The Kroger Co. has expanded its Simple Truth brand and launched its largest-ever private brand customer sales promotion, featuring savings on thousands of Simple Truth and Simple Truth Organic items. The retailer has promised that it will utilize insights from its data analytics unit, 84.51, to continue to grow Simple Truth in 2018 to offer new, affordable items that align with consumer trends across categories such as beverage, snacking and non-animal proteins.Source: winsightgrocerybusiness.com
US: Fresh Thyme fine-tunes operations in 2018
Fresh Thyme is shifting its priorities heading into 2018 as the retailer slows its rate of new-store growth to ensure long-term success, CEO Chris Sherrell said. Fresh Thyme is planning to open 10 new stores in 2018, versus 20 new stores that opened in 2017. The company, which began opening its affordably priced natural and organic stores in 2014 and has quickly ramped up to 68 locations, has evolved past its “start-up” phase, Sherrell said.
Fresh Thyme is shifting its priorities heading into 2018 as the retailer slows its rate of new-store growth to ensure long-term success, CEO Chris Sherrell said. Fresh Thyme is planning to open 10 new stores in 2018, versus 20 new stores that opened in 2017. The company, which began opening its affordably priced natural and organic stores in 2014 and has quickly ramped up to 68 locations, has evolved past its “start-up” phase, Sherrell said.Source: supermarketnews.com
US: iFresh announces exclusive agreement with Sunray Venus
Fresh Inc., a leading Asian American grocery supermarket chain and online grocer, announced that it has entered into an agreement with Sunray Venus, LLC, a farm with locations in Orlando, FL, that specializes in production of bivalve seeds, bi-valve farming, seafood distribution, and the export of seafood throughout the United States. Bivalves include seafood such as clams, oysters, mussels, and scallops. iFresh will be the exclusive customer of Sunray Venus’ seafood. Source: globenewswire.com
US: Supervalu Q3 earnings: can strategies fight retail woes?
Supervalu Inc. is scheduled to report third-quarter fiscal 2018 results on Jan 10, before market opens. This grocery dealer has had a mixed record of bottom-line surprises in the trailing four quarters. The Zacks Consensus Estimate of 48 cents for the fiscal third quarter has been stable in the last 30 days and reflects an increase of about 37% from the year-ago reported figure. Further, analysts polled by Zacks expect revenues of $4,002mln for the impending quarter, up 33.3% from the year-ago quarter. Source: nasdaq.com
US: Costco Wholesale Corporation reports December sales results
Costco Wholesale Corporation reported net sales of $14.94bln for the month of December, the five weeks ended December 31, 2017, an increase of 14.3% from $13.07bln during the similar period last year. For the first 17 weeks of fiscal year 2018 ended December 31, 2017, the Company reported net sales of $46.06bln, an increase of 11.9% from $41.18bln reported during the similar period last year.Source: globenewswire.com
UK: EMD and ASDA terminate collaboration
EMD has announced that it, and the UK-based ASDA, have terminated ‘their collaboration by amicable and mutual agreement’. ASDA joined EMD at the beginning of 2016. Asda had left EMD by the end of 2017 noting that during its membership of the buying organisation it had ‘made significant changes to its buying model’. Following its exit from EMD Asda has said it is ‘prioritising direct relationships with its suppliers and has strengthened IPL, its international sourcing arm and its leverage through … Walmart’.Source: retailanalysis.igd.com
UK: Shoppers outraged by empty shelves at Sainsbury's and Lidl stores
Shoppers were left outraged after they found rows of bare shelves at their local supermarkets in the first days of 2018. Disgruntled customers at Sainsbury's and Lidl shared images online of the lack of food at their nearby stores on January 2. Branches around the UK, from London to Birmingham and Lancashire, were affected as many voiced their frustration over the lack of groceries at the start of the new year.Source: www.standard.co.uk
Coop Netherlands posts 5% sales increase in 2017
Dutch retailer Coop Netherlands has announced that its consumer sales grew by over 5% to €1.177bln in 2017. Turnover increased by 5.3%, with consumer sales increasing by €59mln during the year, from €1.118bln in 2016. The retailer opened five new supermarkets in 2017, leading to a total of 263 stores across the country.Source: esmmagazine.com
Germany: Lidl opens 600th supermarket in Italy
German discount chain Lidl has opened a new supermarket in Palermo, taking its total number of stores in Italy to 600. The new store is also the retailer's seventh branch in the city of Palermo, and its 44th in Sicily. Lidl Italia has invested over €10mln in the Sicilian capital, as part of a project that also included urban redevelopment and regeneration projects.Source: esmmagazine.com
UK: Supermarket chain's £10bln sales record
Aldi raked in over £10bln in sales last year for the first time after notching up record sales over Christmas as festive shoppers snapped up luxury products and cut-price vegetables. The German supermarket, which has stores in Workington, Penrith, Carlisle, Kendal, Barrow and Cockermouth, said total UK sales were more than 15% higher during December compared to the same month in 2016.Source: nwemail.co.uk
Spar France targets €1bln in turnover by 2019
Spar France has announced plans to expand its network – from 860 to 1,000 stores across the country – by the end of 2019, with turnover set to increase from €890mln to €1.1bln. This growth follows the implementation of a new look and feel in 60% of Spar France’s stores, with plans to expand the new design to all of its shops by 2019.Source: esmmagazine.com
China: JD.com opens offline supermarket
JD.com has launched its offline supermarket, 7Fresh, utilising smart logistics technology similar to Alibaba's Hema Fresh New Retail concept stores. The new 7Fresh store, located at the Dazu Plaza Shopping Center in Beijing, operates 4,000 square meters retail space and is near JD.com's headquarters in Yizhuang District. JD.com's 7Fresh strongly caters for Chinese consumers seeking fresh produce. Around 75% of 7Fresh's total product range is made up of a range of different categories of fresh food. Source: retailanalysis.igd.com