Lenta, one of the largest retail chains in Russia, is a recognized retail innovator dedicated to leveraging cutting-edge machine-learning science and data analytics. Following a successful pilot in 2017, Lenta plans to deploy Revionics Price Optimization across all of its Hypermarkets and Supermarkets in 2018.Source: markets.businessinsider.com
Philippines: Retail prices in NCR up 3.8% in February
Prices of retail goods in the National Capital Region (NCR) rose by 3.8% in February from 3.5% the previous year as most commodity groups posted higher increments, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) said. The food index registered a growth of 0.4% in February, slower than the 1.4% growth rate the month before. “Higher prices were observed in chicken, milk, canned fish, rice and flour. These were, however, tempered by the decreases in the prices of other food items particularly fish, fruits and vegetables,” the PSA said.Source: philstar.com
Mega Image continues fast expansion in Romania
Mega Image, one of the biggest supermarket chains in Romania, will continue to expand at a fast pace this year, with an investment budget of around EUR50mln, local Wall-street.ro reported. The company plans to open more stores than last year, when it opened 69 units and reached a network of over 600 supermarkets and proximity stores. The company also hired about 1,300 people last year, reaching a total headcount of over 10,000, and plans to add another 1,000 this year.Source: romania-insider.com
Spanish supermarket chain DIA checks out of China
Spanish supermarket chain Distribuidora Internacional de Alimentacion SA (DIA) plans to leave the China market and sell its local stores to a unit of Chinese retail giant Suning Group. DIA said that the deal with Nanjing Suning.com Supermarket Ltd., a subsidiary of Chinese retail giant Suning Group, is “conditioned to its approval by the Chinese antitrust and regulatory authorities.”Source: caixinglobal.com
UK: Morrisons puts wonky chillis on its shelves
Morrisons will now sell wonky chillis - in a bid to reduce food waste by selling more 'imperfect' fruit and vegetables. The supermarket's wonky chillis would have typically been thrown away in the past - and will have defects such as missing stalks, imperfect colour or smaller size. The misshapen chillis will be cheaper than Morrisons' standard chillis, costing 61p per 100g compared to £1 per 100g.Source: dailymail.co.uk
Spar Austria introduces reusable shopping bags
Spar Austria is trialling a new reusable shopping bag in its stores across the country, providing customers with an alternative to single-use plastic bags. The organic biodegradable Spar Natur*pur bag is made from renewable, GMO-free sugar cane, and is produced by Graz-based biopolymer company Weforyou. Spar Austria says that its new bag is sturdy and will last for 'many trips to and from the supermarket'. However, when the bag has reached the end of its usable life, it can also be decomposed and recycled.Source: esmmagazine.com
Lidl opening IT center of excellence in Bulgaria
German discount supermarket chain Lidl said it is opening an IT center of excellence in Bulgaria. The Sofia-based Lidl Digital IT center of excellence will focus on developing platforms, systems and solutions for online trading, which will be used in all countries where Lidl operates, the company said in a statement.Source: seenews.com
US: Giant launches store-wide nutrition navigation program
Giant Food Stores has launched its Guiding Stars program that helps shoppers navigate which products have the best nutritional value. The program uses star symbols on more than 9,000 items to rank products by “good,” “better” and “best.” “We’re focused on making it easy for customers to find more nutritious options, and Guiding Stars is the perfect addition to our shelves and also online,” said Sarah Glunz, lead nutritionist at Giant. Source: cumberlink.com
US: Winn-Dixie adds online delivery in Alabama, Florida
Winn-Dixie is launching online grocery delivery in 13 Florida metropolitan areas and three in Alabama, partnering with grocery delivery provider Shipt for the service. More than 6 million households in and around Daytona Beach, Fort Myers, Gainesville, Jacksonville, Naples, Orlando, Sarasota, South Florida, Space Coast, St. Augustine, Tallahassee, Tampa and Treasure Coast, Florida, are now able to have groceries delivered to their front door. Additionally, about 450,000 households in and around Birmingham, Montgomery and Tuscaloosa, Alabama, can shop the grocer’s wares for delivery.Source: progressivegrocer.com
US: Island Pacific to close 6 stores
Island Pacific, a Filipino-focused independent supermarket chain, is closing six stores in California to create greater efficiencies. The closing stores are in National City, San Jose, American Canyon, Rancho Cucamonga, Chula Vista, and Los Angeles. The remaining 17 stores will continue to operate. Island Pacific opened its first store in 2000 in Panorama City, California, to promote Filipino cuisine and products to communities across the United States, and aspire to place it in the world culinary map. It expanded beyond California in 2016, opening stores in Las Vegas and Seattle.Source: progressivegrocer.com