A trio of Philadelphia-area universities partnered with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to help make use of food that would otherwise be discarded. A pilot program on the city's west side salvaged 35,000 pounds of surplus produce in one month; if applied nationally, researchers estimated that the system could save more than 1bn pounds of food annually. Drexel students started by collecting bruised, misshapen or otherwise unused fruits and vegetables from 11 Philadelphia-area supermarkets. They then developed products and recipes to make the recovered food more appealing. (manufacturing.net)UK: Fears grow that Morrisons will be relegated from FTSE
Supermarket chain Morrisons is in danger of being relegated from the FTSE 100 list of Britain’s biggest companies, it was reported today. The Mail on Sunday reported that Bradford-based Morrisons was just above the cut-off point for exclusion from the FTSE when the market closed on Friday. In June, bosses at Morrisons were relieved when the company avoided being kicked out of the FTSE 100 in the last quarterly review. (yorkshirepost.co.uk)US: Haggen says all suppliers will be paid
Haggen said Friday it is working with suppliers to resolve supply chain issues and expects to pay all of them in full. The comments came in response to media reports the company has not kept up payments to suppliers. “Haggen is in regular communication with its suppliers,” the company said in a statement, “and we fully expect they will be paid in full. “We are working diligently to resolve any outstanding issues related to our supply chain as a result of recent store closings. Our stores are receiving shipments from suppliers, and the flow of goods has been adjusted.” The Bellingham, Wash.-based chain announced two weeks ago it plans to close and sell 27 stores by mid-October, including 16 in California, five each in Oregon and Arizona and one in Washington. (supermarketnews.com)Latin America retailer Cencosud writes down Brazil assets
Latin American retailer Cencosud said it had adjusted its forecast flows for Brazil on worries over its economy, which had led it to a write-off of goodwill related to its assets in the country. "The reduction in the value of Brazilian assets has no effect on the cashflow expected for the year, nor the company's compliance with its ability to pay and its covenants," the Chile-based company said on Friday alongside second-quarter results. However, its ability to pay dividends could be limited in 2015, it added. Cencosud owns supermarkets, home improvement chains, and department stores in Chile,Peru, Argentina, Colombia and Brazil. (Reuters)US: Bankrupt A&P sells stores to save jobs
Tens of thousands of local supermarket workers as well as millions of shoppers may not be very thankful this holiday season as a result of the A&P bankruptcy. With roughly 20,000 jobs on the line at A&P, Pathmark, Food Emporium and Waldbaums across the metropolitan area, the now-bankrupt company is slated to close 25 of its 301 stores and affiliates in the New York and New Jersey region around Thanksgiving. The grocery-store chain, owned by the Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Co. (A&P), is trying to save tens of thousands of jobs by selling the rest of its stores in New York and New Jersey. (nypost.com)Norway: NorgesGruppen reveals results
Norwegian market leader NorgesGruppen has revealed its results for the first half of 2015, reporting a 5.7% increase in operating revenue to NOK 35,978m (€3.8bn). The retailer acknowledged that growth was largely organic, while the acquisition of ICA had‘contributed positively’. Elsewhere, there have been reports that a new online grocery retailer is set to launch in the market. (igd.com)Spain retail sales growth accelerates in July
Spain's retail sales growth accelerated more-than-expected in July, figures from the statistical office INE revealed Friday. Retail sales rose by calendar adjusted 4.1% in July from last year, faster than the 2.4% increase in June. Month-on-month food sales gained 1.6% and non-food sales advanced 1.5%. (rttnews.com)Russia's Dixy cuts full-year sales growth outlook
Russian food retailer Dixy lowered its 2015 revenue growth forecast on Friday, admitting it has been slow to react to a drop in consumer purchasing power. Dixy, Russia's fourth-biggest food retailer by sales and which operates mostly small neighborhood stores, has seen revenue growth slow sharply this year and underperformed rivals Lenta, Magnit, and X5. The company now sees sales rising 16-20% compared with its previous forecast for 20-25% growth, CEO Ilya Yakubson said. The increase in part reflects company plans to open up to 500 new stores this year. (themoscowtimes.com)Sweden's Axfood Sverige changes name to Dagab
Sweden's Axfood Sverige AB has changed its name to Dagab, and has unveiled a new logo to mark the name change. According to the company, Axfood Sverige AB was often mistaken for its parent company Axfood AB, and the old name did not explain the company’s variety of business areas. Speaking on the name change, Nicholas Pettersson, president of Dagab, said, “It feels great to finally decide upon a name that’s already so well-established and familiar in the market.” (esmmagazine.com)Interesting links on retail
AU: Woolies is down, but change is coming. Its shares might be worth a puntPlease, click here to read the article.
This organic grocery store in Germany has no wastePlease, click here to read the article.
