Amazon.com Inc is tracking how regularly customers shop at its store without checkout lines in Seattle, and so far, the verdict is they keep coming back. “The ones who work very close, like in the building up above, will come down even just to grab a drink because it’s so fast and easy,” Amazon Vice President Gianna Puerini said in an interview at the ShopTalk e-commerce conference in Las Vegas.Source: reuters.com
US: Mercatus & Shipt align for last-mile grocery delivery
Digital grocery solution provider Mercatus has inked a partnership with online same-day delivery platform Shipt to bring personalized shopping and last-mile delivery to regional grocers to help round out fulfilment options and enhance the digital experience. By teaming with Mercatus—whose existing grocery clients include Weis Markets, Price Chopper/Golub Corp., Brookshire Grocery Co., Save Mart and WinCo, among others—Shipt will gain a robust network of retailers and, in turn, expanded opportunity to serve more consumers with home delivery from various retail verticals in as soon as one hour.Source: winsightgrocerybusiness.com
US: Earth Fare to shutter 2 Atlanta-area stores
Earth Fare will close two stores in the Atlanta area at the end of the month, according to a local report citing a representative of the Asheville, North Carolina-based natural food grocer. The affected locations are Emory Point and Village at Peachtree Corners, according to What Now Atlanta. “As part of Earth Fare’s strategy for accelerated growth, we have carefully reviewed our existing portfolio of store locations and made the difficult decision to close our Peachtree Corners and Emory Point locations,” the company representative told the website.Source: progressivegrocer.com
US: Albertsons readies digital marketplace for vendors
Albertsons Cos. said it was preparing to expand its online grocery offerings with a new marketplace that will allow vendors to sell directly to the retailer’s customers. The marketplace is currently open to general registration for vendors. It is scheduled to open to consumers this summer.Source: supermarketnews.com
US: Southeastern Grocers readies for 3 new Fresco y Mas openings
On the heels of its recently announced Chapter 11 financial restructuring, as well as the closures of 94 underperforming stores, Southeastern Grocers is expanding its Hispanic banner, Fresco y Mas, with three new Florida locations in Orlando and Tampa. The Fresco y Mas banner caters to the unique tastes and needs of Hispanic communities, offering authentic items and amenities.Source: winsightgrocerybusiness.com
Retail firm Auchan introduces new payment app in Italy
Auchan Retail Italia has introduced a new mobile payment application, dubbed AuchanSpeedy, to provide simple, quick and safe shopping experience for customers. Launched in alliance with Mastercard, the new solution can be used to scan products in the store and make payment through smartphones.Source: verdict.co.uk
UK: Ocado reports rise in revenue despite adverse weather conditions
Online grocery Ocado has reported growth in revenue of 11.7% year-on-year to £363.4mln (€414mln) for the three months to 4 March 2018. The growth came despite the company being impacted by adverse weather conditions in the final week of its reporting, according to group’s trading statement for the first three months of the year.Source: independent.ie
Ireland: Dunnes takes flight from British market as Brexit costs bite
Irish retailer Dunnes Stores has effectively exited the British market, closing all its Scottish shops over six months, and shutting its second-last remaining shop in England. Less than three years ago, Dunnes had five stores in Scotland and six in northern England and there were reports in Britain that the company was considering scaling up the business by acquiring an additional 40 stores.Source: independent.ie
South Korea: Supermarket chains dominate offline shopping
Scale continues to play a major part in attracting shoppers both online and offline, a recent survey showed, with supermarket chains and large open market platforms coming top in consumers’ preferred retail outlets. According to a joint survey conducted by research firm Consumer Insight and Hanyang University’s retail research center, at least 80% of consumers said they went to supermarkets within the last month. The survey was conducted on some 15,000 Koreans from July 2017 to the end of January this year.Source: retailnews.asia
UK: Sainsbury's to invest 150mln sterling in price cuts
Britain’s no.2 supermarket chain Sainsbury’s said it was investing 150mln pounds to fund price cuts, seeking to better compete with fast-growing discounters at a time when UK grocery inflation remains high. Sainsbury’s said it would cut prices on 930 products including cereals, vegetables, meat, cheese, pasta and ready meals.Source: uk.reuters.com