Italian retail consortium Supermercati Uniti Nazionali (SUN) is planning to open new sales points and increase turnover in 2017. Overall turnover of the SUN consortium went up from €1.09bn in 2011 to €2.66bn in 2016 and should reach €2.79bn in 2017. During the same period, the number of stores increased from 296 to 595, with a goal of reaching 626 this year. (esmmagazine.com)
Weight Watchers UK launches a meal-box delivery service
The weight loss specialist has partnered with fresh food delivery company, Bearfaced Groceries, to launch the WW Smart Kitchen meal box. The box includes a variety of fresh and healthy portioned ingredients for a set amount of meals. It is designed to guide people to make healthier food choices and includes recipe cards with WW SmartPoints values of all meals, calculated by nutritionists to fit into the Weight Watchers programme. (igd.com)Italian food sales of large retailer increase
The Italian retail sector has seen a €7.7bn drop in total sales in the period 2010-2016, according to a report by the Italian Confederation of Trade, Tourism, and Service Companies (Confesercenti) based on Istat data. Sales of food and beverages were the only items of expenditure to see growth (+0.1%). In the food retail segment, small retailers have seen revenues tumble by €2.4bn in the reference period (-11.0%), contrary to large retailers who increased turnover by €2.3bn (+2.7%). (esmmagazine.com)Dutch Jumbo launches private label health campaign
Jumbo has created a licensed private label product range, featuring the Dutch cartoon characters Woezel & Pip. The range is aimed to encourage healthy snacking on fresh produce and cheese instead of chocolates and sweets. It will include around 25 products. (igd.com)UK: Asda fined £300,000 over food security
Asda has been fined £300,000 after dead mice and flies were found at a home delivery depot in north London. They were discovered in the bread section of the site in Enfield, which distributes food to customers in Essex and London. (yahoo.com)Carrefour Belgium adding convenient solutions
After a trial period, which started in October 2016, Carrefour Belgium has officially launched its meal box solution, ‘Simply You’. The solution is now available from 85 stores in the country, while also being available for home delivery. Underlining the convenience of the solution, Carrefour said all the recipes can be cooked in 30 minutes. (igd.com)Spain: Eroski shakes up board of directors
Eroski has appointed new members to its board of directors to face a new 'stage' of business, focused on staying competitive. It has appointed a new commercial director, Beatriz Santos, a new director of marketing, Eva Ugarte, and a new social director, Iñigo Eizaguirre. (esmmagazine.com)Report: One in three expected to order groceries online in 2017
Unata’s 2017 Grocery eCommerce Forecast said that 31% of U.S. consumers are expected to order groceries online this year, a 19% increase from last year, according to The Shelby Report. The survey, conducted in partnership with Brick Meets Click, also found that 80% of shoppers who purchased groceries online last year plan to do so again this year. (fooddive.com) 
Turkish retailer BIM mulls opening 200-300 stores in IranTurkish retail company BIM Birlesik Magazalar AS aims to open 200-300 stores in Iran if it decides to go ahead and enter a market that was shut off due to economic sanctions until Jan. 2016. (Reuters)
US: Publix increases capital expenditures forecast
According to an SEC filing, Publix has increased its capital expenditures forecast to $1.85bn for this year, up from $1.4bn last year, according to Retail Leader. The company recently announced it will expand into Virginia, with 12 stores slated to open in Richmond in a few years’ time. The company also plans to open more stores in North Carolina, where it first entered the market in 2014. (fooddive.com) Carrefour partner opens two new hypermarkets in AfricaFrench retailer Carrefour has announced that its franchise partner in Africa, Majid Al Futtaim, has opened two new hypermarkets in Nairobi and Egypt. (esmmagazine.com)
Farmdrop: This app could stop shoppers going to supermarkets for groceriesPlease, click here to read the article