Dutch wholesaler Sligro Food Group has posted net profit of €81mln for 2017, a 9.9% increase compared to the previous year, fuelled largely by the company's new logistics partnership with Heineken. This figure was €8mln more than the €73mln in profits recorded in 2016, with €7mln thereof coming as a result of the non-recurring book profit from its partnership with Heineken, which was finalised in December 2017.Source: esmmagazine.com
Aeon Malaysia partners with Honestbee to elevate e-commerce growth
Groceries from Aeon supermarket are to be delivered on the network of Honestbee. Aeon Malaysia has entered an alliance with Honestbee to start delivering groceries in Malaysia. This new delivery option, which uses personal shoppers to pick up and deliver orders, will enable Aeon customers to make their purchases online, via the Honestbee mobile app or website. By adopting an omni-channel approach, Aeon Malaysia aims to develop services to meet the growth of online buying and rapidly changing customer demands.Source: retailanalysis.igd.com
7-Eleven Taiwan opens first unmanned 'X-Store'
7-Eleven Taiwan's operator President Chain Store Corp. announced that it has opened its first experimental unmanned store in its corporate headquarters, reported CNA. The first X-Store in Taiwan is located in corporate headquarters as during the initially testing phase, it will only be open to internal company employees, and instead of staying open 24 hours or from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m., as the name implies, it will at this stage only be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.Source: taiwannews.com.tw
China: Alibaba invests Rs 224 crore in logistics co Xpressbees
Chinese online commerce giant Alibaba has made an investment of Rs 224 crore in the logistics arm of FirstCry, Xpressbees, as per latest regulatory documents filed with the Registrar of Companies (RoC). Xpressbees, the e-commerce focused logistics firm - run by Busybees Logistics Solutions Pvt Ltd - has issued 70, 653 series D preference shares to Alibaba, as per documents sourced from business research firm Paper.vcSource: timesofindia.indiatimes.com
Ireland: BWG agrees terms to acquire 4 Aces for undisclosed sum
BWG Group has agreed terms to acquire 4 Aces Wholesale Limited, an independent wholesaler and a member of the Gala Retail Group, for an undisclosed sum. The transaction is subject to approval from the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission. BWG is already the owner of Spar, Eurospar, Londis, Mace, and XL. As part of the transaction, Gala Retail - the independent convenience retailing group established in 1998 with a network of 220 Gala Group stores nationwide - has accepted BWG’s application for membership of the Gala wholesaler network.Source: rte.ie
Korea’s E-mart taking PK Market to the US
Shinsegae’s discount chain E-mart plans to enter the US by opening its premium food outlet PK Market. While mostly high-end products will be sold at the South Korean group’s outlet, some of its low-tier private brands such as No Brand and Peacock will also be offered. E-mart is eyeing cities with significant Asian communities, such as Los Angeles and San Francisco. It may also acquire a food factory in Portland, Oregon, for producing its Peacock products for the US.Source: insideretail.asia
US: Casey's bids for Kroger convenience stores: CNBC
Casey’s General Stores Inc has submitted an initial bid for Kroger Co’s roughly $2bln convenience-store business, and a deal could help the company stave off pressure from activist investors to sell itself, CNBC reported. Casey's, which is working with an investment bank, is one of several parties looking to buy the stores and may not ultimately strike a deal, CNBC said, citing sources familiar with the matter. Kroger, the No. 1 U.S. supermarket operator, said in October it was exploring the sale of its nearly 800 convenience stores and CNBC said final offers are due in early February. Kroger and Casey were not immediately available for comment.Source: reuters.com
US: Kroger adopts 2nd Waste-to-Energy system
Further fulfilling its Zero Hunger | Zero Waste initiative, the Kroger Co. has replaced a conventional wastewater system at a plant in Indiana with an anaerobic digester, the second of its kind installed by the Cincinnati-based grocer. First announced in late 2016, the new $9.5mln system will operate at Kroger’s K.B. Specialty Foods plant, in Greensburg, Ind., which has been a Zero Waste facility since 2014, diverting more than 90% of waste produced from landfills every year. The plant employs 270 associates and produces deli salads, cake icing and refrigerated side dishes.Source: progressivegrocer.com
US: Aldi beats Walmart on price online, study finds
A recent online price comparison between eight popular Los Angeles grocery stores found Aldi was the cheapest, according to Brick Meets Click’s study. The German discounter's basket of goods was 4.5% less expensive than Walmart. Aldi also is piloting its online grocery service in Los Angeles, Atlanta and Dallas, The emergence of online grocery ordering options at extreme-value stores suggests this shift in shopping habits isn’t exclusive to upper-income households, the report found. The study from Brick Meets Click also found online grocery shopping is slowly chipping away at in-store trips because it’s easier to compare prices online, and because there are now more markets offering this service at a variety of price points.Source: fooddive.com
US: H-E-B completes ‘Smart Glasses’ pilot
H-E-B has successfully piloted “smart glasses” from Vuzix Corp. at its manufacturing operations, enabling associates to use augmented reality to perform their jobs more efficiently. The largest private company in Texas and one of the 15 largest privately held companies in the United States, San Antonio-based H-E-B operates more than 360 stores in a range of formats, including superstores, supermarkets and gourmet markets.Source: progressivegrocer.com