Walmart to build new HQ | Ocado sees strong growth

British online grocer Ocado said on Tuesday it was growing sales at a rate ahead of the industry average and saw a slight acceleration in its latest quarter. Ocado said retail sales rose 13.1% to 312.7m pounds ($423.4m) in the 13 weeks to August 27, its fiscal third quarter. They were up 12.5% in its first half. Average orders per week increased 16.0% to 254,000, more than offsetting a 1.2% fall in average order size to 106.25 pounds. (Reuters)

Brazilian supermarkets recorded R$ 7.11bn worth of losses during 2016, an increase of 0.14 percentage points over 2015. This figure accounts for 2.28% of total turnover, according to a study published by the Brazilian Association of Supermarkets (ABRAS), which took into account the performance 339 supermarket chains. Among the main causes of losses registered in 2016 are: operational issues, external theft, inventory errors, administrative errors, internal theft, and supplier-related issues. (esmmagazine.com) 

Maxima Bulgaria has been placed among the top 10 retail chains in Bulgaria for the first time, according to the 'First in the Business' ranking by local magazine Manager. The company placed ninth among the 30 largest retailers in the country and has been described as one of the fastest-growing companies in Bulgaria based on its financial performance and presence on the market. (esmmagazine.com) 

Spanish retailer Mercadona has opened an Co-Innovation Centre in Matosinhos, near Porto, as one of its first investments in Portugal. The facility represents Mercadona’s first step in preparation for entry into the Portuguese market. Mercadona’s Co-Innovation Centre, which boasts more than 1,000 square metres of space, 'is designed to study, in constant collaboration with customers, the habits and preferences of the Portuguese consumer in order to develop an efficient and innovative product range', the company said in a statement. (esmmagazine.com) 

The new boss of Carrefour could close some of the retailer’s large hypermarket stores in France as part of plans to turn around the company, a union official said. The CEO’s plans could also include converting some Carrefour hypermarkets into franchises and introducing Sunday opening for some of them, Force Ouvriere union representative Michel Enguelz told Reuters. (Reuters)

Kenya’s Nakumatt Supermarkets will merge with local retailer Tuskys to help alleviate a severe cash flow problem that has left it with empty shelves and led to the closure of some outlets, Nakumatt’s managing director said on Monday. Privately-owned Nakumatt had accumulated debts of $150m by the start of this year. “It is a merger,” Atul Shah told Reuters. Asked if the deal would help Nakumatt resolve its cash flow problems, he said: “It is a start.” (Reuters)

Tata Group is venturing into the online grocery business under the Starquik brand, taking on Amazon and Bigbasket. A pilot venture will be rolled out within the next two months as an online channel for Trent Hypermarket, an equal joint venture between Tata and British retailer Tesco, said two people privy to the development. (economictimes.indiatimes.com)

British supermarket sales increased by 3.6% in the 12 weeks to Sept. 10, largely driven by higher inflation and extending a run of above-3-percent growth to six months, industry data showed on Tuesday. Lidl grew the fastest, with an increase of 19.2% taking its share to a record high of 5.3%, Kantar Worldpanel said, while growth at rival Aldi was 15.6%, resulting in a share of 6.9%. Of the “big four” supermarkets, market leader Tesco came out on top, with sales up 2.7%, although its share was squeezed by 0.3 percentage points to 27.8%. Sainsbury’s sales were up 2.1%, Asda rose 1.5% and Morrisons was up 2.3%, Kantar said. (Reuters)