Low inflation, a weak Canadian dollar and unseasonably warm weather slowed comparable store sales growth in the fourth quarter and fiscal year ended Jan. 2, parent Tops Holding II said in a release. And while sales margins increased, higher expenses led to increased net losses in the quarter and fiscal year. Sales for the 13-week fourth quarter increased 7.3% to $570.3m as compared to the 12-week fourth quarter in fiscal 2014, Tops said. Excluding the effect of the extra week, sales decreased by 0.8% and comps decreased by 0.9%. (supermarketnews.com)Metro to spin off supermarket chains
Metro AG said it plans to split in two in a move that will separate Real hypermarkets and Cash & Carry food wholesale stores from the Media-Markt and Saturn electronics chains. While no final decision has been made, the split should take place by the middle of next year, Metro said in a statement Wednesday. The wholesale and supermarket operations would be spun off, it said. Metro jumped as much as 10% in Frankfurt, boosting the company’s market value to about €8.8bn. A separation would mark the next chapter in the evolution of the German retailer, which sold its Kaufhof department-store chain last year and its Vietnamese unit in 2014. “The demerger will unlock value potential at Metro Group and as such significantly increase stock market value,” Metro said. (Bloomberg)Bankruptcy court approves sale of Haggen grocery chain to Albertsons
A U.S. bankruptcy judge Tuesday approved the sale of the profitable core of the Haggen grocery chain to rival Albertsons. That brings to a close the dismantling of the Washington-based company. Haggen mushroomed in size early last year when it bought 146 stores from Safeway and Albertsons across the West. The Federal Trade Commission had forced Safeway and Albertsons to unload stores to preserve competition following their merger. After a tumultuous year of indigestion though, instead of offering competition, Haggen now belongs to Albertsons. (kuow.org)Russian retailer Okey expands
One of Russia’s biggest food retailers, Okey, plans to open 3 hypermarkets and around 30 discount stores in 2016, reports rns.online. Head of Public Relations, Nikolay Minashin explained that the retailer has already opened a new Okey supermarket in Moscow this year and the hypermarkets will be opened in St Petersburg, Moscow and Tyumen. The retailer earlier announced that they would open more discount stores but have readjusted the figure to around 30, due to the economic climate. Okey reported an increase in revenue in 2015 by 6.9% to 162.5bn rubles, as well as a decrease in net profit for the year at 63.6% - to 1.9bn rubles.Trader Joe's widening price gap with Whole Foods: Analyst
Trader Joe's appears to be widening its price advantage with rival Whole Foods Market, with indications that the Monrovia, Calif.-based retailer may have have ambushed Whole Foods with a fresh round of across-the-board price investments, an analyst said Tuesday. Citing recent price checks in the New York market, Karen Short of Deutsche Bank Securities in a report said Trader Joe's had a total price advantage of 26% over a neighboring Whole Foods Market across a basket of 77 items. (supermarketnews.com)Lenta increases number of supermarkets in Moscow
Russia’s sixth largest food retailer, Lenta, has increased their number of supermarkets in the Russian capital, Moscow to 29, reports anrt.info. In total, the food retailer has 34 supermarket format stores, the other 5 of which are located in St Petersburg. The most recent store was opened in the south-east of Moscow, making it the second supermarket opened by Lenta in Moscow this year. In a press release, it was reported that the retailer now has 141 hypermarkets in 70 Russian towns and 34 supermarkets in the capitals- Moscow and St Petersburg. Scotland has first NHS-run healthy convenience store
The first NHS-run Convenience Store opened today in Aberdeen Royal Infirmary (ARI), Aroma by Simply Fresh developed with Ross & Brown. The convenience store will follow Scottish Government Healthcare Retail standards, with at least 50% of food produce and 70% of drinks meeting their salt, fat and sugar content guidelines. SimplyFresh said: “Our ethos is all about healthy eating and best of British products, so we’re delighted to be part of this pilot project. We now have more than 86 stores within the SimplyFresh stable and this trial is a great way of introducing Scottish customers to the brand.” (rossandbrown.net)US: Kroger’s canned products targeted in toxic chemical report
Kroger Co. is among a batch of retailers and food companies being targeted in a new report about the presence of toxic chemicals in food can linings. Six nonprofit groups, including Washington, D.C.-based Safer Chemicals, Healthy Families and the Breast Cancer Fund, are launching an online campaign involving Kroger. They want the nation’s largest operator of traditional supermarkets to phase out the use of toxic Bisphenol A, typically referred to as BPA, in its can linings. Kroger said it’s already reducing its use of BPA and striving to eliminate it from canned products (bizjournals.com)Asda to be biggest influence on UK food retail: credit suisse
Credit Suisse says that Asda is set to become the most influential actor within the UK's food retail sector this year. It says that after the retailer’s CEO, Andy Clarke, announced in January that it would cut its prices by £500m, there has been clear evidence of that plan in action. Average shopping basket price have been 8% lower in the recent weeks. According to Credit Suisse, this pricing will drive volumes, which in turn will drive operational leverage and margins. (esmmagazine.com)Millennials driving growth in retail foodservice: Technomic
Consumers — especially those aged 18-34 — are purchasing retailer meal solutions more often, according to an updated Technomic study. The 2015 Retailer Meal Solutions Consumer Trend Report found 84% of consumers purchase retail meals at least once a month vs. 79% in 2012. Consumers are also eating less fast food as a result. Almost half of all respondents and 60% of Millennials said they visited fast food restaurants less often because they were buying retail meals. (supermarketnews.com) 
Survey: Online grocery shopping grows in certain directionsConsumers are buying groceries online in increasing numbers, but are following specific trends. Please, click here to read the article. (chainstoreage.com)
UK: Asda managing private label quality in the cloud
UK grocer Asda is using cloud-based technology to help its category managers work more closely with the company's suppliers when it comes to monitoring own-label product quality and performance. The supermarket is looking to drive improvements and product innovation across its private label range, and is using UK-based Solutions 4 Retail Brands' (S4RB) quality management system (QMS) to boost its engagement and relationships with own-brand suppliers. Asda works with multiple supplier organisations to deliver its own label offer, which includes groceries. (essentialretail.com)AU: Workers at 7-Eleven get almost $10m in compensation
Workers at 7-Eleven have received almost $10m in compensation after the franchise giant set up an "independent" panel following revelations of systemic wage fraud across the franchise network. (smh.com.au)
