The retail landscape in Africa is evolving rapidly and store owners are hard pressed to satisfy affluent consumers with growing appetites for exotic packaged foods and beverages from all over the world. Growing numbers of consumers with disposable incomes and expanding infrastructure are the main drivers for Africa’s thriving retail sector growth,” explains John Thomson of Exhibition Management Services, organisers of AB7, the biggest food and beverage trade exhibition on the African continent.
Big Five Retailers Target Africa
South African food and beverage retail giants Shoprite, Pick ‘n Pay, Spar, Massmart/Walmart and Woolworths have already started major moves into other African markets. Shoprite’s expansion plans aim to generate at least 50% of sales from the rest of the continent. Botswana, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ghana, Mozambique, Namibia and Zambia already have extensive footprints from South African retail chains.
First in 50 years, inflation below zero in UK
UK consumer prices probably barely rose in February, leaving the inflation rate poised to drop below zero for the first time in more than five decades, Bloomberg reports. Price growth slowed to 0.1 in February from 0.3 per cent in January, according to the median forecast of economists before data on Tuesday.Spain: Mercadona to invest €650 mln in 2015
Following on from the announcement of its year end results, Mercadona has said that it will invest €650 million in 2015, with €250 million set to be invested in opening 60 new stores and updating 30 more, according to IGD Retail Analysis. It hope that the investment in its stores will have the same positive effect seen in 2014, when sales in the fresh category rose by 5%.UK: Asda to open 150 more stores
Asda is staging a major push south opening 11 new stores in the greater London region over the next few months with plans for a further 150 by 2018. Two of the new stores, will be a trial of a new smaller format, thisismoney.co.uk reports. Botswana: Choppies sees revenues rise 20% in H1
Botswana-based Choppies has announced results for the first half of its 2015 financial year saying that revenue rose 20% to BWP3.0 billion (US$299.4 million), driven by the addition of new stores and same store sales growth of 5%, IGD Retail Analysis reports. In its newer markets, of South-Africa and Zimbabwe, Choppies said that revenue had risen by 19%, US$61.9 million, and 250%, $39.3 million, respectively.UK Aldi opens more stores than Sainsbury’s, Morrisons and Tesco combined.
German discount chain to open almost twice as much new store space in 2015 than rivals, and more than Sainsbury’s, Morrisons and Tesco put together Fellow German budget supermarket Lidl will also be adding 340,000 sq ft of new space, twice Tesco’s planned growth for 2015, supermarketnews.com reports. Spar exports €50 mln of Croatian products
Croatian companies have generated approximately €50 million in export revenue from their tie-up with Spar, esmmagazine.com reports. Spar Hrvatska is the youngest member of the Spar Austria group, operating in the Croatia over the past ten years and establishing a good cooperation with Croatian producers during this period.Since 2014, Spar Hrvatska has been working intensively on the export of Croatian products to other Spar countries, a process helped by Croatia's recent entry to the EU.Konzum to invest €15 mln in Bosnia
Croatian retailer Konzum will invest €15 million in Bosnia and Herzegovina this year, esmmagazine.com reports. Konzum CEO, Adnan Šteta, said the investments will focus on the opening of 20 new and adaptation of 30 existing stores, as well as the modernization and expansion of its logistics base. The largest retail chain in Bosna and Herzegovina announced that it will distribute this year 16,000 tons of fruits and vegetables.AU: Woolworths second top company by revenue
Retailer Woolworths has jumped over Wesfarmers, which owns rival supermarket chain Coles, to become Australia's second-biggest revenue earner in 2014. BHP Billiton, global miner, is still Australia's biggest revenue-generating company, smh.com.au reports. Saudi Arabia: New Lulu hypermarket in Jubail
The Lulu Group has launched a new hypermarket in Jubail, a city in Saudi Arabia's eastern province, sadda.co reports. Managing Director Yusuff Ali said: "We are very clear in our way of expansion in the Kingdom, and we are fully committed to continuing forward," noting that seven more hypermarkets will be inaugurated over the next 22 months in various cities across Saudi Arabia. Smart & Final lines up Extra expansion
Smart & Final said Wednesday its consumer-focused Extra stores will continue to be the key to new-store growth. It plans to add 20 additional Extra stores this year. The company said it expects adjusted net income for the fiscal year to fall between $51 million and $53 million, with sales growth of 11% to 12%, esmmagazine.com reportsGreece's Sklavenitis to buy 60% of rival.
Supermarket chains Sklavenitis and Veropoulos have according to sources agreed to the acquisition by the former of a 60% stake in the latter, thereby creating a national champion in the local market, ekathimerini.com reports. Sklavenitis extended its penetration of areas outside Athens, as well as the wholesale market, through the acquisition of Makro Cash & Carry a few months back for €65 million.