US: Edwards supermarkets boost online grocery capabilities
Edwards Food Giant and Edwards Cash Saver supermarkets in Arkansas have stepped up online grocery shopping services, including kerbside pickup at several locations. Customers at the 11 stores, whose parent company is Little Rock, Arkansas-based GES Inc., can now shop the retailer’s full catalog of products online as well as access a clickable weekly circular and recipes. They also can create, share and save shopping lists that can be accessed at any time online.
Source: supermarketnews.com
US: SpartanNash announces first quarter fiscal 2018 financial results
SpartanNash Company (the “Company”) reported financial results for the 16-week first quarter ended April 21, 2018. Consolidated net sales for the first quarter increased $31.4mln, or 1.3%, to $2.39bln from $2.35bln in the prior year quarter(1). The increase in net sales was driven by continued sales growth in the food distribution and military segments of 3.7% and 3.2%, respectively, partially offset by lower sales at retail. “We are pleased with our performance in the first quarter and continued resilience in a challenging and evolving landscape,” said David Staples, President and Chief Executive Officer.
Source: businesswire.com
Edwards Food Giant and Edwards Cash Saver supermarkets in Arkansas have stepped up online grocery shopping services, including kerbside pickup at several locations. Customers at the 11 stores, whose parent company is Little Rock, Arkansas-based GES Inc., can now shop the retailer’s full catalog of products online as well as access a clickable weekly circular and recipes. They also can create, share and save shopping lists that can be accessed at any time online.Source: supermarketnews.com
US: SpartanNash announces first quarter fiscal 2018 financial results
SpartanNash Company (the “Company”) reported financial results for the 16-week first quarter ended April 21, 2018. Consolidated net sales for the first quarter increased $31.4mln, or 1.3%, to $2.39bln from $2.35bln in the prior year quarter(1). The increase in net sales was driven by continued sales growth in the food distribution and military segments of 3.7% and 3.2%, respectively, partially offset by lower sales at retail. “We are pleased with our performance in the first quarter and continued resilience in a challenging and evolving landscape,” said David Staples, President and Chief Executive Officer.Source: businesswire.com
Israeli supermarket chain Shufersal Q1 profit, revenue up
Shufersal, Israel’s largest supermarket chain, said net profit rose slightly in the first quarter, as it integrated a newly purchased drugstore chain and expanded its private label products. The company posted net profit of 67mln shekels ($19mln) versus 66mln a year earlier. Revenue jumped 9.1% to 3.2bln shekels, with same store sales up 2.8%. Shufersal is controlled by holding company Discount Investment Corp.Source: in.reuters.com
Estonia: April retail trade turnover up 1% on year
According to information released by Statistics Estonia, this April, the turnover of retail trade enterprises increased by 1% on year at constant prices, totaling €560.4mln. The turnover of stores selling manufactured goods increased by 7% compared to April 2017. Turnover increased in most economic activities, except in stores selling second-hand goods and in non-store retail sale (including stalls, markets, direct sale), where turnover was smaller than in April 2017. The turnover of grocery stores, meanwhile, decreased by 4% compared to April 2017. These stores' drop in turnover was associated with the high reference base of April 2017 as well as the continuing price increase of food products.Source: news.err.ee
ICG makes €105mln investment in six Spanish hypermarkets
London-listed Intermediate Capital Group (ICG) is investing €105mln to buy six Spanish hypermarkets from supermarket chain Eroski. The specialist asset manager said it has partnered with Inmobiliaria Armuco, a real estate company 45% owned by Eroski, to buy five of its hypermarkets. ICG is also buying a sixth asset completely owned by Eroski in a primary sale and leaseback transaction. The assets are located in the Basque region of Spain.Source: realassets.ipe.com
Russia: X5 Retail Group announces innovation partnership with Republic of Tatarstan
Russian retailer X5 Retail Group has announced that it has commenced a partnership with the Republic of Tatarstan, which will focus on innovation and new technologies. The retailer reports that the agreement was signed by the minister of information and communication of the Republic of Tatarstan, Roman Shaikhutdinov, and X5 Retail Group CFO Svetlana Demyashkevich during the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum. The parties agreed to foster infrastructure for innovation, as well as social and economic development in the retail industry of the Republic of Tatarstan, as well as working on enhancing import substitution and driving Russian information technologies. The Republic of Tatarstan is a federal subject of Russia, located in the Volga Federal District.Source: esmmagazine.com
Holland: Spar International reports solid FY growth
Spar International has reported a solid rise in sales for its fiscal 2017 year, helped by its continued expansion globally. For the year ending 31 December 2017, retail sales grew by 5.3% year-on-year to €34.5bln (on a constant-currency basis). The results were boosted by the addition of 232 new stores, helping the company end the year with 12,777 stores across 48 countries. Sales in Western Europe rose by 3.5% to 21.3bln, helped by strong performances in the Netherlands (+7.7%), Spain (+5.5%), Ireland (+4.8%), and the UK (+4%). For the sixth year in a row, Spar Austria was the largest market share winner in the Austrian market.Source: kamcity.com
UK: New group CEO of Midcounties named as Ben Reid retires
The Midcounties Co-operative has announced that Phil Ponsonby will be its new group chief executive, following the retirement of Ben Reid at the end of July. Mr Reid, who has spent more than 40 years in the co-operative movement, led Midcounties as it grew into the UK’s largest independent co-operative, with 670,000 members. Last year he was appointed one of the two new directors of the global board of the International Co-operative Alliance.Source: thenews.coop
China: JD.com aims to open 500 high tech supermarkets in 5 years
The brick and mortar competition among China’s tech giants continues to heat up with JD.com announcing earlier this week that it would open 500 of its 7Fresh supermarkets in five years. This latest expansion into offline retail by China’s second-largest ecommerce player follows soon after rivals Tencent and Alibaba each announced their own offline grocery initiatives. Within this year JD.com’s 7Fresh physical grocery chain will add 50 stores to its portfolio, Wang Xiaosong, president of 7Fresh revealed at an event in Beijing on Monday. The ecommerce company aims to reach its goal of 500 grocery outlets within the next five years, Wang added.Source: mingtiandi.com
Lidl to stop using plastic bags in Spain
Supermarket chain Lidl is set to stop using single-use plastic bags in Spain by the end of this year. The measures – already in place in the Balearics – pre-empt EU proposals banning the use of light single-use bags by 2020 throughout Europe. Managing Director Claus Grande said their new rules goes “much further” than the EU initiative as it will ban all single-use plastic bags and will instead use raffia – fibres from a type of palm tree and recycled plastic – and paper bags which are more environmentally friendly.Source: euroweeklynews.com
South Africa's Spar Group eyes Sri Lanka expansion amid challenges at home
South African retailer and wholesaler Spar Group Ltd plans to open two more stores in Sri Lanka, it said after warning that fuel price hikes and currency weakness could affect its home market. In 2016, Spar entered into a 50/50 joint venture (JV) with Ceylon Biscuits Ltd in Sri Lanka to establish Spar SL. Spar SL opened its first store in a suburb of the capital Colombo in March and Chief Executive Graham O’Connor told Reuters two more stores would be opened by year end. “(There is) strong growth, very little opposition, a very fragmented market so very good opportunities,” he said.Source: reuters.com