UK: Morrisons to take customers on bus tours to meet farmers
Morrisons is piloting a new 'British farm bus tour" in a bid to offer shoppers a behind-the-scenes perspective of the makers of their food. Passengers upon the Morrisons Farm Bus Tours will have the opportunity to view the day-to-day operations of farms and learn more about sustainable agricultural practices.
Source: grocerygazette.co.uk
In other news, Sky News reported: "Morrisons strikes £370mln property deal in bid to shrink debt pile".
Korea's agricultural direct online sales top $753mln per month
South Korea's monthly online trade of agricultural, livestock, and fisheries products surpassed the 1tln won ($753mln) mark for the first time. The rise is attributed to a streamlined distribution process, allowing for more direct transactions between producers and consumers and driving down prices. E-commerce giants such as AliExpress, SSG.com, and 11st have also bolstered this growth with aggressive promotional campaigns aimed at fresh produce. According to Statistics Korea, online transactions of agricultural products from January to July 2024 amounted to 7.31tln won, up 24% from a year earlier, and the average monthly transaction value exceeded 1tln won for the first time.
Source: pulse.mk.co.kr
Maiora completes acquisition of Regina Group in Italy
Italian retail group Maiora has finalized the acquisition of the Regina Group, a regional player operating in the Calabria and Basilicata regions. This acquisition adds 10 directly owned stores to Maiora's network, as well as 70 affiliated stores under the Crai and Cuor di Crai brands, taking its total to over 115 in Calabria. The deal includes five supermarkets (in Catanzaro, Vibo Valentia, Sellia Marina, Catanzaro Lido, and Cosenza) and five cash-and-carry outlets, under the Elefante brand in Melissano, Corigliano, Catanzaro, Tito Scalo and Zumpano, for a total surface area of 28,000 square meters.
Source: esmmagazine.com
Lidl raises climate targets for suppliers
To achieve its 'net zero' ambition by 2050, Lidl is setting ambitious new climate targets for its supply chain. By 2034, Lidl aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture, forestry and other land use (known as 'FLAG emissions') by 42.4%.
Source: retaildetail.eu
Pepco Group N.V. pre-close trading update
Pepco Group, which owns the Pepco and Dealz brands in Europe and Poundland in the UK, announced a pre-close trading update, ahead of the publication of its FY24 full-year preliminary results in December 2024. The Group expects to report record revenues for the full year in excess of €6bln.
Source: pepcogroup.eu
Australia: Aldi continues to be the cheapest supermarket for groceries, CHOICE report finds
Aldi remains the most affordable supermarket chain to do your weekly shop, beating Coles, Woolies and IGA by up to $28.16, the second government-commissioned report in supermarket prices has revealed. Shoppers purchased the same 14-item basket in each shop, which included butter, flour, white sugar, a block of tasty cheese, beef mince, apples, carrots and Weetbix, and featured a mix of national brands and comparable supermarket brands and budget brand options.
Source: news.com.au
Dutch e-commerce in first half of 2024: 17.5bln euros
In the first half of 2024, Dutch consumers spent €17.5bln on online retail, a 6% increase compared to the same period in 2023, although the number of products purchased declined. These insights come from the latest Thuiswinkel Markt Monitor, conducted by GfK on behalf of Thuiswinkel.org and Retail Insiders, in collaboration with PostNL and Betaalvereniging Nederland.
Source: ecommercenews.eu
Spain: Carrefour invests over €84mln in price reduction initiative
Carrefour Spain is investing over €84mln this year in a series of price reductions to support its customers amidst cost-of-living concerns. Since January, Carrefour Spain has implemented several waves of price reductions, covering 2,500 products, including fresh items and manufacturer brands, with prices dropping by an average of 7%.
Source: esmmagazine.com
Colruyt Group invests in gourmet bar BON
Colruyt Group has acquired a 45.65% stake in BON, the gourmet bar offering quality, home-cooked meals. Frédéric Duqué, CEO of BON: "Our customers find a wide range of freshly squeezed juices, smoothies, salads, sandwiches, hot meals, and delicious desserts. We focus on tasty recipes, offering our customers a selection for every moment of the day".
Source: press.colruytgroup.com
US: Dollar General adds fresh produce to West Carrollton location
West Carrollton residents seeking to grab fresh produce now have another option. Dollar General announced that its location at 25 W. Alex Bell Road in West Carrollton will now sell fruits and vegetables to consumers.
Source: wdtn.com
Canada: Walmart invests $92mln in frontline workers
Walmart Canada is investing $92mln to raise wages for frontline workers. Eligible supply chain hourly and frontline management, and retail hourly associates, will receive pay increases, the retailer said.
Source: canadiangrocer.com
US: Giant Eagle says its lowering prices on produce items
Giant Eagle said it is slashing the prices of more than 200 produce items as part of "long-term cost reductions" for customers. With the new price-saving measure in place, naval oranges cost $1, a savings of 25 cents. Avocados, previously $2, cost $1.50. Seedless cucumbers, once $2.50, are now $2.
Source: cbsnews.com
T&T Supermarket grows in home country
Canadian Asian grocery retailer T&T Supermarket will open its second Ottawa, Ontario-area store, in the suburb of Kanata. The 38,000-square-foot location is slated to make its official debut on Thursday, October 24 at Hazeldean Mall on 300 Eagleson Road.
Source: progressivegrocer.com
US: B&R Stores names new CEO
B&R Stores Inc., an independent operator of 34 supermarkets across Nebraska, Iowa and Missouri, has promoted Mark Griffin from president and COO to president and CEO, effective October 15.
Source: progressivegrocer.com
U.S. online grocery shopping more likely among people with higher levels of education in 2022
In 2022, the USDA, Economic Research Service (ERS) Eating and Health Module captured for the first time nationally representative data about the prevalence and frequency of U.S. residents who report shopping for groceries online.
Source: ers.usda.gov
Amazon Fresh breaks the 50-store mark
Amazon Fresh plans to debut a store in Oxford Valley, Pennsylvania, on Thursday and opened new locations in Fontana and Elk Grove, California, on September 12, according to a spokesperson. The new locations bring Amazon Fresh's fleet to 52 stores in eight states.
Source: grocerydive.com