Carrefour confirmed on Friday it had chosen Alexandre Bompard as its new chairman and CEO following an eight month search at the world's second-largest retailer. Bompard, 44 will quit his role as CEO of consumer electronics retailer Fnac Darty and succeed Georges Plassat, who has been at the helm since 2012, on July 18. Investors want Carrefour's new CEO to boost the performance of the French hypermarkets, a task where others have struggled or failed, and to catch up in the digitalisation of retail. (Reuters)Aldi announces its to open 900 new stores in US
A decades-long supermarket battle in Europe is moving to the U.S., adding to the competitive pressure in an industry embroiled in a deflation-fueled price war. Aldi, known for low prices on its private-label items, plans to spend $3.4bn over the next five years to open 900 supermarkets, the company said Monday. The investment comes as its European discount rival, Lidl, prepares to open its first U.S. stores this week, with plans for as many as 100 by the summer of 2018. (Bloomberg)Vegetable and fruit snack kits sold by Kroger recalled
Some Fresh Selections by Kroger snack kits were recalled on Friday because they may have been exposed to Listeria contamination, Club Chef, LLC, announced in a news release with the Food and Drug Administration.The snack kits, manufactured on May 30 and 31, 2017, were distributed to numerous states. (thestate.com)
Grocers show how to wow with produce
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Lidl ups turnover by 18% in Romania
German discount supermarket chain Lidl reached a turnover of RON 5.57bn (EUR 1.23bn) in Romania in 2016, up by 18% compared to the previous year. The retailer also posted a net profit of RON 218m (EUR 48.5m) up 27% year-on-year, reports local Ziarul Financiar. Lidl entered the local market in 2011 by taking over the Plus supermarket chain, which had 107 stores. Since then, the company has doubled its network to over 200 units, and plans to reach 300. (romania-insider.com) UK: Aldi to invest £22m in chill facilities at Bathgate siteDiscount supermarket Aldi has outlined plans to invest £22m in new chill facilities at its Scottish headquarters in Bathgate, West Lothian. The plans include constructing a 4,000sq m freezer and 13,000sq m chiller in order to cater for growing product ranges. (BBC)
Marks & Spencer reports on sustainability progress
UK retailer Marks & Spencer has published its 2017 Plan A report, which details the progress the company has made against its sustainable business plan in the past year. The retailer reports that 80% of its products now have an eco or ethical quality above the norm, such as Fairtrade food, cruelty-free beauty products, or recycled packaging. In terms of grocery retail, healthier food now accounts for 41% of sales. Last year Marks & Spencer expanded its healthy eating private label ranges, including Eat Well, Balanced For You, and Count on Us. (esmmagazine.com) SA: Big grocery retailers use no name products to ‘control the market’
Panichi Gundo, the chairman of Soweto Brands, a manufacturer and distributor of household goods in Gauteng’s townships of Alexandra and Tembisa, accused Pick n Pay, Shoprite, Massmart and Spar of aggressively pushing private label products, making it difficult for smaller retailers in townships to compete on price. “Private label products are a big problem in townships. Big retailers have every product category in a private label form, giving them more control of the market,” Gundo told the CompCom’s inquiry into the grocery retail sector on Thursday in Johannesburg. (moneyweb.co.za) 7-Eleven heads to Okinawa to expand its reach in Asia
Seven-Eleven Japan is finally setting up shop in Okinawa, the only Japanese prefecture where it has yet to open an outlet. The convenience store operator plans to use the southern island as a stepping stone for expanding sales of its in-house brand across Asia, where demand for Japanese food and snacks is growing. On Friday, Seven-Eleven Japan announced it will enter Okinawa in 2019 and open around 250 outlets there over the following five years, mainly in Naha, the capital. (asia.nikkei.com) Jerónimo Martins plans new distribution centre in Poland
Portuguese retail group Jerónimo Martins plans to open its 16th distribution centre for its Polish supermarket chain Biedronka during the third quarter of 2017, reports Dinheiro Vivo. With about 28,000 square metres and located in the western region of Poland, the centre will create around 250 jobs. This development is part of the retailer’s expansion plans for 2017, which will involve a €400m investment in Poland. (esmmagazine.com)JD.com plans expansion into Thailand by end of year
JD.com Inc, China's second-largest e-commerce company, plans to enter the Thai market later this year in a move to expand its overseas business beyond Indonesia, its founder and CEO said on Friday. Richard Liu also told Reuters in an interview, that the company planned to use Thailand as a hub for servicing other Southeast Asian countries such as Vietnam and Malaysia. (Reuters)Croatia: Agrokor receives approval for €480m financing
Croatian food and retail group Agrokor has received approval from its creditors to arrange €480m in new financing. This amount includes the €80m loan approved for Agrokor by Croatian banks in April. An additional €50m is also foreseen for suppliers as a potential trade credit with refinancing. (esmmagazine.com)