A new partnership between Tesco and Kenyan produce growers will save 135 tonnes of edible fine bean crop from going to waste each year. Tesco Commercial Director for Fresh Food Matt Simister said: “ “Our overall aim is to use as much of the edible crop as possible. In some cases, we believe that our specifications - such as with the fine beans - can be widened to accommodate more of the crop. If there is a surplus, we will work with suppliers to find an outlet – for example, by connecting our growers with our fresh and frozen suppliers for it to be used in foods such as ready meals.” Lidl's double digit sales growth across Europe
Lidl has reported double digit sales growth in several markets with strong improvements in Spain and extraordinary growth in the Czech Republic. In Spain, Lidl almost doubled its revenue growth in 2015. It reported sales of €3 bn, up 12.5% in comparison to €2.7bn (7% growth) in 2014. Its 2015 capex increased by 27% to €262 m. The retailer opened 30 new stores and continued refurbishing its store network. In Austria, Lidl reported sales of €1.1 bn, up 10% outperforming its competitors. Lidl increased its profit for the financial year 2015 by 50% to €95 m. This is the highest profit achieved retail chain in the Czech Republic in recent years. (igd.com)
Leclerc returns to ParisLeclerc opens its first store in central Paris for 25 years, today (20 April). It remains to be seen whether Leclerc will roll out more stores in Paris and other large cities. (igd.com)
Tesco expands in ThailandTesco Lotus hypermarkets said to open more than 65 stores and renovate 18 existing locations in Thailand, bangkokpost.com reports. Last year the company opend 65 stores too, Tesco has 1800 stores nationwide.
Ahold on track for €2.5bn online consumer sales in 2017
Ahold said Tuesday it is well on track to achieve its goal of €2.5bn ($2.84bn) in online consumer sales in 2017, up from €1.8bn in 2015. The 129-year-old company added that its $29bn merger with Delhaize Group is on schedule to be finalized mid-2016, when they combine business. (nasdaq.com)US: Walmart awards grocery carrier
Marten Transport, is Walmart Transportation’s 2015 Grocery Dedicated Carrier of the Year. Walmart selected Marten for its Grocery Dedicated Carrier of the Year based on exceptional performance in the areas of customer service, effective communication, and the provision of on-time deliveries to Walmart stores. Marten Transport is one of the leading temperature-sensitive truckload carriers in the United States. (globenewswire.com)Auchan to invest in Russia
Auchan is investing RUB17bn (around €224m) in the Russian market in 2016, said director of hypermarkets Oleg Alkhamov. Following the successful transfer of the Real hypermarkets, Auchan still considers Russia a strategic market for expansion despite its challenges. This investment will drive store expansion. The majority of stores will open under the Atak fascia, alongside four Auchan hypermarkets and four Auchan City stores. There have also been rumours that Auchan is considering opening a new chain of drugstores in Russia. As well as stores, Auchan is investing in a new logistics centre in the Moscow Oblast province. (igd.com)
US: Stop & Shop converts inedible food into energy
The Stop & Shop Supermarket Co. LLC, Quincy, Massachusetts, celebrated the opening of its Green Energy Facility in Freetown, Massachusetts, on April 15, just in time for Earth Day. The innovative facility will convert inedible food from its Stop & Shop New England stores into energy that will help power the company's distribution center in Freetown. (rewmag.com)
US: Fresh Market settles overtime suit
The Fresh Market said Tuesday that it has agreed to pay up to $5m to settle a class-action overtime lawsuit. In the lawsuit, filed in Connecticut, plaintiff Jeffrey Ouellette alleged that the company did not properly compensate certain department managers under the federal Fair Labor Standards Act. (supermarketnews.com)Bosnia gets new national supermarket chain
Bosnian trading company As Group has opened its first supermarket under the brand Bazar, promising that the new store in Sarajevo will offer producers in Bosnia and Herzegovina the opportunity to sell their products at a fair price, without any restrictions and additional costs. (esmmagazine.com)J Sainsbury fights exposure of pricing secrets in Visa lawsuit
J Sainsbury Plc, the British grocer caught up in a cost-cutting war with its supermarket rivals, sought to prevent secrets of how it sets its prices from being revealed to competitors as part of an industry-wide lawsuit over credit-card fees. The retailer is among more than a dozen companies that are suing Visa Inc. in London over transaction fees for using its credit and debit cards. (esmmagazine.com)AU: Woolworths withdraws broccoli batch after reports of redback spiders -
Woolworths has withdrawn a batch of broccoli from three suppliers following reports of redback spiders being found in the produce. The broccoli withdrawal has affected stores in Queensland and a small proportion of stores in New South Wales. (brisbanetimes.com.au)Canada: Fresh St. adds refrigerated lockers for click-and-collect
Canadian food retailer Fresh St. Market has added refrigerated pickup lockers at its stores to support its click-and-collect business. The lockers, positioned in front of Fresh St.'s stores in West Vancouver and Fleetwood, British Columbia, are available 24 hours a day and are accessed via PIN codes for online shoppers selecting to pick up.(supermarketnews.com)