Albertsons is boosting its presence back home, making moves to invest in its home state with five new stores that will be remodeled to include a fresher focus, adding a revamp of its dairy section, an expanded salad bar, as well as new cold cases and check stands. “Since 2013, we have made investment in the Treasure Valley a top priority and have remodeled all of our Albertsons stores here to ensure our customers have an exceptional and modern shopping experience,” Kathy Holland of the retailer’s Intermountain Division told the Idaho Statesman.Source: delimarketnews.com
US: Walmart may launch IPO for Flipkart in as early as four years
Walmart Inc said in a filing with a U.S. regulator that it may take India’s Flipkart public in as early as four years, detailing for the first time a potential listing timeline for Walmart’s largest-ever acquisition. As part of the deal, Walmart will initially appoint five directors to Flipkart’s board, two directors will be named by minority shareholders while Bansal will take one board seat, according to the filing.Source: reuters.com
Costco Australia sets out strategic plans
Patrick Noone, Managing Director of Costco Australia, has provided an insight into what the retailer has planned for its private label strategy, future expansion and online operations. Costco currently has nine stores trading in Australia, with two new stores opening in Melbourne and Brisbane by the end of the year and its first Western Australia store due to open in Perth in 2019. The current opening rate of 1-2 stores per year is expected to continue for some years to come. However, Noone did says that with 25m people between Toronto and Vancouver in Canada and 65 Costco stores, there remains significant growth potential for network expansion down under, over the next 30-40 years.Source: retailanalysis.igd.com
Retailer Mega Image’s sales, up 20% in Romania in first quarter
Supermarket chain Mega Image increased its sales in Romania by 19% in the first quarter, due to an 11.9% increase in existing shops and network expansion. Mega Image thus contributed to the 4.7% increase in Ahold Delhaize’s sales increase in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) in the first quarter. The group reached sales of EUR1.44bln in the region. Mega Image has been expanding rapidly in Bucharest and other big cities in recent years.Source: romania-insider.com
Carrefour Brasil launches drive-thru service amid e-commerce push
Carrefour Brasil, the country’s largest food retailer, launched a new click-and-collect style service in Sao Paulo, as the company keeps up its recent focus on e-commerce. In a statement, the company said the new service would allow customers to select items online, before driving to a designated drive-thru area where workers will place items into the customer’s car. The service is now available at one store in the affluent Sao Paulo neighborhood of Pinheiros, the company said. Carrefour Brasil did not provide details about expansion plans for the service.Source: reuters.com
Holland: Albert Heijn opens new concept store in Hoofddorp
Dutch retailer Albert Heijn has opened a new concept store in Hoofddorp, The Netherlands, where the retailer says 'a number of developments in the area of assortment and formula' have come together. For example, the new store gives additional floor space to its fresh product selection, while also increasing the level of in-store technology throughout. Albert Heijn said that this store is putting an emphasis on its fresh assortment in order to contribute to a better life for its customers.Source: esmmagazine.com
Spain: DIA Q1 2018 results
Spain-based DIA has posted net sales of €1,877.6mln in Q1 18, a 1.1% fall excluding foreign exchange rates (ex-FX) from Q1 2017. Gross sales under banner were broadly flat ex-FX, growing by 0.2%, to reach €2,270.0mln. Gross sales in Iberia were €1,502.1mln, down 4.3% from Q1 2017. DIA said a 3% space reduction and 1% negative calendar effect contributed to this. Iberian like-for-like (lfl) was 0.0% with Spain contributing positively and Portugal negatively. The company said unusually heavy rainfall affected proximity store sales in Iberia, especially stores without carparks. This diagnosis was also applied to Clarel stores, whose lfl was negative in Q1 2018.Source: retailanalysis.igd.com
Department stores lead Singapore retail sales
Singapore retail sales rose 2.6% in March, excluding motor vehicles, as the sector’s slow but steady recovery continues. Month-on-month, retail sales rose 1.1%. The headline figure – which includes motor vehicles – showed a year-on-year decline of 1.5% as car sales in the city state slumped 16%. According to Statistics Singapore, retail spending (including vehicles) totalled S$3.8bln in March, with e-commerce accounting for 4.1% of that. Department stores were the big winners of the month, with sales up 9.1%, while food retailers also performed well, up 7.5%. Sales of medical goods and toiletries rose 6.2% and of apparel and footwear, and watches and jewellery, by 5%.Source: retailnews.asia
Supermarket counting down to New Zealand's first 'plastic-free aisle'
Countdown moves to introduce New Zealand's first plastic-free aisle. The supermarket chain is looking to follow the lead of a chain in the Netherlands, Ekoplaza, which opened its first plastic-free supermarket aisle in February. Countdown's general manager of corporate affairs, Kiri Hannifin, told the Herald on Sunday she wanted to introduce it to the Ponsonby store. At the moment the aisle she hopes to transform has a few plastic-clad items including sauces alongside the tins of tuna and other canned foods. But Hannifin is keen to see it go completely plastic-free as soon as possible.Source: nzherald.co.nz
UK: Southern Co-operative reports 9% growth in annual income
The Southern Co-operative has reported an increase in annual income and like-for-like sales in its annual results for 2017, but operating costs have also risen. Total income for the 52 weeks ended 27 January 2018 was £431mln, up 9% from the previous year, following investment in new stores and funeral homes. Like-for-like sales grew by 1.63% and the society, which trades across 11 counties in the south of England, opened 16 new food stores in 2017, bringing the total to 216.Source: thenews.coop