About one in four online shoppers in Germany have ordered foods or drinks online. This percentage is the same as it was last year, when 28% of online consumers shopped for groceries online. A new study shows that about nine in ten shoppers are satisfied with shopping groceries online, only 7% are somewhat dissatisfied with the experience. (ecommercenews.eu)Fresh fruit sales Waitrose grew by more than 25%
Waitrose said new promotions and consumer demand for a healthy start to the new year helped to boost sales in the week ending 9 January, with provisional divisional sales (excl fuel) up 3.3% on the same week last year. “Fresh fruit sales grew by 26%, while frozen fruit sales were up by 23.6%, including frozen British blackberries where sales were up 58%.” (talkingretail.com)China: Alibaba makes plan for five-day ‘farmer’s festival’
Alibaba Group, which pioneered the Singles Day retail event in China that falls on November 11, is poised to make an all-out assault on the mainland’s largely untapped rural e-commerce market, with the launch of a five-day Lunar New Year online shopping festival from Sunday. “The 11.11 shopping festival is designed for netizens, while the Chinese New Year Shopping Festival is created for farmers,” Alibaba executive chairman Jack Ma Yun said last month when the company first spoke about its rural shopping initiative. (scmp.com)
Pingo Doce reaches 400 stores in PortugalPingo Doce has opened a new store in Sátão, in the Viseu district, bringing its network in Continental Portugal and the island of Madeira to 400 outlets. (esmmagazine.com)
Walmart to shutter hundreds of stores
Walmart Stores Inc. plans to shutter 269 stores, the most in at least two decades, as it abandons its experimental small-format Express outlets and looks to streamline the chain. The move by the largest private employer in the U.S. will affect about 10,000 jobs domestically at 154 locations, according to a statement Friday. Overseas, the effort will eliminate 6,000 jobs and includes the closing of 60 money-losing stores in Brazil, a country where Walmart has struggled. The plan will affect less than 1% of its total square footage and revenue, the company said. CEO Doug McMillon took the step after reviewing the chain’s 11,600 stores, evaluating their financial performance and fit with its broader strategy. The move also marks the end of its pilot Walmart Express program, a bid to create a network of small corner stores to compete with dollar-store chains and drugstores. (esmmagazine.com)AU: Woolworths to abandon Masters
Retail giant Woolworths is finally abandoning its loss-making local home improvement venture, leaving 8,500 staff in limbo. Woolworths will either sell or wind up its struggling home improvement arm, which includes the Masters and Home Timber & Hardware chains following an extensive review. (ntnews.com.au)Carrefour's sales growth hit by Paris attacks
Carrefour's sales growth slowed in the fourth quarter, as the Paris attacks in November and mild winter weather weighed on its core business, the French retailer said today. Carrefour's CFO said the Paris attacks had weighed on its French sales in the quarter, echoing French rival Casino which also identified an impact earlier this week. Sales in China were hit by weak consumption and were down 15.7%. (rte.ie) Click here to read more about the Carrefours Q4 results. Israel: Mega to shutter its stores
Grocery chain Mega will close its remaining branches on Monday – at least temporarily – as it battles suppliers over debts. The Lod District Court acceded to a Mega request for a stay on proceedings for 60 days, during which it will appoint a court trustee to facilitate the sale of the chain. It will convene a discussion Monday at 8 a.m. on Mega’s fate, including a call to any creditor upwards of NIS 50,000 to participate. On Friday, the embattled grocery chain decided against making payments in the realm of NIS 50m to its suppliers. Please, click here to read more at jpost.com. Study supports turning Slovenian retailer Tuš into cooperative
A preliminary study has confirmed the feasibility of turning Slovenian privately-owned retailer Tuš into a cooperative within 10 years. The study could guide a decision to restructure the indebted retailer, according to Slovenian Minister of Economic Development and Technology, Zdravko Počivalšek. The proposal would see up to 200,000 consumers joining the cooperative, or the equivalent of about a third of Tuš' current loyalty card holders. Significant concessions would be required from banks and suppliers, but the plan could allow for the continued operation of Tuš. This is also of key importance for the local economy, as the company is one of the leading buyers of Slovenian products. Please, click here to read more. Price Chopper signs on to EPA food waste challenge
The grocery chain Price Chopper and Market 32 will dial up their efforts to prevent and reduce food waste, after signing on this week to the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Food Recovery Challenge. The program challenges major players in the food supply industry to implement systems for preventing food waste, distributing unsaleable but edible food to those in need, and composting whatever food waste is generated. In 2014, 800 challenge participants accounted for over 606,000 tons of diverted food waste. (epnewswire.com)Groupe Casino likely to sell Big C Thailand
French supermarket operator Groupe Casino has said it is now likely to sell its Thailand operation. While in the process of searching for a buyer for its Big C chain in Vietnam, Groupe Casino says it has received an approach to purchase its more profitable operation in Thailand. In a statement, Groupe Casino says it has received expressions of interest for its publicly listed subsidiary Big C in Thailand, and is proceeding with a sale “in the best interests of the company and its shareholders” along with the sale of the Big C Vietnam business. (insideretail.asia)Walmart’s Mexican arm gets new CEO
Walmex, Walmart’s subsidiary for Mexico, has hired Guilherme Loureiro as its new CEO, who will begin in his new position on February 1 2016, Reuters reports.Delhaize files proposal for Ahold Merger
Delhaize has filed the Joint Merger Proposal for its intended merger with Ahold at the Brussels Commercial Court Friday. Filing the proposal completes one of the required steps before the companies’ respective Extraordinary General Meetings of shareholders convene, which is expected to take place in the 
first half of this year. The transaction is expected to be completed in mid-2016, after regulatory clearances, associate consultation procedures and shareholder approval. (esmmagazine.com)Portugal: Continente targets business customers with new brand
Portuguese hypermarket chain Continente has launched the Continente Negócios business brand and online store. The new brand is targeted at business customers and aims to assist them in the selection and purchase of key products needed for daily management. Apart from Furniture; Health and Pharmacy; Hygiene and Cleaning and other categories, it also includes food. (esmmagazine.com)