A worldwide brand survey has shown that Aldi, Lidl and Google are among the companies which are best understood by consumers. Aldi was recognised for its “simple, consistent store layouts” alongside affordability and a “stress-free” customer experience. (designweek.co.uk) Albertsons scuttles plan to acquire Price Chopper
Albertsons has scuttled plans to acquire Schenectady-based Price Chopper in a $1bn deal, according to Food Trade News. The story says that Albertsons, which wanted Price Chopper's 135 northeastern stores to enhance its footprint, wants to focus instead on its coming initial public stock offering. The story also claims, using what it says are "financial sources," that Price Chopper's stores have been losing market share amid tough competition and that its new Market 32 chain has not performed as well as expected. (timesunion.com) Italian discounter MD to open 90 new stores
Italian discounter MD, owned by the Podini family, is planning to invest €488 million over the next three years to open 90 new MD supermarkets. At a press conference in Milan, the retailer confirmed 30 new store openings for 2017. MD is the second largest player in the discount segment, with a 15% market share and ranked third in terms of turnover, behind Eurospin and Lidl. (esmmagazine.com) China: New fresh produce retailer speeds up its expansion plans
On January 13, HEMA Fresh, a start-up O2O fresh produce retailer, launched its seventh store in Shanghai; one week after its sixth store was opened for business in the city. After emerging in early 2016 and quickly capturing a lot of attention in China’s retail trade, HEMA is now apparently speeding up its expansion. It has indicated an intention to open another 5-10 new stores in Shanghai in 2017 and to penetrate all first-tier cities such as Beijing, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen etc. It would then gradually roll out to second- and third-tier cities. (retailnews.asia) China: Yonghui predicts 105.23% net profit growth for 2016
Chinese supermarket operator Yonghui is banking on the increased spending power of Chinese consumers. The company published its annual performance predictions for 2016, stating that the company expects to achieve operating revenue of CNY49.222bn, a year-on-year increase of about 16.79%; while its net profit attributable to shareholders is expected to reach CNY1.242bn, a year-on-year increase of about 105.23%. (chinaretailnews.com) Finland: Sales in S Group growing
Finland’s S Group has reported its 2016 results, when retail sales excluding tax grew by 2.0% to €11.02bn, while grocery sales grew by 3.8% to €6.78bn. The retailer also enjoyed 45% growth in its online business, as CEO Taavi Heikkilä commented that, 'although the sales volume is still quite small, the direction is right and in line with our strategy'. (igd.com)
Finland: Kesko grocery sales grow more than 10%Kesko achieved grocery net sales of €5.23bn, an increase of 11.7% in the year ending December 2016. However, stripping out Kesko's acquisition of Suomen Lähikauppa shows that grocery net sales declined by 0.5%.(igd.com)
Wal-Mart to cut 200 e-commerce jobs in California
Wal-Mart Stores Inc. announced plans to lay off about 200 e-commerce employees in its California offices on Tuesday, part of a round of job cuts hitting the retailer's corporate offices before the end of January. Tuesday's cuts are intended to shift the retailer's e-commerce staff toward more shopper-facing roles, said spokesman Dan Toporek. For example, Walmart.com sells millions more products than a year ago, requiring more employees that manage those items online, he says. (marketwatch.com) Tesco extends Perfectly Imperfect range to Poland
In order to cut food waste, Tesco is going to extend its Perfectly Imperfect range in its stores in Poland. The supermarket chain will be trialling the range in 14 Tesco Polska stores. (thegrocer.co.uk) Asda's wonky veg unveiled as Product Of The Year!
After saving 600 tonnes of vegetables from being binned - Asda's wonky veg boxes have won Product of the Year award and have been voted best new product by shoppers! Since launching in January 2016, approximately 120,000 boxes have been sold, with Asda working with its farmers to ensure they're not unnecessarily grading out good product, as part of a long-term initiative to reduce food waste, resulting in 7,000 more tonnes of fresh produce on shelves. (grimsbytelegraph.co.uk) Russian retailer Lenta posts 21.1% increase
Russian retailer Lenta has posted a 21.2% increase in total sales in FY2016, to RUB 306.4bn, with a like-for-like sales growth of 3.9% compared to the previous year. The group opened a net 51 hypermarkets and 17 supermarkets during the year. Its fourth quarter sales showed a total sales increase of 20.9% to RUB 90.8bn, with like-for-like sales growth of 1.7%. (esmmagazine.com)