US: Supervalu partners with Instacart to support independents with ecommerce
US-based Supervalu has entered into a reseller agreement with the on-demand delivery service, Instacart. Through this agreement, Supervalu will be able to offer online shopping and delivery services to more than 3,000 independent retailers currently supplied by the wholesale-led company, along with other retailers. Supervalu will be able to offer this service, which will sit within its professional services segment, in over 240 metro areas where Instacart currently operates. Last year, Supervalu extended its partnership with Instacart to all of its retail banners having started working with the company in 2015.
Source: retailanalysis.igd.com
US: Trader Joe’s rates high in customer experience, reports study
Trader Joe’s ranked first among multichannel retailers in Forrester Research’s 2018 U.S. Customer Experience Index. Based on a survey of more than 110,000 U.S. adults, the Forrester CX Index aims to measure and rank how well a brand’s customer experience strengthens shopper loyalty. The Cambridge, Massachusetts-based research firm benchmarked the customer experience quality at 287 U.S. brands, including 42 leading multichannel retailers. Sixteen of the retailers on the list came from the food, drug and mass channel, led by No. 1 finisher Trader Joe’s, which made its debut in the CX Index this year. Also making the top 10 were Costco Wholesale Club at No. 2, up from seventh in 2017, and BJ’s Wholesale Club at No. 5, up one spot from last year.
Source: supermarketnews.com
US: Safeway-Albertsons to close 3 Arizona locations, including 2 in Phoenix
Safeway is closing two locations in the Valley in hopes of strengthening operational efficiencies. The grocer is working on transferring employees to other locations before the end of next month. The affected locations are 3131 E. Thunderbird Road in Phoenix and 5860 W. Thunderbird Road in Glendale. Albertsons, which is owned by the same company as Safeway, will be closing one of its Tucson location. A company spokesperson said similarly to the Safeway closures, the move was difficult but will help their operational goals. The Albertsons location slated to close later this month is 6363 E. 22nd Street in Tucson.
Source: abc15.com
US: Southeastern Grocers launches SEG Media Hub
Southeastern Grocers (SEG), parent company of Bi-Lo, Fresco y Más, Harveys Supermarket and Winn-Dixie stores, has joined forces with Quotient Technology to introduce SEG Media Hub, a media platform designed to provide shoppers with more relevant digital ad messages and savings. Through the platform, a consumer packaged goods brand can target shoppers at SEG banners with digital advertising that ties back directly to sales.
Source: progressivegrocer.com
US: Kroger reports first quarter 2018 results
The Kroger Co. reported net earnings of $2.0bln, or $2.37 per diluted share, in the first quarter of 2018, which ended on May 26. Kroger's first quarter adjusted net earnings were $626mln, or $0.73 per diluted share. Net earnings for the first quarter 2017 were $303mln, or $0.32 per diluted share. Adjusted net earnings for the first quarter 2017 were $546mln, or $0.58 per diluted share. Kroger's first quarter net earnings per diluted share result was slightly ahead of the company's internal expectations due to the great start to Restock Kroger, including process changes that led to especially strong cost controls and alternative revenue streams. Kroger reported identical supermarket sales, without fuel, of 1.4% for the first quarter of 2018. When calculating identical sales to be more inclusive of company business units - including Kroger Specialty Pharmacy and ship-to-home solutions - Kroger's identical sales, without fuel, were 1.9% in the first quarter. The company intends to use this calculation going forward as a more appropriate measure to track Kroger's performance as it redefines the grocery customer experience, and to be more comparable with how peers report.
Source: prnewswire.com
US-based Supervalu has entered into a reseller agreement with the on-demand delivery service, Instacart. Through this agreement, Supervalu will be able to offer online shopping and delivery services to more than 3,000 independent retailers currently supplied by the wholesale-led company, along with other retailers. Supervalu will be able to offer this service, which will sit within its professional services segment, in over 240 metro areas where Instacart currently operates. Last year, Supervalu extended its partnership with Instacart to all of its retail banners having started working with the company in 2015.Source: retailanalysis.igd.com
US: Trader Joe’s rates high in customer experience, reports study
Trader Joe’s ranked first among multichannel retailers in Forrester Research’s 2018 U.S. Customer Experience Index. Based on a survey of more than 110,000 U.S. adults, the Forrester CX Index aims to measure and rank how well a brand’s customer experience strengthens shopper loyalty. The Cambridge, Massachusetts-based research firm benchmarked the customer experience quality at 287 U.S. brands, including 42 leading multichannel retailers. Sixteen of the retailers on the list came from the food, drug and mass channel, led by No. 1 finisher Trader Joe’s, which made its debut in the CX Index this year. Also making the top 10 were Costco Wholesale Club at No. 2, up from seventh in 2017, and BJ’s Wholesale Club at No. 5, up one spot from last year.Source: supermarketnews.com
US: Safeway-Albertsons to close 3 Arizona locations, including 2 in Phoenix
Safeway is closing two locations in the Valley in hopes of strengthening operational efficiencies. The grocer is working on transferring employees to other locations before the end of next month. The affected locations are 3131 E. Thunderbird Road in Phoenix and 5860 W. Thunderbird Road in Glendale. Albertsons, which is owned by the same company as Safeway, will be closing one of its Tucson location. A company spokesperson said similarly to the Safeway closures, the move was difficult but will help their operational goals. The Albertsons location slated to close later this month is 6363 E. 22nd Street in Tucson. Source: abc15.com
US: Southeastern Grocers launches SEG Media Hub
Southeastern Grocers (SEG), parent company of Bi-Lo, Fresco y Más, Harveys Supermarket and Winn-Dixie stores, has joined forces with Quotient Technology to introduce SEG Media Hub, a media platform designed to provide shoppers with more relevant digital ad messages and savings. Through the platform, a consumer packaged goods brand can target shoppers at SEG banners with digital advertising that ties back directly to sales.Source: progressivegrocer.com
US: Kroger reports first quarter 2018 results
The Kroger Co. reported net earnings of $2.0bln, or $2.37 per diluted share, in the first quarter of 2018, which ended on May 26. Kroger's first quarter adjusted net earnings were $626mln, or $0.73 per diluted share. Net earnings for the first quarter 2017 were $303mln, or $0.32 per diluted share. Adjusted net earnings for the first quarter 2017 were $546mln, or $0.58 per diluted share. Kroger's first quarter net earnings per diluted share result was slightly ahead of the company's internal expectations due to the great start to Restock Kroger, including process changes that led to especially strong cost controls and alternative revenue streams. Kroger reported identical supermarket sales, without fuel, of 1.4% for the first quarter of 2018. When calculating identical sales to be more inclusive of company business units - including Kroger Specialty Pharmacy and ship-to-home solutions - Kroger's identical sales, without fuel, were 1.9% in the first quarter. The company intends to use this calculation going forward as a more appropriate measure to track Kroger's performance as it redefines the grocery customer experience, and to be more comparable with how peers report.Source: prnewswire.com
Southeast Asian online shoppers lead the world in spending via apps
Southeast Asian online shoppers are leading the world when it comes to spending on shopping apps, according to research by tech company Criteo. Across Asia Pacific, 54% of all online transactions are made in-app, 18% on mobile web and 28% on desktop. In its Q1 2018 Global Commerce Review (South East Asia), for which the company analysed browsing and purchasing data from more than 5000 retailers in more than 80 countries, Criteo also says shoppers in Southeast Asia are moving across multiple browsing environments before making a purchase. “Native mobile-shopping apps are now a prerequisite for success in retail and customer engagement,” said the Criteo report.Source: insideretail.asia
Ecommerce in Italy will be worth €23.1bln in 2018
The business-to-consumers ecommerce turnover of Italy is still growing and is expected to be worth 23.1bln euros at the end of 2018. This would mean an increase of 9%, which is significantly lower than the growth rates of the last few years. This can be concluded from the latest report of the Ecommerce Foundation on the ecommerce industry of Italy. Statistics, originally coming from Digital Innovation Observatories, show that ecommerce in Italy was worth 21.2bln euros in 2017, after a 17.33% increase compared to the situation in 2017. For this year, a growth of 9% is expected, which would mean ecommerce in Italy will be worth over 23bln euros at the end of this year.
Source: ecommercenews.eu
The business-to-consumers ecommerce turnover of Italy is still growing and is expected to be worth 23.1bln euros at the end of 2018. This would mean an increase of 9%, which is significantly lower than the growth rates of the last few years. This can be concluded from the latest report of the Ecommerce Foundation on the ecommerce industry of Italy. Statistics, originally coming from Digital Innovation Observatories, show that ecommerce in Italy was worth 21.2bln euros in 2017, after a 17.33% increase compared to the situation in 2017. For this year, a growth of 9% is expected, which would mean ecommerce in Italy will be worth over 23bln euros at the end of this year.Source: ecommercenews.eu
Metro owned Makro Belgium has announced that it intends to introduce a more 'professional product range' as well as a return to bigger packages, according to Retail Detail. The wholesaler said it wants to return to its 'better days', as CEO Vincent Nolf admitted that the chain is currently in 'intensive care'. The group's turnover has dropped from €567mln three years ago to €482mln in 2017. Since 2011, there has been an annual decrease of 5% in footfall. However, Nolf said that there will be no job cuts, rather a focus on a new commercial strategy, Retail Detail reported.Source: esmmagazine.com
Holland: Albert Heijn is testing smart door lock
Dutch supermarket chain Albert Heijn is currently experimenting with a smart door lock, so groceries can be delivered to a customer’s house, even when the customer isn’t at home. The test is part of Albert Heijn Online Labs, which invents and develops new concepts to improve the supermarket’s service. “We are currently investigating the possibilities of delivering groceries using smart door locks”, the company states on its website. “Using the latest technologies, we can provide access to the barns or homes of our customers by using these smart locks. This means we can literally put the groceries in the fridge. Of course we will only do this with the customer’s consent”, the major supermarket chain explains.
Source: ecommercenews.eu
Dutch supermarket chain Albert Heijn is currently experimenting with a smart door lock, so groceries can be delivered to a customer’s house, even when the customer isn’t at home. The test is part of Albert Heijn Online Labs, which invents and develops new concepts to improve the supermarket’s service. “We are currently investigating the possibilities of delivering groceries using smart door locks”, the company states on its website. “Using the latest technologies, we can provide access to the barns or homes of our customers by using these smart locks. This means we can literally put the groceries in the fridge. Of course we will only do this with the customer’s consent”, the major supermarket chain explains.Source: ecommercenews.eu
FreshStop, the largest and fastest growing convenience store retail brand in South Africa, has introduced a new concept retail store to the convenience retail industry in South Africa. These ‘small format’ stores, specifically designed for small towns and more rural areas, provide customers in remote areas the chance to shop at FreshStop sites in Caltex service stations.Source: petrolplaza.com
UK: Costcutter forecasting double-digit sales growth this Christmas
Following the launch of its Christmas pre-sale brochure last month, Costcutter is forecasting double-digit sales growth for the next festive season. It said that the majority of retailers have taken advantage of the deals in the brochure with was created to “deliver more margin into retailers’ pockets during the most competitive period in the retail calendar”. It features over 1,000 confectionery and ambient product lines with the symbol group claiming that more than 66% are cheaper year-on-year.Source: kamcity.com