's Flipkart breached India antitrust laws, investigation finds.
Source: reuters.com
Ireland: ALDI unveils its newly renovated Sandyford "Project Fresh" store
ALDI's Sandyford "Project Fresh" store has reopened its doors to customers following an extensive renovation project investment of over €1mln which has seen the store interior completely refurbished.
Source: retailnews.ie
New Zealand: Suppliers to supermarkets cost increase
The Infometrics-Foodstuffs New Zealand Grocery Supplier Cost Index (GSCI) showed an average 2.3% increase in suppliers' charges to Foodstuffs supermarkets for goods in August 2024 compared to a year earlier. Costs in August 2024 remained higher for all departments than in August 2023. Produce costs were 1.3% pa higher, with a slight reacceleration from last month, as apples, cauliflower, and out-of-season fruits rose in cost - offsetting declines in spring onion and potato costs.
Source: supermarketnews.co.nz
Croatian grocery retail market sees a 16% increase in revenue
In 2023, the Croatian grocery retail market reported a 16.1% increase in revenue, reaching €7.73bln, according to the Agency for the Protection of Market Competition (AZTN). In its latest study, AZTN analyzed the financial results of 44 retailers, with 5,140 outlets between them (+144 compared to 2022). On a category level, bakery products and confectionery had the highest average margins, followed by fresh fruits and vegetables, and soft drinks.
Source: esmmagazine.com
UK: Union wins Tesco 'fire and rehire' battle
A shop workers' union has won a Supreme Court battle against Tesco over so-called "fire and rehire" plans put forward by the supermarket giant. The row erupted in 2021 after Tesco proposed firing staff at some distribution centers and rehiring them on lower pay. The Usdaw union said it was "delighted to get this outcome".
Source: bbc.com
India: Delivering 250+ fresh fruits and veggies to Bengaluru in 12 hours
Origin, India's maiden fresh produce brand, has officially commenced operations in Bengaluru. Fresh or nothing, Origin guarantees delivery of over 250 varieties of fruits, vegetables, herbs, and exotic produce within 12 hours of harvest.
Source: onlinemediacafe.com
Costco exceeds €500mln sales barrier in Spain
US retailer Costco has surpassed €500mln in sales in Spain for the first time, driven by new store openings and increased membership. Costco Wholesale Spain achieved a turnover of €544mln in the 2023 financial year, a 29% increase from the previous year.
Source: esmmagazine.com
UK: James Hall and suppliers come together to collaborate on fresh ideas
Over 20 fresh food suppliers to SPAR Supermarkets in the North of England came together for a day to network, share ideas, and brainstorm opportunities for greater collaboration.
Source: spar-international.com
Now Gen Z ushers in 'organic living': TikTok influencers are fuelling the trend for eco-friendly diets as study reveals nearly half of young people want healthier produce
Millennials and Gen Z are increasingly ditching unhealthy foods for organic produce, a new study has found. Despite spiraling food bills, research from Soil Association Certification found nearly half of 25–34-year-olds in the UK feel happier when buying organic foods because they believe they are positively impacting the environment.
Source: dailymail.co.uk
Spain: Eroski helps customers collectively save over €33mln in H1 2024
Price reductions implemented by Spanish retailer Eroski across more than 5,700 products have helped customers generate accumulated savings of more than €33mln in the first half of 2024. As part of the 'Siempre buenos precios' (Always Good Prices) basket, it reduced prices of around 576 products to generate additional savings of €13mln. Products in this campaign include fruit and vegetables, fish, meat, bread, eggs, milk, yoghurts, pasta, and rice, as well as household cleaning and personal care products.
Source: esmmagazine.com
Holland: Food waste in supermarkets down to 0,89%
Food waste in supermarkets has further decreased to 0,89% of procurement volume in 2023. The findings come from the annual survey initiated by the Food Waste Free United Foundation and the Dutch Food Retail Association (CBL) which was conducted by Wageningen University & Research (WUR) based on self-reporting by supermarkets. The percentage of losses for human consumption compared to procurement volumes of potatoes, fruit, and vegetables: 2.1% (compared with 2.7% in 2018).
Source: wur.nl
US: Kroger attributes Q2 gains to Fresh, Digital sales
In reporting its second-quarter 2024 results for the period ending August 17, The Kroger Co. noted how its Leading with Fresh and Accelerating with Digital strategies continue to position the grocer for long-term sustainable growth. Kroger logged a 1.2% increase in identical sales without fuel, adjusted FIFO operating profit of $984mln, adjusted EPS of 93 cents, and digital sales growth of 11% during the quarter.
Source: progressivegrocer.com
US: Fortune® and Great Place To Work® name Wegmans to 2024 Best Workplaces in Retail List, ranking No. 1
Great Place To Work® and Fortune® have ranked Wegmans #1 on the 2024 Fortune Best Workplaces in Retail™ List. This award is based on an analysis of survey responses from over 123,000 employees at Great Place To Work Certified™ companies in the retail industry. This is the ninth consecutive year that Wegmans has ranked #1 on the list.
Source: wegmans.com
US: H Mart partnering with DoorDash
Among the new partnerships just revealed by on-demand delivery service DoorDash is one with ethnic food retailer H Mart. The largest Asian supermarket chain in the United States, the company provides an expansive selection of groceries, everyday essentials, and high-end products from 75-plus locations across the country.
Source: progressivegrocer.com
Canada: Empire reports fiscal 2025 first quarter results
Empire Company Limited ("Empire" or the "Company") announced its financial results for the first quarter ended August 3, 2024. For the quarter, the Company recorded net earnings of $207.8mln ($0.86 per share) compared to $261.0mln ($1.03 per share) last year. For the quarter, the Company recorded adjusted net earnings of $218.7mln ($0.90 per share) compared to $196.2mln ($0.78 per share) last year.
Source: newswire.ca
US: New Whole Foods Market in Phoenix to open October 16
Whole Foods Market will open a 50,358-square-foot store located in the new Paradise Valley Mall at 12500 N Tatum Blvd, Phoenix, Arizona, on October 16. Features of the new Paradise Valley store include an array of certified organic, conventional, and Sourced for Good produce, including local herbs, shishito peppers and hard squash from Duncan Family Farms, outdoor herbs from Dream With Colors, and Kandy Melons from Martori Farms.
Source: media.wholefoodsmarket.com
US: Amazon Fresh opening 4th PA store
Amazon Fresh is expanding its footprint in Pennsylvania, opening its fourth location in the state - and third in Bucks County - in the next two weeks. The September 26 opening of Amazon Fresh's Oxford Valley store comes about a month after another supermarket opened on Street Road in Bensalem Township. The new 44,500-square-foot store will be located at 2424 Lincoln Highway in Langhorne and be open from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. every day of the week.
Source: patch.com