US: Shipt expands same-day delivery in Delaware, Maryland and Pennsylvania
Shipt, a leading online marketplace, announced it will begin same-day delivery of an assortment of groceries and household essentials with Weis Markets in Allentown, Harrisburg, Lancaster, Philadelphia, Scranton and Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, as well as in Baltimore, Maryland and Lewes, Millsboro, Millville, and Rehoboth Beach, Delaware on September 6. Shipt originally launched in Baltimore in March 2018 and Philadelphia in April 2018. This will be Shipt’s first launch in Delaware. This launch gives nearly 2.6mln households across three states access to products delivered by Shipt from Weis Markets in as little as one hour.
Source: globenewswire.com
US: Retail technology provider Narvar raises $30mln in new funding
Retail logistics software specialist Narvar has raised $30mln in new funding to back what the company says will be aggressive expansion of a business that supports e-commerce platforms for companies including Costco Wholesale Corp., Gap Inc. and Levi Strauss & Co. The new funding round, led by venture capital firm Accel with Battery Ventures, Salesforce Ventures and Scale Venture Partners, brings the company’s total raised to $64mln since the business launched in Silicon Valley in 2012. Narvar said the funding will support refining its technology, which is helping retailers manage deliveries and returns for online orders, and an expansion into Asia and Europe. The company says its technology supports 500 retailers, helping their online sales platforms offer services similar to those at Amazon.com Inc. Narvar Chief Executive Amit Sharma said it handles “all aspects of post-purchase customer engagement and messaging,” and that demand for its technology has increased, particularly on the returns side, as digital commerce has grown.
Source: wsj.com
US: Use of retailer mobile apps doubled in 2018
The number of retailer mobile apps used by consumers has doubled since last year, from an average of two per phone to four, according to a study by Synchrony. In another sign of increased consumer adoption, 67% have downloaded a mobile app from a retailer on their smartphones versus 63% a year ago, the study said. Sixty percent of consumers use the apps for browsing products, 50% for accessing discount coupons and 49% for making purchases. In a strong commendation, 83% are happy with the customer experience provided by retail mobile apps. The study also reported that shoppers think mobile payments will replace traditional forms of transactions eventually, but want to hold on to their physical wallets for now. By the year 2025, 60% of U.S. consumers think shoppers will carry a phone but no physical wallet. The integration of digital wallets into retailer apps may spur increased use of both functions.
Source: fooddive.com
US: Smart & Final, Instacart expand partnership in California
More Smart & Final locations have begun same-day online grocery delivery through Instacart. The companies said that 27 Smart & Final banner stores are now offering home delivery of groceries, fresh produce and club-size items via Instacart - in as soon as two hours or less - in the California markets of Baldwin Park, Carmichael, Citrus Heights, Coachella, Covina, Fountain Valley, Gardena, Highland Park, Laguna Niguel, Los Angeles, San Diego, San Dimas, San Jose, Santa Ana, Santa Clara, Stanton, Sunnyvale and Whittier. With the expansion, Instacart-powered grocery delivery is available at more than 90% of Smart & Final stores in California.
Source: supermarketnews.com
US: Target gets back into meal solutions with Archer Farms private label
In an attempt to help shoppers heading home from work with nothing planned for dinner, Target Corp. is launching a line of "easy meal offerings" under its Archer Farms private label line that can be mixed and matched to quickly build a meal for the whole family. The line comprises more than 100 ready-to-heat meats, salads, pasta, sides and soups, from Grilled Fajita Chicken Strips and Burrata Lemon Zest Herb Ravioli to Apple Pecan Quinoa Salad and more. Each component is priced between $2.99 and $8.99.
Source: progressivegrocer.com
Shipt, a leading online marketplace, announced it will begin same-day delivery of an assortment of groceries and household essentials with Weis Markets in Allentown, Harrisburg, Lancaster, Philadelphia, Scranton and Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, as well as in Baltimore, Maryland and Lewes, Millsboro, Millville, and Rehoboth Beach, Delaware on September 6. Shipt originally launched in Baltimore in March 2018 and Philadelphia in April 2018. This will be Shipt’s first launch in Delaware. This launch gives nearly 2.6mln households across three states access to products delivered by Shipt from Weis Markets in as little as one hour.Source: globenewswire.com
US: Retail technology provider Narvar raises $30mln in new funding
Retail logistics software specialist Narvar has raised $30mln in new funding to back what the company says will be aggressive expansion of a business that supports e-commerce platforms for companies including Costco Wholesale Corp., Gap Inc. and Levi Strauss & Co. The new funding round, led by venture capital firm Accel with Battery Ventures, Salesforce Ventures and Scale Venture Partners, brings the company’s total raised to $64mln since the business launched in Silicon Valley in 2012. Narvar said the funding will support refining its technology, which is helping retailers manage deliveries and returns for online orders, and an expansion into Asia and Europe. The company says its technology supports 500 retailers, helping their online sales platforms offer services similar to those at Amazon.com Inc. Narvar Chief Executive Amit Sharma said it handles “all aspects of post-purchase customer engagement and messaging,” and that demand for its technology has increased, particularly on the returns side, as digital commerce has grown.Source: wsj.com
US: Use of retailer mobile apps doubled in 2018
The number of retailer mobile apps used by consumers has doubled since last year, from an average of two per phone to four, according to a study by Synchrony. In another sign of increased consumer adoption, 67% have downloaded a mobile app from a retailer on their smartphones versus 63% a year ago, the study said. Sixty percent of consumers use the apps for browsing products, 50% for accessing discount coupons and 49% for making purchases. In a strong commendation, 83% are happy with the customer experience provided by retail mobile apps. The study also reported that shoppers think mobile payments will replace traditional forms of transactions eventually, but want to hold on to their physical wallets for now. By the year 2025, 60% of U.S. consumers think shoppers will carry a phone but no physical wallet. The integration of digital wallets into retailer apps may spur increased use of both functions.Source: fooddive.com
US: Smart & Final, Instacart expand partnership in California
More Smart & Final locations have begun same-day online grocery delivery through Instacart. The companies said that 27 Smart & Final banner stores are now offering home delivery of groceries, fresh produce and club-size items via Instacart - in as soon as two hours or less - in the California markets of Baldwin Park, Carmichael, Citrus Heights, Coachella, Covina, Fountain Valley, Gardena, Highland Park, Laguna Niguel, Los Angeles, San Diego, San Dimas, San Jose, Santa Ana, Santa Clara, Stanton, Sunnyvale and Whittier. With the expansion, Instacart-powered grocery delivery is available at more than 90% of Smart & Final stores in California.Source: supermarketnews.com
US: Target gets back into meal solutions with Archer Farms private label
In an attempt to help shoppers heading home from work with nothing planned for dinner, Target Corp. is launching a line of "easy meal offerings" under its Archer Farms private label line that can be mixed and matched to quickly build a meal for the whole family. The line comprises more than 100 ready-to-heat meats, salads, pasta, sides and soups, from Grilled Fajita Chicken Strips and Burrata Lemon Zest Herb Ravioli to Apple Pecan Quinoa Salad and more. Each component is priced between $2.99 and $8.99.Source: progressivegrocer.com
UK and Ireland: Shoppers demand convenience but slow to adopt e-commerce technologies
New data from Nielsen has revealed supermarket shoppers in the UK and Ireland are slow adopters of new e-commerce technologies compared with their global counterparts, despite an increasing demand for greater convenience. Nielsen’s research shows FMCG online sales now account for almost 7% of total FMCG sales in the UK. By the end of 2020, Nielsen anticipate that online FMCG sales through supermarkets will be close to £10bln a year, up from £7bln in 2017. Despite leading global markets with use of self-serve checkouts, shoppers in the UK and Ireland failed to show significant interest in using other e-commerce technologies available, such as in-store WiFi, QR codes, mobile shopping lists, and social media to aid purchasing decisions. 32% and 31% of UK and Ireland shoppers, respectively, say they are already using self-service checkouts to reduce checkout times, compared with a global average of just 23%.
Source: kamcity.com
New data from Nielsen has revealed supermarket shoppers in the UK and Ireland are slow adopters of new e-commerce technologies compared with their global counterparts, despite an increasing demand for greater convenience. Nielsen’s research shows FMCG online sales now account for almost 7% of total FMCG sales in the UK. By the end of 2020, Nielsen anticipate that online FMCG sales through supermarkets will be close to £10bln a year, up from £7bln in 2017. Despite leading global markets with use of self-serve checkouts, shoppers in the UK and Ireland failed to show significant interest in using other e-commerce technologies available, such as in-store WiFi, QR codes, mobile shopping lists, and social media to aid purchasing decisions. 32% and 31% of UK and Ireland shoppers, respectively, say they are already using self-service checkouts to reduce checkout times, compared with a global average of just 23%.Source: kamcity.com
Singapore: Only all-halal supermarket shuttered over rent arrears
Singapore’s only all-halal supermarket has shut its doors over rent arrears after two years in operation. MyOutlets‘ Global Halal Hub, a 10,000 square-foot supermarket, shuttered on August 14. Three days later the retailer said in a Facebook post: “Due to the discrepancy between the landlord and us, we are exploring our plan with our shareholder.” MyOutlets co-founder and chairman Ronnie Faizal Tan told Salaam Gateway: “It’s a rental issue with the current landlord, which came as quite a surprise as we had been engaging them and making regular payments. We are only in arrears of two months”, adding that he could not comment further as it was an “ongoing sensitive issue”.Source: salaamgateway.com
Carrefour increases stake in Romanian delivery platform
French retailer Carrefour has increased its stake in local delivery platform Bringo, through which users can order products and have them delivered from various local stores. Carrefour took over the platform last year and recently increased its stake from 51% to 70%. The retailer bought a 19% stake from local firm Ascend Netsolution for EUR 200,000, valuing the whole platform at about EUR 1mln, according to data analyzed by Profit.ro. Bringo had revenues of some EUR 212,000 and losses of EUR 788,000 in 2017.Source: romania-insider.com
Lidl's sales rise by 5.9% as share of Northern Ireland market grows again
German discount retailer Lidl has increased sales in its Northern Ireland supermarkets by nearly 6% over the last year, latest figures show. Research organisation Kantar Worldpanel said the company, which has 38 stores here, had also increased its share of the grocery market to 5.7% in the 52 months to August 12. And the organisation said Lidl's relatively modest market share left it with plenty of room for growth. Source: belfasttelegraph.co.uk
Mercadona acquires Aveiro site in Portugal
Spanish retailer Mercadona has acquired a site in Aveiro, around 50 kilometres south of Porto, for what may well be its fifth planned store location in Portugal. According to trade publication Distribuição Hoje, Mercadona has acquired the site for €2.55mln last week, however the Spanish retailer did not confirm whether a store was scheduled to be built at that location. A spokesperson for Mercadona told the publication that it was focusing solely on its four previously-confirmed locations, in Maia, Gondomar, Vila Nova de Gaia and Matosinhos.Source: esmmagazine.com
Australia: Metcash signs supply agreement with Foodland Supermarket
Australian grocery distribution and marketing firm Metcash has entered a long-term supply agreement with Foodland Supermarket to supply groceries to Foodland supermarkets across South Australia. Foodland Supermarket is the governing body for independent Foodland supermarket retailers in South Australia. As part of the agreement, Metcash will supply groceries from its new distribution centre in South Australia for a period of ten years. Source: retail-insight-network.com