Sobeys Inc., the country’s second largest grocer, is poised to gain more clout in its key Atlantic Canada market thanks to a proposed supermarket deal announced over the weekend, theglobeandmail.com reports. Sobeys, owned by Empire Co. Ltd. of Stellarton, N.S., sealed an agreement on Saturday to buy most of the corporate food and gas retail stores and wholesale assets of Co-op Atlantic. Co-op is a network of about 170 supermarkets and convenience stores that operate under the banners Co-op, Valufoods, Village Mart and Rite Stop. German METRO extends cooperation with MARKANT
MARKANT will take over settlement of Real and METRO Cash & Carry Germany, twst.com reports. Real, METRO Cash & Carry Germany and suppliers will benefit by synergies and simplifications. They signed a service agreement with MARKANT Handels- und Industriewaren Vermittlungs AG. MARKANT will in future be responsible for the complete settlement of the German merchandise business of both entities. The migration will be effected in several steps. US: Instacart gets transparent with online grocery costs
According to reports, Instacart is now displaying notifications next to products that specify whether the product is the same price as seen in stores, or is higher, pymnts.com reports. If it is higher, the company is also specifying whether that price hike is coming from Instacart or one of its partners, like Whole Foods. Experts say the latest transparency push is a sign of success for the company. UK: Tesco to go slow on India operations
The UK's leading retail chain Tesco is likely to go slow on expansion in India, after the record $9-billion annual loss it announced last week, business-standard.com reports. The retailer, which has in the recent past exited many countries, including the US and Japan, might still hold on to India as these it is still early days here. Tesco told Business Standard: "Our position on India is longstanding and remains unchanged." On whether the chain would go slow in India, the spokesperson did not offer any further comment. Sources, however, pointed out that Tesco was unlikely to put more money in the country in the near term.UK: Tesco hires brand director to turn around bad image
Tesco has hired a new brand director to try to turn round the battered image of Britain’s biggest retailer, bloomberg.com reports. Michelle McEttrick, who will join the supermarket chain on 18 May, previously worked at Barclays for four years but left the bank a year ago, according to her profile on LinkedIn. Lewis has said Tesco needs to win back the public’s trust after a series of scandals have hurt the group’s reputation.
Big grocers selling more local produce
Farmers markets have surfed a wave of popularity, and now, larger grocery stores are tapping into consumers' passion for locally made products too, greenvilleonline.com writes. Stores like BI-LO, Ingles and Whole Foods, which have carried items from local producers for years, are stepping up their efforts and making sure the public knows about it. In South Carolina, sales of local produce rose by $27mn between 2007 and 2012, according to the last agricultural census. The demand has fuelled the growth of the Department of Agriculture's SC Certified program, which promotes South Carolina products in restaurants, at farmers markets and in retail outlets. The program started in 2007 with fewer than 100 members. Today, it has 1,700. Click here to read more. UK: Combined profits of 'Big Four' fall £2.5bn
Britain's supermarket giants are heading for another year of pain with profits expected to plummet to just a quarter of historic levels as shoppers cut back or switch between retailers to find the best deals, thisismoney.co.uk writes. The combined profit of the big three UK-listed supermarkets – Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Morrisons – is expected to shrink to less than £1billion over the coming year, according to some City analysts. For more, click here. US: Publix issues voluntary recall for green peas
Out of an abundance of caution, Publix Super Markets is issuing a voluntary recall for green peas available for selection from the company’s 68 Deli Self-Service Salad Bars, businesswire.com reports. The Deli Salad Bars are available in limited Publix stores in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee. Publix learned from their supplier the green peas may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes.UK: Family spending power rises again in March
According to the latest Asda Income Tracker for March, discretionary incomes – the income left after taxes and essentials like rent, utilities and bills have been deducted – increased £16 on the same period the previous year, talkingretail.com reports. The data showed that the average UK household had £185 a week of discretionary income in March, while the cost of food and drink was down 3% on the previous year.Hungary’s retail sales climb 6.4%
Retail sales in Hungary saw a year-on-year rise of 6.4% in February according to Central Statistics Office (KSH), bbj.hu reports. In year-on-year terms, the volume of sales increased by 3.3% in specialized and non-specialized food retailing, according to KSH, while the volume of sales grew by 3.8% in non-specialized food, drinks and tobacco stores accounting for 79% of food retailing and by 1.6% in specialized food, beverage and tobacco stores.Ireland: Dunnes workers planning major protest march
Staff at Dunnes Stores who are members of the Mandate trade union are to hold a major protest march in Dublin, probably in early June, irishtimes.com reports. About 5,000 staff in Dunnes Stores who are members of Mandate have been involved in a campaign in relation to working hours and earnings, job security, pay, and the right to trade union representation.Mexico's Soriana reports slightly lower first-quarter profit
Mexico's No. 2 supermarket chain Organizacion Soriana on Friday said its first-quarter profit fell 1.76%, reuters.com reports. The company reported a profit of 781mn pesos ($51mn), compared to 795mn pesos in the year-earlier period.Poland retail sales rise in March
Poland's retail sales increased notably in March, following a decline in the previous month, figures from the statistical office showed Friday, rttnews.com reports. Retail sales at current prices climbed 3.0% year-over-year in March. Sales of food, beverages and tobacco products jumped 11.3% in March from the previous year. Slovenian Mercator achieves positive 2014 result
Slovenia's Mercator Group financial result from operating activities in 2014 was positive at €12.4mn Euro, compared to €36mn a year earlier, esmmagazine.com reports. Despite the good performance, the Slovenian retailer ended 2014 with a net loss of €44.5mn, due to restructuring and reprogramming of financial obligations. In comparison, the net losses a year earlier amounted to €16.9mn. Revenue declined by 4.1% in 2014. Mercator will continue to implement cost optimisation measures to improve its profitability and expects to turn to net profit of €59.6mn in 2015 on revenues of €2.8bn.