US: Boxed improves Dallas fulfilment center efficiency with house-developed system
Boxed, the bulk-shopping ecommerce retailer geared toward “updating the Costco experience for Millennials,” is implementing in its Dallas fulfillment center its autonomously guided vehicle (AGV), a lightweight, transportable alternative to larger-scale conveyor-belt systems. Developed in-house, AGVs require significantly less capital expenditure than their heavier counterparts, and are designed to autonomously roam the aisles of Boxed’s fulfilment, relieving order pickers of the need to manually locate items and push a cart throughout their workday. The system can be easily upgraded and implemented, enabling Boxed to rapidly spin up a partially automated facility wherever new pockets of consumer demand arises.
Source: progressivegrocer.com
US: Walmart planning smaller format Sam’s Club
Sam’s Club is to test a new, smaller format club concept. The store in Dallas will be around 32,000 sq ft, compared to an average size of 134,000 sq ft. This will be a new test format for Sam's Club which will help it to further innovate and improve the member experience. Offering a convenient shopping experience will be a key driver underpinning the format’s development. The retailer will focus on delivering a more digital-led experience, including fast membership sign-up, easy returns, checkout using Scan & Go and digital signage.
Source: retailanalysis.igd.com
US: Sprouts sees online delivery as key growth avenue
Sprouts Farmers Markets Inc. is well-positioned to extend its customer reach via online delivery, according to CEO Amin Maredia. In a discussion at the Deutsche Bank dbAccess Global Consumer Conference in Paris, Maredia said Sprouts’ business through Instacart has been brisk since the natural and organic grocer hatched a partnership with the online delivery provider in January. “What I've been amazed by is how quickly the Instacart business has scaled, and I think a lot of that has to do with the brand, the trust, the quality of the product and the execution to the door that Sprouts is able to bring,” Maredia said in a Q&A session at the investor event. “Today in the U.S., just about every midsize and above food retailer has home delivery or click-and-collect in some form or fashion,” he explained. “But the ability to execute freshness at perfection or close to perfection is what we think will continue to drive the business.” Chief Financial Officer Brad Lukow said about 70% of Sprouts’ sales come from shoppers in a seven-minute drive time or less from its stores, which total nearly 300 in 16 states, and 60% of sales are from fresh food.
Source: supermarketnews.com
Boxed, the bulk-shopping ecommerce retailer geared toward “updating the Costco experience for Millennials,” is implementing in its Dallas fulfillment center its autonomously guided vehicle (AGV), a lightweight, transportable alternative to larger-scale conveyor-belt systems. Developed in-house, AGVs require significantly less capital expenditure than their heavier counterparts, and are designed to autonomously roam the aisles of Boxed’s fulfilment, relieving order pickers of the need to manually locate items and push a cart throughout their workday. The system can be easily upgraded and implemented, enabling Boxed to rapidly spin up a partially automated facility wherever new pockets of consumer demand arises.Source: progressivegrocer.com
US: Walmart planning smaller format Sam’s Club
Sam’s Club is to test a new, smaller format club concept. The store in Dallas will be around 32,000 sq ft, compared to an average size of 134,000 sq ft. This will be a new test format for Sam's Club which will help it to further innovate and improve the member experience. Offering a convenient shopping experience will be a key driver underpinning the format’s development. The retailer will focus on delivering a more digital-led experience, including fast membership sign-up, easy returns, checkout using Scan & Go and digital signage.Source: retailanalysis.igd.com
US: Sprouts sees online delivery as key growth avenue
Sprouts Farmers Markets Inc. is well-positioned to extend its customer reach via online delivery, according to CEO Amin Maredia. In a discussion at the Deutsche Bank dbAccess Global Consumer Conference in Paris, Maredia said Sprouts’ business through Instacart has been brisk since the natural and organic grocer hatched a partnership with the online delivery provider in January. “What I've been amazed by is how quickly the Instacart business has scaled, and I think a lot of that has to do with the brand, the trust, the quality of the product and the execution to the door that Sprouts is able to bring,” Maredia said in a Q&A session at the investor event. “Today in the U.S., just about every midsize and above food retailer has home delivery or click-and-collect in some form or fashion,” he explained. “But the ability to execute freshness at perfection or close to perfection is what we think will continue to drive the business.” Chief Financial Officer Brad Lukow said about 70% of Sprouts’ sales come from shoppers in a seven-minute drive time or less from its stores, which total nearly 300 in 16 states, and 60% of sales are from fresh food.Source: supermarketnews.com
France's Carrefour CEO: alliances making a difference
As part of Carrefour’s AGM, its chief executive, Alexandre Bompard, has said the retailer’s new alliances with Google and Tencent are beginning to drive results. Bompard said the retailer’s digital commerce expansion was an ‘absolute priority’ given the growing competitive pressures in France and across Europe. The increasing focus on digital commerce has driven agreements with Google and Tencent, which Bompard was key given that ‘Six months ago we were isolated. All the retail alliances were taking place without us.’ The agreements with Google and Tencent are part of Carrefour’s aim to invest €2.8bln in its ecommerce operations by 2022.Source: retailanalysis.igd.com
Turkey retail sales growth improves in April
Turkey's retail sales growth accelerated slightly in April after easing in the previous two months, figures from the Turkish Statistical Institute showed. The volume of retail sales climbed 8.0% year-over-year in April, faster than the 7.7% rise in March. Sales of food, drinks and tobacco grew 9.0% yearly in April and non-food sales, except automotive fuel rose by 7.1%. On a monthly basis, retail sales increased a seasonally and calendar-adjusted 0.5% from March, when it advanced by 0.8%.Source: markets.businessinsider.com
Brazil's GPA launches new neighbourhood supermarket format
Brazilian retailer GPA has launched a new 'neighbourhood' supermarket banner, for customers seeking more convenient shopping options. The first Compre Bem stores will open in the state of São Paulo in the second half of 2018, following the conversion of around 20 Extra Supermercado stores. The location of the stores will be largely suburban, in working class neighbourhoods. The retailer sees potential to convert of at least half of its 187 Extra Supermercado outlets.Source: esmmagazine.com
Portugal's Sonae Group launches e-commerce platform with CTT
Portuguese retail group Sonae, which owns banners such as Continente, has announced an e-commerce partnership with the national postal service of Portugal, CTT. The joint venture, which will see the creation of a digital marketplace platform, will involve a €10mln to €15mln investment in the first phase of operation, equally split between the two partners. CTT is a public limited company which offers mail and express parcel service within Portugal.Source: esmmagazine.com
UK: Bestway Wholesale to acquire two Blakemore depots
Bestway Wholesale has announced the acquisition of Blakemore Wholesale’ two cash and carry depots. The deal, which remains subject to completion, for an undisclosed figure, entails the purchase of the 151,000 square foot depot in Cardiff, and the 76,000 square foot depot in Walsall. Both depots will remain open and will continue to be run by the Blakemore Wholesale in the interim until completion of the deal, which is due to take place in the coming weeks. All 123 Blakemore staff will transfer their employment also upon completion, said a statement from Bestway. The move follows the announcement by Parfett’s Cash and Carry of the purchase of Blakemore Wholesale’s Middlesbrough depot.Source: asiantrader.biz
UK: DHL Supply Chain wins six year logistics contract from Morrisons
DHL Supply Chain has been awarded a new contract by Morrisons to manage its wholesale logistics operations for six years. Building on its 20-plus year partnership, the new contract will see DHL support the retailer with order fulfilment, store delivery and IT services to serve its wholesale operations, starting with 1,650 stores in the McColl’s Retail Group, exclusively served by Morrisons under its Safeway wholesale brand. Morrisons is the UK’s fourth largest supermarket group and the second largest fresh food producer. By moving into the wholesale market, Morrisons is leveraging its existing assets to access the UK’s growing convenience market. The operation will require 200,000 sq ft of warehousing space and 200 vehicles from five strategically located picking centres, in Bury, Lutterworth, Livingston, Bridgewater and Allington. The contract will create 550 new jobs. Source: supplychaindigital.com
Wholesale trade accelerates in Romania in April
The wholesale trade turnover in Romania increased by 12% in April compared to the same month of last year, according to data from the National Statistics Institute (INS). In March, the increase was 2.3% and in February it stood at 5.8%. The wholesale of agricultural products and livestock increased by almost 30% year-on-year in April, other specialized wholesale increased by 24.2% and wholesale intermediation activities went up by 17.4%. The wholesale of food, beverages and tobacco only increased by 2.8% and the wholesale of household goods other than food went up 7.3%.Source: romania-insider.com