The real estate arm of Walmart Stores Inc. has purchased 169 acres of land zoned for industrial use just south of DIA, according to a warranty deed filed in Adams County last month. It has been speculated that Walmart is going to build a large distribution center on the purchased land. (bizjournals.com)
US: Golub's Price Chopper for sale: Sources
Golub Corp., the family run parent of Price Chopper supermarkets, is considering a sale, sources told SN Friday. The Schenectady, N.Y.-based company operates 135 supermarkets doing business under the Price Chopper and Market 32 banners in six states. It had estimated sales of $3.7 billion in 2015, according to SN's Top 75, making it the 42nd largest food retailer in North America. (supermarketnews.com)
Foodstuffs investing more than $200 million on expansion
The owner of Pak 'n Save and New World supermarket chains is investing more $200 million in new stores and refurbishments over the next year. Foodstuffs will start work on building seven new stores – four in the North Island and three in the south – with a total project cost of about $120m. It will spend another $80m upgrading 11 stores. (stuff.co.nz)
Aldi boss admits discount chain uses cheap wine to lure middle-class shoppers
Cut-price bottles of wine have lured middle class shoppers through the doors and helped Aldi corner 12% of the fresh food market, the boss of the budget supermarket chain has revealed. Matthew Barnes, who started working with the German discount brand as a graduate 20 years ago, has put the success of his firm - which has seen sales double over three years - down to cheap, but good quality products, including wine, steak and lobsters. Speaking to the Sunday Telegraph, Barnes said: 'Some people shop with us first to try the wine and then come back to do a weekly shop - so it's very important to us.' (dailymail.co.uk)
Chief Medical Officer: online shopping not good for public health
Buying groceries online is bad for our health, Britain’s top doctor has suggested. Professor Dame Sally Davies, the Chief Medical Officer, said that making simple changes such as walking to the supermarket and carrying the bags home could help boost basic fitness. Experts say it takes an hour of exercise a day to undo the damage done by a desk-bound office job. (dailymail.co.uk)
SoCal workers, chains reach tentative agreement; strike averted
Members of six Southern California locals of the United Food and Commercial Workers Union reached tentative contract agreements with employers Kroger and Albertsons late Thursday, days ahead of a Sunday strike deadline. The agreement, if approved by members, averts a threatened strike by 47,000 workers. Albertsons, parent of Albertsons and Vons stores, and Kroger, parent of the Ralphs chain, had said they would close their stores if members followed through on the walkout. Local unions said their members would vote Monday on the proposed deal, and said they would not release details of the agreement until then. (supermarketnews.com)
Spain: Caprabo expands convenience presence
Caprabo has said it has incorporated its first Aliprox store into its franchised store network, adding a third convenience fascia to its existing brands Caprabo and Rapid. The first Aliprox Caprabo was opened in Barcelona and sees the 150 sq. m store added to its portfolio and will help Caprabo expand its presence in smaller stores that have comparatively long opening hours. Aliprox Caprabo stores will focus on providing grocery ranges. (igd.com)
Spain: SPAR adds further new stores
Líder Aliment, one of the wholesalers involved with the SPAR brand in the country, has opened four new supermarkets, two in Cádiz and one each in Badajoz and Huelva. The company has said the three stores added 1,382 sq. m of selling space and each will carry about 3,000 SKUs. (igd.com)
Spain: El Corte Inglés spotlights Click&Express
Following soon after Amazon launch PrimeNow in Madrid, El Corte Inglés has launched a promotion to spotlight its Click&Express service. Click&Express enables shoppers making an order over €19 to receive their orders within one hour, for a fee of €5.90 or for free if they are willing to wait two hours. (igd.com)
Spain: Eroski builds on franchise strategy
Eroski has invested €6.6m in the addition of 44 franchised supermarkets during H1 2016, a pace that the retailer has said means it should hit its target of 100 new franchised stores in the year. The retailer has said it is focusing on opening franchised stores in the regions of Andalusia, Castilla-La Mancha, Extremadura, Levante and Madrid. All the stores have been opened under the ‘Contigo’ (‘With you’) design. (igd.com)
OK Zimbabwe confirms results at AGM
Speaking at the company’s Annual General Meeting, OK Zimbabwe’s chief executive, Willard Zireva, confirmed that it had suffered an 88% fall in operating profit during its 2015/16 financial year as rising competitive pressures affected its performance. However, Zireva said that during the first quarter after its year end, operating profit had risen ‘by over 100%’ as lower overheads offset a decline in sales of 5%. In the year ahead Zireva said OK Zimbabwe would be focused on improving margins whilst concurrently minimising costs and retaining its market share. (igd.com)
Woolworths (SA) builds foundations for food offer in Australia
South Africa-based Woolworths appears to be forming its initial plans to add a food offer at the David Jones department store chain, with one of its key food suppliers, In2Food, through its Australia-based operation Inspired Foods, signing a joint venture contract with locally-based Yarra Valley Farms. (igd.com)
Botswana: Sefalana sees good growth in 2015/16
Diversified conglomerate Sefalana has said consolidated revenue rose 10.4% to BWP3.8 bn (US$313.1m) in its financial year ending 30 April 2016, while its profit before tax rose 8.4% to BWP207.1m (US$19.1m). Its trading arm in its home market saw revenues rise 9.2% to BWP2.4 bn (US$221.0m), while in Namibia revenues rose 35.5% to BWP1.1 bn (US$101.3m). (igd.com)
The owner of Pak 'n Save and New World supermarket chains is investing more $200 million in new stores and refurbishments over the next year. Foodstuffs will start work on building seven new stores – four in the North Island and three in the south – with a total project cost of about $120m. It will spend another $80m upgrading 11 stores. (stuff.co.nz)
Aldi boss admits discount chain uses cheap wine to lure middle-class shoppers
Cut-price bottles of wine have lured middle class shoppers through the doors and helped Aldi corner 12% of the fresh food market, the boss of the budget supermarket chain has revealed. Matthew Barnes, who started working with the German discount brand as a graduate 20 years ago, has put the success of his firm - which has seen sales double over three years - down to cheap, but good quality products, including wine, steak and lobsters. Speaking to the Sunday Telegraph, Barnes said: 'Some people shop with us first to try the wine and then come back to do a weekly shop - so it's very important to us.' (dailymail.co.uk)
Chief Medical Officer: online shopping not good for public health
Buying groceries online is bad for our health, Britain’s top doctor has suggested. Professor Dame Sally Davies, the Chief Medical Officer, said that making simple changes such as walking to the supermarket and carrying the bags home could help boost basic fitness. Experts say it takes an hour of exercise a day to undo the damage done by a desk-bound office job. (dailymail.co.uk)
SoCal workers, chains reach tentative agreement; strike averted
Members of six Southern California locals of the United Food and Commercial Workers Union reached tentative contract agreements with employers Kroger and Albertsons late Thursday, days ahead of a Sunday strike deadline. The agreement, if approved by members, averts a threatened strike by 47,000 workers. Albertsons, parent of Albertsons and Vons stores, and Kroger, parent of the Ralphs chain, had said they would close their stores if members followed through on the walkout. Local unions said their members would vote Monday on the proposed deal, and said they would not release details of the agreement until then. (supermarketnews.com)
Spain: Caprabo expands convenience presence
Caprabo has said it has incorporated its first Aliprox store into its franchised store network, adding a third convenience fascia to its existing brands Caprabo and Rapid. The first Aliprox Caprabo was opened in Barcelona and sees the 150 sq. m store added to its portfolio and will help Caprabo expand its presence in smaller stores that have comparatively long opening hours. Aliprox Caprabo stores will focus on providing grocery ranges. (igd.com)
Spain: SPAR adds further new stores
Líder Aliment, one of the wholesalers involved with the SPAR brand in the country, has opened four new supermarkets, two in Cádiz and one each in Badajoz and Huelva. The company has said the three stores added 1,382 sq. m of selling space and each will carry about 3,000 SKUs. (igd.com)
Spain: El Corte Inglés spotlights Click&Express
Following soon after Amazon launch PrimeNow in Madrid, El Corte Inglés has launched a promotion to spotlight its Click&Express service. Click&Express enables shoppers making an order over €19 to receive their orders within one hour, for a fee of €5.90 or for free if they are willing to wait two hours. (igd.com)
Spain: Eroski builds on franchise strategy
Eroski has invested €6.6m in the addition of 44 franchised supermarkets during H1 2016, a pace that the retailer has said means it should hit its target of 100 new franchised stores in the year. The retailer has said it is focusing on opening franchised stores in the regions of Andalusia, Castilla-La Mancha, Extremadura, Levante and Madrid. All the stores have been opened under the ‘Contigo’ (‘With you’) design. (igd.com)
OK Zimbabwe confirms results at AGM
Speaking at the company’s Annual General Meeting, OK Zimbabwe’s chief executive, Willard Zireva, confirmed that it had suffered an 88% fall in operating profit during its 2015/16 financial year as rising competitive pressures affected its performance. However, Zireva said that during the first quarter after its year end, operating profit had risen ‘by over 100%’ as lower overheads offset a decline in sales of 5%. In the year ahead Zireva said OK Zimbabwe would be focused on improving margins whilst concurrently minimising costs and retaining its market share. (igd.com)
Woolworths (SA) builds foundations for food offer in Australia
South Africa-based Woolworths appears to be forming its initial plans to add a food offer at the David Jones department store chain, with one of its key food suppliers, In2Food, through its Australia-based operation Inspired Foods, signing a joint venture contract with locally-based Yarra Valley Farms. (igd.com)
Botswana: Sefalana sees good growth in 2015/16
Diversified conglomerate Sefalana has said consolidated revenue rose 10.4% to BWP3.8 bn (US$313.1m) in its financial year ending 30 April 2016, while its profit before tax rose 8.4% to BWP207.1m (US$19.1m). Its trading arm in its home market saw revenues rise 9.2% to BWP2.4 bn (US$221.0m), while in Namibia revenues rose 35.5% to BWP1.1 bn (US$101.3m). (igd.com)