SPAR China partners continue store development nationwide
At the end of 2024, the SPAR Supermarket Qingdao Leke City officially opened its doors after significant renovations. In terms of assortment, the focus on fresh produce brings in a large selection of local and international fruit and vegetables. At the start of 2025, SPAR Guangdong reopened two supermarkets, SPAR Supermarket Dongguan Shijie Hexin and SPAR Supermarket Zhanjiang World Trade. The focus on fresh throughout its store network for SPAR Guangdong is reflected in the wide range of fresh fruit and vegetables and fish products available in both supermarkets.
Source: spar-international.com
Holland: "Family will remain 100% owners of Jumbo"
Dutch supermarket chain Jumbo is not looking for a new owner, departing CEO Ton van Veen emphasises. The founding family sees the Dutch runner-up as its life's work.
Source: retaildetail.eu
Bulgaria: Lidl plans 10 store openings, takes top spot from Kaufland
Lidl Bulgaria plans to add at least 10 stores to its network in 2025 as it continues to implement its growth plan. As of the end of 2024, the retailer operated around 134 stores. The first two new stores have already opened in Burgas and Ruse, with eight more to follow by the end of the year. Lidl has surpassed Kaufland to become Bulgaria's top grocery retailer by revenue in 2024, according to Capital magazine, ending Kaufland's 13-year reign. While exact figures remain undisclosed, both retailers generated close to BGN 3bln (€1.5bln) in gross turnover. Lidl's rapid expansion, including nearly double the store count of Kaufland, contributed to this shift.
Source: esmmagazine.com
Irish grocery sales up 6.5% as Irish shoppers seek out New Year discounts
Kantar reported: "Shoppers focused as much on health and wellness as on their wallets with an additional €8.9mln spent on fresh fruit and vegetables combined".
Source: kantar.com
New Zealand: Woolworths' fresh & edible Valentine's bouquet
This Valentine's Day, Woolworths has offered a unique and practical twist on the traditional flower bouquet. The "Fresh Bouquet" is a loving arrangement of fresh basil, tasty tomatoes, and spaghetti, a beautiful gesture and meal. "At Woolworths, we're all about fresh and keen to see what people think of our new Fresh Bouquet", said Ryan McMullen, Woolworths' General Manager of Fruit and Veg.
Source: supermarketnews.co.nz
Auchan tests autonomous stores in France
French grocery retailer Auchan is trialling autonomous store technology on Sundays in select outlets across Northern France, aiming to attract more customers while reducing operating costs. Since the start of 2025, three supermarkets in the Valenciennes area - Aulnoye-Aymeries, Saint-Saulve, and Orchies - have commenced staff-less operations on Sunday afternoons until 8:30 PM. Auchan management told local media Ici Nord that this initiative aims to attract new customers without adding to employee workload, especially in light of recent job cuts and store closures.
Source: esmmagazine.com
Deliveroo Sheng Siong Group tie up proves success not about being big but locally relevant
The future of retail isn't just global or local. It's hyperlocal. So says Andy Lo, Commercial Director at Deliveroo. Lo made the comment as his company partnered exclusively with Sheng Siong Group, one of Singapore's largest grocery retailers. 21 of its stores are now available on Deliveroo, with expansion to 31 in the works - allowing customers access to fresh produce, pantry essentials, household goods and more.
Source: retailtechinnovationhub.com
Romania: Profi Rom Food names Mega Image executive as new chief executive
Profi Rom Food has announced the appointment of Mihai Spulber as its new chief executive officer effective 1 July 2025. Spulber succeeds Gaetan Pacton, who has decided to leave the company this summer, the company noted.
Source: esmmagazine.com
Association of retail and catering enterprises to be established in Uzbekistan
Uzbekistan is set to establish the Association of Retail and Catering Enterprises, with the founder of the Korzinka supermarket chain, Zafar Hashimov, appointed as its head.
Source: uzdaily.uz
Instacart's smart trolleys are now available at Coles Supermarkets in Australia
Instacart and Coles Supermarkets announced the rollout of Caper Carts, Instacart's AI-powered smart trolleys, at its Richmond Traders location in Melbourne. Customers can now shop smarter, bag as they shop, and pay directly on the Coles Smart Trolley for a seamless in-store shopping experience.
Source: prnewswire.com
US: King Soopers sues Colorado union following worker strike
The battle over contracts between Kroger and workers at its King Soopers and City Market locations across Colorado took another turn with a lawsuit from the grocery chain against the union.
Source: supermarketnews.com
US: Wegmans announces dates for 3 store openings in 2025
The Rochester, New York-based grocer has plans to expand into new markets this year, including its first-ever stores in Connecticut and Long Island. A store in Long Island, New York in the Lake Grove neighborhood will open on February 26. A store in Rockville, Maryland will open on June 25, and the grocer's first-ever Connecticut store will debut in Norwalk on July 23.
Source: supermarketnews.com
US: GrubMarket announces the Winter 2025 Release for its AI-powered WholesaleWare
GrubMarket, the AI-powered technology enabler and digital transformer of the American food supply chain industry, as well as one of the largest private food eCommerce companies globally, announced the Winter 2025 Release for WholesaleWare, its AI-powered ERP platform.
Source: prnewswire.com
US: Kroger to lay off some 200 corporate employees
Kroger Co. has internally announced that it is eliminating as many as 200 positions across three office sites at its headquarters in Cincinnati, according to a news report from the Cincinnati Business Courier.
Source: supermarketnews.com
McDonald's revenue disappoints, as U.S. sales see worst drop since pandemic
McDonald's reported disappointing quarterly revenue, dragged down by weaker-than-expected sales at its U.S. restaurants following an E. coli outbreak just weeks into the quarter. Here's what the company reported compared with what Wall Street was expecting, based on a survey of analysts by LSEG: Revenue: $6.39bln vs. $6.44bln expected. Net sales of $6.39bln were roughly flat compared with the year-ago period.
Source: cnbc.com
A war against produce waste
Such factors as spoilage from not selling produce in a timely manner to shopper ignorance on how long products can stay fresh, and damage from weather-related incidents are contributing to product losses, said Nicolas Bertram, chief executive officer at Flashfood, a digital marketplace that connects consumers with retailers that provide discounts on the fruits and vegetables that operators might otherwise have discarded.
Source: supermarketnews.com