Lidl Denmark signs up architectural firms to develop new headquarters
Lidl Denmark has appointed architectural firm Link as the overall advisor on the development project of its new 11,000 square metre headquarters at Godsbanen in Aarhus. The discounter has also appointed engineering consultancy Niras as the building advisor on the project, which will encompass around 11,000 square metres of space, incorporating a new concept Lidl store and several roof terraces overlooking the city. The new headquarters are due to be completed by 2021.
Source: esmmagazine.com
Tesco retains top spot in Irish grocery market: Kantar
Tesco continues to hold the biggest share of the Irish grocery market, according to Kantar Worldpanel. In the 12 weeks to the 9th September the British chain had a 22.1% share of sales - up 0.2 percentage points on the same period of last year. Supervalu had a 21.7% share, closely followed by Dunnes Stores at 21.6%. Meanwhile German discounters Lidl and Aldi continued to grow their share of the Irish market, with both gaining 0.1 percentage point to stand at 11.8% and 11.6% respectively.
Source: rte.ie
Russian retail sales beat forecast but other indicators worrisome
Retail sales in Russia rose more than expected in August, suggesting a tepid economic recovery is underway, but real wage growth was slightly lower than forecast and agricultural output tumbled, data showed. Russia's economy is recovering from a recession in 2014-2016, thanks to higher prices for oil and rising retail sales, the barometer of consumer demand. Retail sales grew 2.8% in year-on-year terms in August, data from the Federal Statistics Service showed, above a 2.2% rise predicted in a Reuters monthly economic poll.
Source: esmmagazine.com
Poland: Carrefour Polska launches new store concept for petrol stations
Carrefour has launched a new franchise store concept for petrol station operators in Poland. The new store concept has been designed on the lines of Orange Carrefour Express convenience stores. The stores are further customised as 'housing estate' or 'transit', based on their location.
Source: esmmagazine.com
UK: Strong half-year results for Central England
Central England Co-operative has announced a strong financial performance for the first half of 2018. The society’s interim results show sales grew by 3.6% to £476.9mln compared with the same period last year, while trading profit rose by £1mln (8%) to £12.9mln. In the first six months, the business invested £12.4mln in a growth strategy which includes the opening of six new food stores, one new funeral home and two new funeral booking offices alongside the renovation of another 32 sites. Further new openings and refurbishments are planned for the second half of the year.
Source: thenews.coop
UK: Poundland to open 20 stores in former Poundworld sites
Single-price retailer Poundland has announced that it is finalising plans to open around 20 stores in former Poundworld locations in the UK. The retailer will also introduce budget fashion brand Pep&Co in eight of the new locations along with general merchandise and food offers. “We’re trading strongly and stores with a Pep&Co fashion store are a hit with customers,” said Poundland’s UK & Ireland managing director Barry Williams. “That’s why we’re keen to find larger sites that enable us to bring our widest ranges to more high streets across the country,” Williams added. The stores are expected to open in October 2018, with the first few stores opening in Edinburgh (Cameron Toll), Killingworth (Tyne & Wear), East Kilbride and Ayr.
Source: esmmagazine.com
Slovenia’s Interspar Vič reopens after €6mln face-lift
Spar Slovenia has reopened its Interspar hypermarket Vič in the capital city of Ljubljana after four months of renovation costing €6mln. The store and its restaurant are now modernised, and spread across an area of 7,000 square metres. Managing director of Spar Slovenia, Igor Mervič, said: “For us at Spar, our customers always come first, and our focus during the renovation has been to create a high quality and modern shopping experience.” The new store has also incorporated numerous environmentally-friendly measures. Energy saving LED lights have been installed in the store, and refrigerator and freezer doors have been equipped with low-energy consumption technology. The bakery uses an oven powered by wooden pellets, which is a sustainable and renewable energy source.
Source: esmmagazine.com
US: Dollar Tree consolidating support centers in Chesapeake, Virginia
As part of its continuing integration of Family Dollar, Dollar Tree is consolidating its support centers in Matthews, North Carolina, and Chesapeake, Virginia, to a newly completed corporate campus in the Summit Pointe development in Chesapeake. Family Dollar will close its Matthews, North Carolina, headquarters following the consolidation, while the Matthews distribution center will remain open. The new centralized support center is expected to be completed by the fall of 2019; it will affect approximately 700 associates, all of whom will be offered an opportunity to relocate when the new support center opens. Dollar Tree said it will also provide job transition benefits and outplacement services to affected associates.
Source: winsightgrocerybusiness.com
US: Kroger’s Food 4 Less banner has launched a new digital collectables promotion using blockchain technology
Food 4 Less has partnered with Greenfence Consumer to deliver a gamified experience and exclusive collectable content, leveraging Blockchain technology. Greenfence Consumer focuses on building blockchain protected mobile loyalty and rewards platforms, enabling consumers with no experience of blockchain technology to participate in its programmes. The gameplay and prizing are authenticated, fraud-proof, and completely secure from theft or duplication.
Source: retailanalysis.igd.com
US: Grocers embrace AI to optimize supply chain
Half of retailers are embracing artificial intelligence (AI) to transform their supply chain operations, new research from Dallas-based technology company Symphony RetailAI has revealed. "Strengthening the Retail Supply Chain," which was conducted by Chicago-based retail intelligence firm EnsembleIQ, Progressive Grocer's parent, and surveyed mostly grocers, found that one in three of those surveyed claims to have incorporated AI capabilities into his or her supply chain, and one in four is working toward that goal. The consensus among retailers is that AI's strongest potential to improve supply chain management relates to quality and speed of planning insights, while nearly half of respondents identify "demand management" as one of the top three areas for AI in the next five years.
Source: progressivegrocer.com
CAN: Costco delivery service expands across Ontario
Following what it calls a “successful” launch in Southern Ontario this summer, Costco Canada is expanding its two-day delivery service to multiple cities across the province. Launched in Toronto and parts of the Golden Horseshoe July 18, Costco Grocery is now available to members at 34 of the warehouse club’s 35 locations in Ontario. (The service is not yet available in Sudbury.) According to the retailer, “hundreds” of grocery items, including health and beauty items as well as vitamins and supplements, are available through the service that offers a “two-day delivery guarantee” with no surcharge for orders exceeding $75. “We are very excited about the expansion of Costco Grocery in Ontario,” said Andrée Brien, Costco Canada’s senior vice-president and senior general merchandise manager, in a press release. “This new shopping option makes available a wider selection of quality goods available to members and businesses across Ontario - from Windsor to Ottawa.”
Source: canadiangrocer.com
CAN: Empire to acquire Farm Boy
The parent company of grocery chain Sobeys Inc. says it has reached a deal to acquire food retailer Farm Boy in a bid to expand its reach in Ontario. Empire Co. Ltd. says the acquisition, which values the Ontario-based chain of grocery stores at $800mln, includes 26 Farm Boy locations in the province. Empire says the deal will allow it to speed up its growth in markets such as Toronto and southwestern Ontario, with new sites and the conversion of some existing Sobeys locations. Empire chief executive Michael Medline says the company is hoping to double the size of the Farm Boy business.
Source: canadiangrocer.com