In an interview with MLive, Meijer CEO Rick Keyes indicated the company is already planning to expand its small-format Bridge Street Market store to more cities. “We know we can deliver an outstanding food experience as well as being local to the market,” he said. “As we look at other areas where we might place this, that will be a continued focus.” Keyes spoke at the groundbreaking for Bridge Street Market in downtown Grand Rapids, Michigan. At 37,000-square-feet, the store will be less than one-fifth the size of a typical Meijer store and will be “fresh-led,” according to Keyes, with a focus on produce and prepared foods. (fooddive.com) Amazon lacks many warehouses to reshape grocery delivery
Even with its acquisition of Whole Foods, Amazon needs to invest heavily in specialized distribution centers to offer grocery delivery on a wide scale, according to experts interviewed by Reuters. Amazon currently has 3 million square feet of warehouse space for its AmazonFresh and Amazon Prime grocery operations. Experts estimate the company will need to add a dozen or more additional distribution facilities to adequately supply Whole Foods shoppers and deliver to consumers’ homes. Walmart, by comparison, has 10 times as much warehouse space dedicated to grocery. (fooddive.com) CA: Sobeys sales fall
Sobeys’ fourth quarter sales fell by 7.7%, reflecting a shorter trading quarter this year, with same-store sales, ex-fuel, down 1.6%. Adjusted net earnings fell by $45.1m to $50.2m. The retailer’s performance has been impacted by several factors over the last three years including integrating the Safeway business which it acquired, responding to the economic climate in Western Canada and moving to a new buying model and pricing strategy. Earlier this year, the retailer launched Project Sunrise, a comprehensive three-year transformation plan designed to simplify the organisational structure and reduce costs. (igd.com)CA: Sobeys CEO eyes e-commerce as Amazon enters grocery fray
“There’s no way we’re going to miss out on e-commerce,” Sobeys CEO Mr. Medline told an analyst conference call on Wednesday after the company posted weak but overall better-than-expected fourth-quarter results. “It’s going to be so essential, not in the short term, maybe not in the medium term, but long term for our customers, and it’s all about customers and what they want.” (theglobeandmail.com)Auchan to rebrand Russian Nasha Raduga hypermarkets
French retailer Auchan has announced that it is rebranding its Nasha Raduga (Our Rainbow) hypermarkets in Russia to Kashdy Den (Every Day), reports Lebensmittel Zeitung. The retailer says that "the brand is known by the clientele of these stores, and it will attract more clients". It is currently testing the new branding at one hypermarket in the city of Kovrov, and if the trial proves successful, all hypermarkets will be rebranded. (esmmagazine.com) Sainsbury's is launching an edible flower range
The flowers will be sold in punnets which will cost £3 each. Varieties of flowers will include tagete marigold, monkey flowers, viola and dianthus. The flowers will be available in stores from Friday, June 30. (getreading.co.uk)
UK: Tesco to cut another 1,200 head office jobs
Tesco, Britain's biggest supermarket group, will cut 1,200 jobs at its head office to simplify its operations, a spokesman said on Wednesday. Tesco has already cut thousands of jobs under a turnaround led by CEO Dave Lewis, aimed at restoring profit at the group which has a 28% share of the grocery market. About a quarter of the roles at Tesco's head office in Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire near London would be abolished in the latest cuts, the spokesman said, with all roles affected. "This is a significant next step to continue the turnaround of the business," he said. (Reuters)Spar Hungary hypermarket wins store of the year
Spar Hungary has announced that its Érd outlet has received the Spar International Store of the Year 2017 award in the hypermarket category for the third time. Spar reports that it won the award for its customer service, range of products, sustainability, quality of services, interior store layout, and its ‘focus on delivering best local offer’. (esmmagazine.com) Continente delivers groceries to tourists in Portugal
Portuguese retailer Continente has partnered with TimeResQ, a service provider for the hospitality and vacation rental industry, to deliver groceries to tourists. The service aims to help 'just-landed' visitors, allowing them to order grocery products online in advance, with door-to-door delivery. (esmmagazine.com)Spar to open 300 convenience stores in Thailand with DHL
Food retail chain Spar International is partnering with DHL Supply Chain and the Bangchak Retail Company to establish up to 300 convenience stores in Thailand by the end of 2020. DHL Supply Chain will support Spar’s expansion plans with end-to-end transport, distribution and warehousing services across Thailand, with Bangchak Retail Company providing the front-end store infrastructure for the Dutch retailer. (insideretail.asia) Dubai's Majid Al Futtaim buys 26 Middle East Geant stores
Dubai's Majid Al Futtaim, the Middle East operator of French retailer Carrefour, has acquired 26 Geant hypermarket stores in the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Kuwait from BMA International. Majid Al Futtaim, a holding company which also owns and operates shopping centres in the Middle East and North Africa, said in a statement it was acquiring the Geant franchise owner Retail Arabia from BMA International. (Reuters)
Carrefour's Brazil unit seeks up to $1.7bn in IPOFrench retailer Carrefour SA's Brazilian unit has filed for an initial public offering that could raise 4.5bn to 5.6bn reais ($1.4bn to $1.7bn) next month, making it Brazil's biggest listing in over four years. (Reuters)
Tesco asks watchdog to speed up Booker merger probe
Tesco has requested the competitions watchdog speed up its review of the supermarket's planned takeover of food wholesaler Booker. The Competitions and Markets Authority (CMA) last month launched its investigation into the £3.7bn deal over concerns it could restrict choice for customers. (telegraph.co.uk)