Lidl benefits from Greek crisis
Ahold USA said Monday Bhavdeep Singh has announced plans to resign as EVP, fresh formats, effective July 17, supermarketnews.com reports. Separately, Paul Kneeland has joined Ahold's fresh formats as lead fresh merchant, according to his LinkedIn profile. Kneeland was previously VP of produce, floral, seafood and meat at Kings Food Markets.
Ireland: Tesco top grocery retailer despite sales decline
Tesco has retained its position as the country's biggest grocery retailer with a 25.1% share of the market, despite a sales decline of 3.3%, rte.ie reports. The latest supermarket share figures from Kantar Worldpanel, for the 12 weeks ending 21 June, show that the supermarket has increased its volume of items bought, as shoppers take advantage of savings and stock up on goods. But this has not been enough to compensate for a decrease in shopper numbers and average spend. Overall, the figures show a year-on-year growth in sales of 0.9% across the market. Dunnes Stores overcame the effects of a one-day strike by workers on 2 April to show a 6.3% growth in sales over the 12 weeks to 21 June.
UK: Marks & Spencer's grocery business outperforms
Marks & Spencer's food and drink business, continued to outperform a shrinking U.K. grocery market in the first quarter, esmmagazine.com reports. Same-store sales rose 0.3%, compared with the 0.5% growth projected by analysts.
Lidl benefits from Greek crisis
Discount chain Lidl has nothing to complain about when it comes to the rising crisis in Greece, distrifood.nl reports. The number of customers in its two hundred stores in Greece are increasing. "We can confirm that we have seen an increase of customers in our stores over the past few days. Our stores remain open at the regular hours for customers and of course we continue to accept credit cards. Our main goal is to stay active in Greece and thus make our contribution to the economic development of this country", Lidl said in a statement to German Retail Blog.
Carrefour opens outlet in Dubai
Majid Al Futtaim, a leading shopping mall, retail and leisure pioneer across the Middle East and North Africa, has announced the opening of its new Carrefour Market store, at The Ranches Souk in Arabian Ranches, a mixed-use Emaar development in Dubai, UAE, tradearabia.com reports. One of the largest hypermarket chains in the world, French retailer Carrefour aims to provide residents and visitors with a variety of fresh and organic produce as well as everyday essential household goods at competitive prices through this 1140-sq-m facility. The new outlet, which will be the 31st Carrefour Market store to open in the emirates over the last six years, cements the Majid Al Futtaim’s commitment to expanding its presence in the region.
Carrefour opens its 2nd Easy Carrefour store in Shanghai
On June 30th 2015, Carrefour launched its second Easy Carrefour store in Shanghai, eprretailnews.com reports. It is located on Chaling North Road, Xuhui District. Customers said the new format of Carrefour was more convenient, and the shopping atmosphere was more comfortable.
Walmart de Mexico keeps up strong sales growth
Retailer Walmart de Mexico racked up another strong quarter of sales growth between April and June, with sales rising 9.9% from the second quarter of 2014, marketwatch.com reports. Walmart de Mexico, or Walmex as the unit of Walmart Stores Inc. is known, said Monday its sales in Mexico and Central America rose 8.1% in June to 37.13bn Mexican pesos ($2.36bn), bringing the total for the first half of the year to 224.71bn pesos, a 9.6% increase from the year-earlier period. Same-store sales in Mexico, which only include stores that have been open at least one year, rose 3.6% in June and were up 5.2% in the first six months of the year.
Walmart planning massive $200M distribution center in Polk County
Walmart Stores Inc. is planning a massive distribution center in Polk County that would generate $200m in capital investment and could eventually create more than 600 jobs, bizjournals.com reports. Construction will begin in the third quarter of 2015, with Walmart to close on the property in the second quarter of 2016.
US: Supply chain workers urge Walmart to act on supplier standards
Walmart must do more to improve supply chain transparency and hold its suppliers accountable, according to a report, supplymanagement.com writes. The study from the Food Chain Workers Alliance includes research on 11 different food-related industries in the retail giant’s supply chain, as well as on the corporation’s impact on local farmers. The alliance said the retailer should do more to hold suppliers accountable to labour and environmental standards. The report, Walmart at the Crossroads: the Environmental and Labor Impact of Its Food Supply Chain, calls on the company to enforce its existing labour and environmental standards and fulfil its goals for local food purchases.
CA: Breakthrough in negotiations delays larger Loblaw strike
Loblaw and the union representing 26,000 of its employees reached a breakthrough in the impasse that prompted a strike at nine stores and imposed a deadline for a strike at another 60, bnn.ca reports. After two days of negotiations, the United Food and Commercial Workers union said on Friday it appeared to have reached an agreement for Loblaw to amend the June 2 offer and has changed the strike deadline for 60 stores in the Greater Toronto Area to 12:01 a.m. July 11 from 12:01 a.m. July 5
Amazon introduces Amazon Prime Day
Amazon has announced that it will introduce a day of promotions exclusively for Prime members to mark its 20th anniversary on 15 July, igd.com reports. Amazon Prime is also integral to Amazon’s newer programmes such as Amazon Prime Now, Prime Pantry and Amazon Fresh so growing its membership brings significant advantages to these services as well.
Tesco's new Turkish CEO
According to press reports, Tesco has chosen a new CEO to run Tesco Kipa, igd.com reports. William Patrick Bill O'Neill, who was previously the COO of Tesco's joint venture Star Bazaar in India, is understood to be taking over from Jeff Adams, who has been in the role since May 2012. Having been through a restructure, where Tesco Kipa closed a number of under performing stores towards the east of the country, improved fresh food and appointed new management, the Turkish business now appears to have a better platform from which to grow.
Germany: Lidl names Daniel Marasch as chairman
Lidl has revealed that Daniel Marasch has been promoted to chairman of grocer’s German board following the departure of Raimund Matthias, retail-week.com reports.
Tesco appoints Periscopix to boost online sales performance
Tesco has appointed performance marketing agency Periscopix, a Merkle company, to manage its paid search campaigns in UK and Ireland for its main Tesco grocery brand as well as its Tesco Mobile, F&F and Tesco Direct brands, thedrum.com reports. Periscopix was appointed to manage the campaign by Tesco based on the strength of its analytic relationship with Tesco and the high quality data driven work that it has delivered for the brand in the past.
CA: Save-On-Foods coming to Saskatchewan
Grocery retailer Save-On-Foods has announced a “major market expansion” that will see the company expand its presence into Saskatchewan, globalnews.ca reports. The company has not revealed specific details of the expansion, only that it will include “Regina and the province of Saskatchewan.” More details are expected to be revealed at an event in Regina Thursday afternoon, which will see the company deliver and donate its first online grocery order in the city to the Regina Food Bank.
France: Leclerc to pay a record fine
Franceinfo.fr reports that Leclerc is being fined by the Paris Court of Appeal a record €61.3m, which they will have to reimburse to their suppliers (including Bonduelle, Ferrero and Jacquet) for “abusive commercial practices’. Between 2009-2010 Leclerc is said to have negotiated abusive end of year discounts which they will have to pay back, as well as a €2m fine.
US: Safeway-Albertson's merger gets final OK
The FTC gave final approval to the $9.2bn merger of Safeway and Albertson's; the new company will have to divest 168 stores in eight states, courthousenews.com reports. Sixty-seven of the stores to be sold are in California, 26 in Arizona. Other stores to be sold are in Montana (4), Nevada (7), Oregon (20), Texas (12), Washington (25) and Wyoming (4).
Turkish inflation slows in June amid falling food prices
Turkish consumer price inflation slowed more than forecast in June as food prices fell on an annual basis, esmmagazine.com reports. The annual inflation rate dropped to 7.2% from 8.09% in May, Turkey’s statistics bureau said in a statement on its website. Economists estimated the rate to decline to 7.75%, according to a Bloomberg survey. Prices fell 0.51% compared with the previous month. Food prices rose an annual 9.28%, down from 12.81% through May. (source: esmmagazine.com)
Greeks clear out supermarket shelves; 'fruit running low'
Supermarkets in Greece were selling out of staple foods today as worried shoppers stocked up on essentials amid growing uncertainty at the repercussions of the 'no' vote against EU conditions to keep the bankrupt country afloat, dailymail.co.uk reports. Shelves were left empty as consumers stripped them of basic essentials including rice, flour, sugar, dried beans and cooking oil in shops in the capital Athens. Nikos Archondis, of the Panhellenic Exporters Association (PEA) said: 'Certain supermarkets are very concerned because they cannot forecast how the situation will evolve. 'Stocks of meat, cheeses, fruit and vegetables 'risk running low in the following weeks'.
US: Aldi set to open first four Bottom Dollars
Aldi said Monday it plans to open its first four stores converted from the Bottom Dollar Food banner to its own on July 16, supermarketnews.com reports. The stores are located in Cherry Hill and Lumberton, N.J.; and in Coatesville and Willow Grove, Pa. Aldi said it plans to open a total of 24 new stores in the Philadelphia marketing area by the end of the year, 21 of which will be in former Bottom Dollar locations.
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