Charlotte-based Dollar Express is closing all of its 323 stores nationwide, according to a notice this week to state officials, after the retail chain’s proposed sale to Dollar General last week. (charlotteobserver.com) US: Whole Foods pushed to consider a sale
Shares of Whole Foods Market jumped nearly 10% on Monday after activist investor Jana Partners took a nearly 9% stake in the company and suggested it should consider putting itself up for sale. Jana is attempting to engage with Whole Foods CEO John Mackey, sources told CNBC, although the firm has yet to speak about its ideas with the grocer's management. (cnbc.com) US: Supervalu agrees to acquire distributor, Unified Grocers
Supervalu said late Monday it will acquire grocery distributor Unified Grocers for $114m. Under the agreement, approved by both company boards, Supervalu will also assume and pay off $261m in United Grocer debt. The companies expect the deal to close in the mid-to-late summer. Shares of Supervalu rose 2.6% to $3.89 after hours. (marketwatch.com) AU: Woolworths faces class-action lawsuit
Woolworths is facing a class-action lawsuit over a 2015 share price plunge sparked by a shock profit downgrade. Law firm Maurice Blackburn, which has opened an online registration portal for aggrieved shareholders to sign up to, says the claim could well exceed $100m. The action alleges the supermarket breached the Corporations Act by failing to keep investors adequately informed of “significant risks” to its profit projections. (news.com.au) FR: Carrefour's 'Livraison Express' delivery service set for Lyon
French retailer Carrefour is rolling out its 'Livraison Express' service to Lyon. The online delivery service, which delivers within the hour is already available in Paris and Neuilly-sur-Seine. Carrefour says the service offers a wide selection of fresh produce (more than 50 types of fruit and vegetables available). (esmmagazine.com)Lidl to invest €70m in Portugal during 2017
Lidl is planning to invest €70 million in Portugal by the end of the year, compared to €50 million in 2016. In an interview for Portuguese daily Expresso, Lidl Portugal president, Afrodite Pampa, said that the retailer plans in 2017 to open six new supermarkets with around 1,400 square metres of selling space each. (esmmagazine.com) Iceland announces €12 million investment in Ireland
Frozen food retailer Iceland has announced that it is investing €12 million in Ireland, creating 270 jobs in nine new stores across the country. The first of these stores opened on Greenhills Road, Tallaght, on 10 April, and is the biggest of the retailer’s 13 outlets in Ireland. (esmmagazine.com)Sweden: ICA Gruppen attributes sales decrease to Easter date
Sales at Swedish retailer ICA Gruppen totalled €972m ex-VAT in March 2017. This represents a decrease of 0.6% compared with the same month in the previous year. Sales in January-March 2017 increased 0.4% compared with the previous year. (esmmagazine.com) Ireland: Owner Spar sees increase in grocery sales
The Henderson Group has reported an 11% jump in pretax profits to nearly £24m (€28m) last year. The group, which owns the Spar, Eurospar, Vivo, Vivo Essentials and Vivoxtra brands in Northern Ireland, saw turnover rise by 6% to £699m in 2016. Grocery sales were 3.5% stronger on a like-for-like basis while its foodservice division reported 11% growth. (Irish Times)UK: High court approves £129m fine for Tesco
A court approved a deal on Monday between Britain's biggest retailer Tesco plc and the country's Serious Fraud Office (SFO) to settle a probe over a 2014 accounting scandal. Approval by judge Brian Leveson of the Deferred Prosecution Agreement (DPA), first detailed on March 28, means Tesco will pay a 129m pound ($160m) fine and the SFO's full costs of a two and a half year inquiry. (Reuters)SA: Pick n Pay flags up to 20% rise in FY profit
South-African retailer Pick n Pay said on Monday it expects full-year profit to increase between 15 to 20%, buoyed by disciplined cost measures and higher productivity in stores. Pick n Pay, which also trades in Namibia, Zimbabwe and Zambia, said turnover growth of 7% reflects a difficult trading environment, alongside some internal disruption from refurbishments and store closures. (Reuters) 
Kenya: Uchumi focusing on a four-point strategyPlease, click here to read the article.
SuperValu back on top in Ireland: Kantar Worldpanel
Irish retailer SuperValu has regained the title of Ireland’s leading grocer, having trailed Dunnes Stores for the past two months, reports consumer research group Kantar Worldpanel. Please, click here to read more at esmmagazine.com. Irish groceries getting cheaper on back of weak pound
According to Kantar Worldpanel, grocery prices fell by 0.7 percentage points in the 12 weeks to March 26th to -0.2%. David Berry, director at Kantar Worldpanel, attributes the decline to the impact of the weakened pound following the EU referendum as the price of British imports drops. (irishtimes.com)