In IRI's Consumer Connect Q4 2017 survey, 28% of shoppers said they buy grocery items online compared with 23% in the first quarter of 2016. Survey participants said online grocery shopping reduces impulse buys, and 51% said they make fewer unplanned purchases online. One-fifth of consumers said it's easier to find items on their shopping lists online than at a store. To save on shipping fees, two-fifths of consumers surveyed said they like to order online and pick up in store. Respondents also said that shopping online offers easier access to discounts and allows them to compare prices between retailers. Over the course of the year, 55% of shoppers surveyed will download coupons from retailer or manufacturer websites.Source: fooddive.com
US: Checkout stand encourages healthier snacks for grocery shoppers
Since the first of the year, Sherm’s Thunderbird Market in Roseburg has begun offering healthy choices at two of its checkout stands. Instead of having a wide display of candy bars and other sweets within easy reach, the stands were stocked with healthy foods. The store is trying to make it easier for customers to pick up snacks like nuts, mandarin oranges, bananas, instant oatmeal, and fruit bars that have less sugar and more nutrients, according to Sherm’s management. It has replaced the candy bars and other sugary treats that normally are stocked along the checkout line.Source: nrtoday.com
US: Court approves Topvalco bid to buy 11 Marsh stores
Topvalco, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of The Kroger Co., will acquire the leasehold interests of Marsh Supermarkets and its affiliates in 11 central and southern Indiana locations. The United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware, presiding over the Marsh Supermarkets chapter 11 bankruptcy cases, approved the Topvalco bid.Source: readthereporter.com
Amazon India starts hyperlocal grocery deliveries from own stores
Amazon is scaling up its grocery delivery operations in India. The company has started hyperlocal grocery deliveries, including fresh vegetables and fruits, from its own stores through Amazon Now in Bengaluru, Delhi-NCR, Mumbai, and Hyderabad. Amazon Now was launched around two years ago and used to deliver groceries, including fresh produce from third party stores like Hypercity and BigBazaar, in under two hours. Source: yourstory.com
German online supermarket MyEnso lets customers decide
Online supermarket and marketplace MyEnso canvasses its customers on every decision it makes, or at least that’s their claimed USP and aim. They hope to develop a more intuitive and efficient marketplace that concentrates on customers with this collaborative approach. Apparently every MyEnso line must be examined and approved by customers before it is available for purchase. Co-founder Norbert Hegmann says of his strategy: “Everything is designed for maximum customer orientation.”Source: tamebay.com
Supermarket property back in favour with UK institutions
UK institutions doubled their year-on-year investment into supermarket property in 2017 as the sector was the subject of more positive sentiment. Institutional investment into supermarket property rose from £216mln in 2016 to £482mln last year – a 123% increase. The latest Colliers International Supermarket Investment Review reports that a total of £1.42bln of UK supermarket assets were traded in 2017. This represented an 18% year-on-year volume increase and reflected growing confidence in the sector.Source: everyinvestor.co.uk
Malaysia: Jaya Grocer to open five more outlets in 2018
Neighbourhood fresh grocer Jaya Grocer, which celebrates its 10th anniversary, plans to open five more outlets in the Klang Valley this year. Its operations director Daniel Teng said on Thursday the outlets would be at Eco Ardence at Setia Alam in February; Kuala Lumpur Eco City (KLEC) at Bangsar in June; Empire City Damansara in July; Kiara 163 at Mont Kiara in September, and Kuala Lumpur East at Taman Melati in December.Source: thestar.com.my
Holland: Albert Heijn achieves market share growth in 2017
The Netherlands' largest retailer Albert Heijn recorded a slight market share increase of 0.1% in 2017. The retailer saw its share of the Dutch grocery market grow from 35.2% to 35.3% last year, marking a record high for the retailer. Albert Heijn also says that it saw a boost in home deliveries around the Christmas period, including over 100,000 orders in one week.Source: esmmagazine.com
Vietnam: The rise of convenience stores & minimart chains
Vietnam is the fastest-growing convenience store market in Asia, according to IGD (Institute of Grocery Distribution). There are 800 supermarkets, shopping centers, 150 shopping malls, 9,000 markets and 2.2mln household-run stalls. A report from A.T. Kearney says that convenience store and minimarts are the fastest growing segment of the Vietnamese retail market. Family Mart has 100 shops and plans to have 800 by 2020. Japanese owned 7-Eleven plans to open 100 shops within 3 years and 1,000 shops within 10 years.Source: english.vietnamnet.vn
AUS: Vic supermarket chain in administration
Discount supermarket chain NQR Grocery Clearance Stores has gone into voluntary administration but its 18 Victorian outlets will stay open. Administrators from restructuring and insolvency firm Cor Cordis were appointed on Thursday and said stores would continue to trade while they investigated "the true financial position of the company". "It is too early to say exactly what the position is in regard to debt, or to speculate as to the cause of the company's financial difficulties," Cor Cordis Managing Partner Bruno Secatore said in a statement.Source: dailymail.co.uk
China: Alibaba market value hits the $500bln valuation mark
Alibaba Group Holding Ltd., just reached the $500bln valuation milestone according to local media reports. The China-based e-commerce giant closed on Wednesday with 500.8bln in value at $195.53 and up 1.69% on the New York Stock Exchange, according to CNBC data. In August, Alibaba became the first Asian company to hit the $400bln market cap (in Chinese). However, three months later, Tencent, the WeChat operator, beat Alibaba to become the first Chinese technology stock to reach the $500bln mark.Source: technode.com