Alibaba's grocery unit head steps down in latest overhaul: report
Hou Yi, who founded Freshippo in 2016 as a new retail practice for Alibaba, announced his decision to step down as chief executive in a surprise move amid frequent sale rumors overshadowing the supermarket chain. Chinese tech outlet LatePost, however, reported that Freshippo is still actively seeking to bring in new strategic investors under an approximately $3.7bln valuation and has approached several potential investors.
Source: technode.com
New Zealand: PAK'nSAVE expands its reach in Christchurch
Foodstuffs South Island has announced the opening of a new PAK'nSAVE store at Papanui, marking a significant milestone. This is the first PAK'nSAVE store opened in Canterbury since PAK'nSAVE Rangiora opened in September 2015. PAK'nSAVE Papanui will also support local and South Island suppliers by stocking local produce from potato and onion growers in Canterbury, carrot growers in Canterbury and Invercargill, parsnip growers in Southland, and apple and pear growers from Nelson.
Source: supermarketnews.co.nz
UK: Leading supermarkets and manufacturers call on Government to take action on food waste
Anti-food waste organization Too Good To Go, in partnership with the British Retail Consortium (BRC), has published an open letter signed by over 30 leading companies from the UK's food, retail, and manufacturing sectors, advocating for mandatory public food waste reporting.
Source: kamcity.com
UK: Aldi is selling the cheapest supermarket lamb this Easter
Aldi reported: "Aldi will officially be selling the UK's cheapest Whole Leg of Lamb this Easter, available for as little as £9.74. What's more, Aldi's cult favorite Super Six deal is returning to stores from 26th - 30th March, but for the first time ever, the Easter deal will include promotions on SEVEN veggie items, all priced at just 19p. Included in the new savvy deal is Aldi's fresh and delicious produce, all sourced from British suppliers, including White Potatoes (2kg), Carrots (1kg), Large Garlic Bulbs (each), Swede (each), Large Brown Onions (3 pack), Cut Rosemary (20g) and Red or White Cabbage (each)."
Source: aldipresscentre.co.uk
E-commerce in Sweden: 11.8bln euros in 2023
Online net sales in Sweden reached 11.75bln euros last year. This is a slight decrease of 2%, compared to a year earlier when net sales reached 12bln euros. However, it seems that annual net sales in the country are stabilizing. These data come from PostNord's annual report on e-commerce in Sweden.
Source: ecommercenews.eu
UK: Nottinghamshire farm shop to close after almost 50 years
A grocery store that has served a Nottinghamshire town for nearly 50 years is to close. Bramcote Farm Shop, based on Bembridge Court near the A52, has sold a wide variety of fresh produce for decades. But owners Anne and Andrew Woodward say ill health means they will shut for the last time at the end of the month. As well as fruit and vegetables, the shop has stocked local meats, sauces and even Christmas decorations.
Source: bbc.com
UK: Asda launches new colleague benefits and confirms retail pay rates for 2024
Asda has launched two new colleague benefits and confirmed that its proposal to increase retail pay rates to £12.04 per hour has been accepted by colleagues.
Source: corporate.asda.com
Sweden: Coborn's to add tech-enhanced salad bars
Coborn's has inked a deal to add technology-enabled salad bars from Picadeli of Sweden to 15 supermarkets in several of the Midwestern states where the chain operates, officials of the companies said in interviews with Grocery Dive.
Source: grocerydive.com
US: Mapping Publix's growth throughout the Southeast
Publix's store openings often fly under the radar, but with so much movement in the Southeast, it would be wise for industry executives to keep track of the grocer's next moves - because Publix shows no signs of slowing down.
Source: grocerydive.com
Walmart Canada marks 30th anniversary with rollback event
Walmart Canada is hosting a rollback event in recognition of its 30th anniversary. The retailer made its debut in Canada in 1994 with 122 stores across the country. Since March 7, the retailer has introduced rollbacks on items across all areas of the business - including thousands of offers delivering savings of 30% or more.
Source: canadiangrocer.com
US: Target rolls out express self-checkout lanes to speed up service
Target will roll out express self-checkout lanes at most of its stores beginning March 17, the company said in a press release. The lanes, which carry a limit of 10 items or less, made self-checkout twice as fast at the 200 stores that piloted the system last fall.
Source: grocerydive.com
Study: How home food availability affects young children's nutrient intake
A new study from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign looks at changes in home food availability and nutrient intake for children from 2 to 4 years old. A higher presence of fruit and vegetables in the home was also a consistent indicator of nutrients.
Source: aces.illinois.edu