China's online fresh food, is expected to reach $15 billion sales in 2016. Online would account for about 7% of China’s total sales of fresh foods, and it’s growing about 82% annually, according to Chinese research firm iResearch. Chinese consumers’ appetite for fresh food is only growing. A recent survey from consulting firm The Boston Consulting Group shows that fresh food is the most in-demand product category. 63% consumers in the survey say they intend to buy high-quality fresh food in the next several years. (internetretailer.com) Israeli supermarket chain Shufersal Q4 profit up
Shufersal, Israel's largest supermarket chain, said on Wednesday that net profit was up in the fourth quarter, boosted by its private label products that now account for more than a fifth of all sales. The company posted net profits of 96m shekels ($25.9m), up from 77m shekels a year earlier. Revenue slipped 1.9% to 2.87bn shekels. The company said it will pay a dividend of 160m shekels. Same store sales in the quarter dropped 2.4%. (Reuters)Walmart comp sales boosted by grocery
Wal-Mart Stores Inc (WMT.N) reported higher-than-expected U.S. sales on Tuesday for the crucial holiday quarter as its low prices attracted more customers to its stores and online activity accelerated. The company said U.S. comparable sales rose 1.8%, excluding fuel price fluctuations, during the fourth quarter ended on Jan. 31. Despite lower food prices, Biggs said comparable sales rose in Wal-Mart's grocery business, which accounts for nearly 53% of overall revenue. Visits to its stores in the US rose 1.4%, compared with a 0.7% increase a year earlier. (Reuters)Asda sales fall continues to slow
Supermarket giant Asda has seen sales fall again, but there are signs that its performance is improving. In the final three months of 2016, sales at its stores, open for more than a year, fell by 2.9%. But that was better than the 5.8% slide in the third quarter, and the 7.5% fall in sales in the three months to June. (BBC)AU: Woolworths lands rare blow on Coles
Australian supermarket leader Woolworths Ltd on Wednesday beat rival Coles in food sales growth for the first time in more than seven years on a quarterly basis, as its decision to sell its struggling hardware business paid off. While net profit from continuing operations fell to its lowest in a decade in the half-year to Jan. 1, food sales grew 3.1% in the second quarter, Woolworths said, triple the rate reported by Coles a week earlier and beating it for the first time in 30 quarters. Group sales from ongoing business rose 2.6% to A$29.1bn. (Reuters) Smart & Final named World’s Most Admired Companies
Smart & Final Stores, the value-oriented food and everyday staples retailer, was named in Fortune’s list of the World’s Most Admired Companies for 2017. Fortune’s annual list includes the world’s most respected and reputable companies across 51 industries, as ranked by executives, directors and analysts in those respective industries. Smart & Final ranked No. 5 in the industry category of Food & Drug Stores. (groceryheadquarters.com) Lidl Sees 45% growth in exports of Portuguese products
Lidl Portugal increased exports of Portuguese products by 45% in 2016 compared to the previous year, to €70m, according to daily Dinheiro Vivo. The supermarket chain exports 115 Portuguese products, mainly fruit and vegetables, Last year it exported 11,000 tonnes of fruit and vegetables. For 2017, Lidl Portugal expects to increase its export of wines by 25% and of fruit and vegetables by 35%. (esmmagazine.com) Four more stores vote to join Tesco Ireland strike
Four more Tesco Ireland stores have voted to join in the Mandate Trade Union strike action that is currently sweeping across Ireland over contract disputes. Twenty stores in total have now chosen to get involved with the strike, which started on Valentine's Day. (esmmagazine.com) Spain: Eroski to train employees in fresh goods
Spanish cooperative Eroski announced that it has increased the training hours of its employees by 20% in 2016, exceeding 210,000 training hours. The training will include a specialised training of Eroski employees in fresh goods, the pillar on which it has created its 'contigo' store model. This model increases the offer of fresh produce and local items. (esmmagazine.com) China: Online food shops required to have brick-and-mortar stores
Businesses selling food and providing catering services online are now required to show their food trade licenses and have brick-and-mortar stores, according to the China Food and Drug Administration, reported the Beijing News.The requirements came as part of an administrative draft designed to improve supervision of online food and catering services. (ecns.cn) Germany's Lidl to open first supermarket in Serbia in 2018
German hard discounter Lidl plans to open its first supermarket in Serbia in 2018, as currently it is focused on acquiring locations, Belgrade-based media reported. Lidl is concentrating on the acquisition of locations, construction planning and establishing an internal management system, news agency Beta quoted company sources as saying on Monday. (seenews.com) Carrefour's main union backs French business head as next CEO
Noel Prioux, the head of Carrefour France, got the backing of the main trade union at French retailer Carrefour (CARR.PA) on Tuesday to succeed chairman and CEO Georges Plassat. (finance.yahoo.com)Philippines: Grocer Puregold to be added to benchmark index
Philippines' Puregold Price Club Inc, the country's second-largest supermarket chain, will be added to the Southeast Asian nation's benchmark stock market index, the exchange regulator said on Wednesday. (Reuters)German discounter Penny reduces Banana packaging
German discounter Penny, which is part of Rewe Group, has announced that it is reducing packaging of fresh bananas in-store, in a move that will save the equivalent of 900 football fields’ worth of plastic per year. (esmmagazine.com)
US: Publix's McCalla distribution center to open Today, Publix will begin shipping products from its 638,000 square foot distribution center in McCalla, the company announced. At midnight today, trucks will begin deliveries to 80 stores throughout Alabama and Tennessee. (al.com)
South Africa's Shoprite to open fewer stores in Nigeria than planned
South Africa's Shoprite will open two stores in Nigeria over the next 15 months, down from as many as 13, the retailer's CEO said, citing lack of retail space in the west African country. (Reuters)