Alibaba wants to create global eCommerce network -
Chinese Alibaba wants to connect to 1 or 2 countries, to investigate how a global eCommerce network could turn out to be in the future. Founder Jack Ma hopes other parties are willing to back the project. With the global platform, Jack Ma hopes to shed online borders between different countries, especially as both major players and smaller, local parties should have access. (retaildetail.eu)1 in 3 think scanning avocados as onions isn’t stealing
Self-service checkouts have been in supermarkets for almost a decade, but the machines have produced a new breed of criminals who routinely shoplift, costing the stores a fortune. An anonymous survey of more than 7,000 Australians has seen one in three declare their hand in stealing from unmanned tills. The big problem is with 'substitute scanning' for fruit and vegetables, for example purchasing cherries, but pricing for carrots. (yahoo.com)German grocer Edeka takes legal action over court's merger decision
German supermarket group Edeka has taken legal action against a court decision blocking its right to appeal the veto of a proposed merger with rival Kaiser's, it said on Thursday. In July a German court nullified Economics Minister Sigmar Gabriel's decision to allow Edeka to merge with grocery store chain Kaiser's, owned by retail group Tengelmann. At the time the court said its veto could not be appealed. On Thursday, Edeka said it had legally challenged the Düsseldorf courts decision not to allow an appeal. (Reuters)Zambia: Workers forcing Shoprite chain to close
Workers at leading chain store Shoprite in most parts of the country have gone on strike, forcing the firm to close. A check at Manda Hill, Chilenje and Cairo road found protesting workers outside chanting anti-management slogans. A few workers who spoke on condition of anonymity said working conditions in Shoprite almost to modern day slavery. They revealed that some of them received as low as K800 depending on the hours they work and that the majority of the workers at most Shoprite stores take home a paltry K1,200. (lusakatimes.com)
German retailer Edeka will open a new store at Stuttgart Airport, on Wednesday 10 August. In an area of circa 620 square meters, located at Terminal 3 (Arrivals), it will offer a selection of 8,000 products - ranging from A-brand to discount. It will offer a range of convenience foods, including pre-cut fruits, salads and freshly pressed take-away orange juice. (esmmagazine.com)
Morrisons above average for healthy offers says Which?
Workers at leading chain store Shoprite in most parts of the country have gone on strike, forcing the firm to close. A check at Manda Hill, Chilenje and Cairo road found protesting workers outside chanting anti-management slogans. A few workers who spoke on condition of anonymity said working conditions in Shoprite almost to modern day slavery. They revealed that some of them received as low as K800 depending on the hours they work and that the majority of the workers at most Shoprite stores take home a paltry K1,200. (lusakatimes.com) Edeka opens airport store selling pre-cut fruit
German retailer Edeka will open a new store at Stuttgart Airport, on Wednesday 10 August. In an area of circa 620 square meters, located at Terminal 3 (Arrivals), it will offer a selection of 8,000 products - ranging from A-brand to discount. It will offer a range of convenience foods, including pre-cut fruits, salads and freshly pressed take-away orange juice. (esmmagazine.com) Morrisons above average for healthy offers says Which?
Morrisons has come out better than average in a report by consumer watchdog Which? that found more than half of supermarket special offers were on less healthy foods. According to mySupermarket data analysed by Which?, 53% of the 77,165 promotions at major supermarkets between April and June were on less healthy foods - those high in fat, saturates, sugar or salt. (thetelegraphandargus.co.uk)Deflation cools Sprouts sales in 2Q, profits up
Persistent price deflation triggered sales and comp gains that came in below expected ranges for Sprouts Farmers Market in the second quarter, while profits increased, the retailer said Thursday. Sales of $1 billion, a 14% increase, and comps of 4.1% came in below consensus analyst estimates of $1.1 billion and 4.5%, respectively. (supermarketnews.com)
Carrefour China releases 2015 CSR ReportPlease, click here to read the article.
UK: Bestway Nisa merger talks ongoing, say sources
Industry figures have told Retail Newsagent that merger talks are taking place between Nisa and Bestway – but both companies have denied the claims. It comes after three senior industry sources told the magazine that the two companies have been looking at the possibility of a deal that would see them joining the two businesses. (betterretailing.com)
Industry figures have told Retail Newsagent that merger talks are taking place between Nisa and Bestway – but both companies have denied the claims. It comes after three senior industry sources told the magazine that the two companies have been looking at the possibility of a deal that would see them joining the two businesses. (betterretailing.com)US: Ingles sales up in 3Q, profits down on higher costs
Higher expenses due to building and sales initiatives triggered a 7.2% decline in net earnings for Ingles Markets in its fiscal third quarter, the retailer said Thursday. Sales for the period, which ended June 25, increased by 1.2% to $957.2 million and were negatively affected by decreased per-gallon gas prices and by the shift of Easter holiday sales to the second quarter this year vs. the same period a year ago. (supermarketnews.com) Vietnam: VinMart triples its revenue and focusses on fresh
Vingroup reports in the Q2 consolidated financial statements that the sales of its retail arm VinMart has reached VND 2,465 billion (US$110.6 million), registering a 226% increase from the same period last year. Since it opens its first store two years ago, VinMart has been growing significantly in Vietnam, thanks to its aggressive store expansion strategy. As of July 2016, the retailer has 50 supermarkets and 830 convenience stores nationwide. On average, VinMart opens 50 convenience stores every month. It also sees the opportunities in fresh produce. The Group has launched the production of greenhouse vegetables, powered by modern technology and it uses green brand VinEco to manage all the distributions. (igd.com)US: Albertsons to issue new debt
Albertsons Cos. said Thursday it would issue $750 million in new debt with the intention of repaying outstanding borrowings. The Boise, Idaho-based retailer said it would use the proceeds to repay $240 million in outstanding borrowings under its senior secured asset-based facility and to repay around $500 million outstanding under its existing term loan facility. (supermarketnews.com) Former Tesco boss says Fresh & Easy could have succeeded in US
Tim Mason, the former Tesco marketing boss who led the failed attempt to conquer the US with Fresh & Easy, has insisted the chain could have succeeded and that its meltdown under its disgraced former boss Philip Clarke could have been avoided. “It was a great business,” said Mason of Fresh & Easy, where trading losses and investment reached close to £1.8bn by the time it paid the US billionaire Ron Burkle to take the business off its hands in 2013. “There were many very good reasons, not least the economy, that meant it was somewhere between very difficult and impossible to be successful in the timeframe.” Please, click here to read the article. (theguardian.com) Dutch Plus adds same day delivery
PLUS has added a same day delivery solution from four stores under the brand name PLUS Express. The order is completed by staff collecting items from in-store picking, thus limiting the range to that available in a given PLUS location. (igd.com)