Monoprix gives free fruit to children -
Ladepeche.fr reports that Monoprix is promoting “healthy eating” by handing out free fruit to children in over 250 of their shops. From the 8th September, all children accompanied by an adult will be given a fruit to eat while in the shop. This initiative will go on throughout the year with the fruits changing depending on the season. 
Walmart expands in Southern ChinaWalmart has revealed that it will invest RMB60m (US$9M) to upgrade its existing stores and it also plans to open 20 new stores in the southern Chinese province of Yunnan by 2020. (igd.com)
Metcash sends letter to suppliers about shelf life of fresh produce
One of Metcash's key strategic pillars in order to become more competitive, is around improving its fresh food offer, including fruit and vegetables, and the retailer, according to local press reports, has sent a letter to its suppliers calling for better management of product shelf-life. The new policy will allow Metcash to reject deliveries of products if the stock is too close to its expiry date. A letter from Andrew Clark, Metcash's general manager for merchandise, apparently said that shelf life issues were impacting the whole supply chain, from its distribution centres, to its stores, and the impact of out of date products being purchased by shoppers was damaging the brand. (igd.com)Giant introduces free fruit program for kids
All 169 Giant-Landover stores will now offer a free piece of fruit for children under 10 during each shopping trip, the retailer announced. The program kicks off with free bananas before moving to mandarin oranges later in the fall. Stores will use in-store signs and produce displays to promote the program. The retailer said produce suppliers were supporting the program. (supermarketnews.com)Carrefour offers consumers a virtual reality experience
Boursorama.com reports that from the 6th September to the 3rd October, consumers will be able to see their hypermarket from another angle, using virtual reality. Consumers will be able to put on virtual reality glasses (for €3 instead of €10 until the 3rd October) and thanks to a smartphone app enter 5 different worlds. They will be able to walk through the “Ice Cave”, where fresh produce makes up the decor. Hygiene and beauty is in the “Zen World”, the “Enchanted Forest” houses the spices and natural products. This is the first time a retailer has offered their clients an experience of this kind. Swedish chain stops selling Polish apples
A total of 19 tons of Polish apples have been withdrawn from sale from the Swedish ICA supermarket chain due to reportedly dangerously high levels of pesticides. According to the Swedish SVT public television, the batch of Polish apples of the Paula Red variety were tested by the country’s National Food Agency. (thenews.pl) Italy: Auchan posts losses of almost 200m
Auchan Retail Italia ended 2015 with €4.08bn in revenues and losses of €191m. In the hypermarket segment, revenues were €2.08bn (€2.48bn in 2014) and losses €126m (-€46m); while in the supermarket segment revenues amounted to €1.99bn (€2.02bn) and losses to €65m (-€98m). However, the partial results for 2016, indicate an improvement mainly due to the restructuring of the hypermarket channel. (esmmagazine.com)Jerónimo Martins' Ara expands presence in Central Colombia
Portuguese retailer Jerónimo Martins is expanding its presence in central Colombia, with the opening of the first stores in Bogota on 10 September. According to JM, the expansion to Bogota and nine municipalities of Colombia’s central Cundinamarca region (with 10m consumers) follows the “good reception that the Ara chain had in the Coffee Axis and the Caribbean Coast”. (esmmagazine.com) Amazon Fresh service continues to expand in London
Amazon announced today that its Fresh grocery delivery service is now available in 190 Greater London postcodes. The online retailer is keen to highlight that the number of eligible postcodes has more than doubled since Fresh launched in early June. Amazon Fresh offers more than 130,000 items, including perishables like fruit and veg. (engadget.com) 9 Denver Albertsons stores converting to Safeway
Albertsons Cos. Denver Division said that its nine Denver metro area Albertsons stores will be rebranded under the Safeway banner by mid-October, concurrent with having invested more than $15m in remodels to update the locations. The re-bannering of these stores is part of a strategic decision to better serve customers and focus marketing efforts under one brand in the Denver market, officials said. (supermarketnews.com)Retail struggles worsen at Supervalu
Supervalu on Thursday warned of further deterioration of comparable-store sales at its retail and Save-A-Lot divisions in the current quarter, citing a challenging operating environment it said would also impact financial results for the fiscal year. (supermarketnews.com)Tops redesigns 1,200 private label items
Tops Friendly Markets is debuting its improved Tops Brand line of products, featuring items that have been reformulated with cleaner, simpler ingredients and new packaging. “Our shoppers are continually looking to Tops for value, convenience and variety and the revitalised line of Tops Brand products will surely meet those needs and more,” said Frank Curci, Tops Markets chairman and CEO, in a statement.(supermarketnews.com)Ahold Delhaize ranks among leaders in Dow Jones Sustainability World Index
Ahold Delhaize was recognized today in the 2016 Dow Jones Sustainability World Index (DJSI World) for the first time as a new company, ranking among the industry leaders in the Food and Staples Retailing sector. (benzinga.com)
Asda deals earn £26m for Scottish producersMore than £26m has been generated in Asda stores by 25 Scottish food companies, after they participated in the supermarket’s Supplier Development Academy (SDA), delivered in partnership with Scotland Food & Drink. (heraldscotland.com)
Target is making a major change that should scare Walmart, Kroger, and Whole Foods
Target is making a big change to fix its grocery business. Stores across the US will soon have teams of employees working exclusively in their grocery sections, reports the Wall Street Journal. These teams of 10 to 60 employees will be specifically trained in interacting with grocery shoppers and handling backroom inventory. (businessinsider.com) Sainsbury’s to teach how to keep food fresh for longer
On Saturday 10 and Sunday 11 September, Sainsbury’s Nine Elms will be holding a ‘Waste less, Save more’ event as part of the retailer’s drive to help customers reduce food waste. Waste less, Save more is a £10m initiative to help households reduce the level of food they’re throwing away and designated colleagues will be on hand to provide storage tips which will teach customers how to keep their food fresh for longer. (thelondonweekly.net)Portuguese anti-waste supermarket launches click & collect store
Portuguese 'anti-waste' supermarket GoodAfter.com has launched a 'Click and Collect' Store service. After ordering food and non-food products that are near the end date of preferential consumption, consumers can now pick them up on the same day, at no additional cost. (esmmagazine.com)
Kroger is a casualty of the grocery price warPlease, click here to read the article.
Dispute overshadows Metro Media-Saturn splitPlease, click here to read the article.
Sprouts 'exposed' as conventional promotions popped, CEO saysPlease, click here to read more at supermarketnews.com.