US: National Co+op Grocers unveils incoming CEO
National Co+op Grocers (NCG) has appointed Tandy Harvey the organization's next CEO, in accordance with a months-long planned succession process. Harvey will officially take the helm on January 1, 2026, succeeding CEO C.E. Pugh, who is retiring.
Source: progressivegrocer.com
Brazil: GPA reverses losses in third-quarter of 2025
Grupo Pão de Açúcar (GPA) has achieved consolidated net profit of R$137mln (€25.5mln) in the third quarter of its financial year, reversing the R$310mln (€57.7mln) loss recorded in the same period in 2024. The net profit for continuing operations alone stood at a positive R$145mln (€27mln), compared to a loss of R$252mln (€46.9mln) a year ago. The improved profitability was mainly due to the recognition of tax credits.
Source: esmmagazine.com
US: Online grocery sales reach $11.6bln in October
Online grocery sales in the U.S. climbed to $11.6bln in October, marking a 10.5% increase from the same month a year earlier, according to the latest Brick Meets Click Grocery Shopper Survey, sponsored by Mercatus.
Source: supermarketnews.com
US: Rouses Markets to acquire 10 Winn-Dixie stores
Gulf Coast grocer Rouses Markets has entered into an agreement to acquire 10 grocery store locations in Louisiana and Mississippi from Southeastern Grocers LLC, parent company and home of Winn-Dixie and Harveys Supermarket. The changeover to Rouses Markets is expected to be complete in early 2026.
Source: progressivegrocer.com
Chefs' Warehouse to improve fresh food availability and efficiency with RELEX
RELEX Solutions reported: "Chefs' Warehouse, a specialty wholesale food distributor serving customers across North America and globally, has selected RELEX Solutions, a provider of unified supply chain and retail planning solutions, to optimize forecasting and replenishment across its 49 distributions centers. With a focus on fresh food categories, the company will use RELEX to drive operational efficiency and support continued growth".
Source: relexsolutions.com
Ahold Delhaize announces the appointment of Xavier Piesvaux as Country Manager Romania
Ahold Delhaize announced that it has appointed Xavier Piesvaux as Country Manager Romania as of January 1, 2026, reporting directly to Claude Sarrailh, CEO of Ahold Delhaize Europe & Indonesia. Xavier, who will step down as Brand President of Delhaize Belgium, will relocate to Romania and lead the continued expansion and transformation of the company's successful local brands, Mega Image and Profi.
Source: newsroom.aholddelhaize.com
Germany: Lidl owner Schwarz Group invests 11bln euros in giant data centre
Schwarz Group, the parent company of supermarket chains Lidl and Kaufland, is building a huge data centre in Germany to boost its AI capabilities. This is the largest investment in the company's history. Up to 100,000 special AI chips (GPUs) will be installed in the new data centre in Lübbenau, in the German state of Brandenburg.
Source: retaildetail.eu
Italy: Sole365 partners with Amazon for fast grocery delivery
Italian regional supermarket brand Sole365 has partnered with Amazon to launch same-day grocery delivery services in Naples, Salerno, and their surrounding areas. This collaboration kicks off with 55 zones and will gradually expand across Italy's Campania region. Customers can now access a wide selection of products, ranging from fresh produce, meat, fish and seafood to household items and specialised options, like gluten-free, lactose-free and vegan products.
Source: esmmagazine.com
South African retailer Pick n Pay's founders sell 64mln shares, lose majority control
Pick n Pay's founding Ackerman family has sold about 64mln shares, the South African retailer said, more than a year after pledging to cede control of the struggling grocer. Gareth Ackerman, who had been with the company for four decades, said he will retire as chairman after 14 years in the job.
Source: reuters.com
Lidl complains about unfair competition in Belgium
If Lidl wants to open its Belgian supermarkets on Sundays, it must pay its staff a 200% bonus. CEO Marjolein Frederickx speaks of "unfair competition" and asks the government to take action. "We have to pay staff a 200% premium on Sundays", says Frederickx in an interview with De Tijd. "This is unfair competition".
Source: retaildetail.eu
UK: Marks and Spencer Group plc directorate change
Marks and Spencer Group plc ("M&S") announces that Ronan Dunne is standing down from the Board, effective from 1 December. Ronan Dunne said: "It has been a pleasure to be part of the M&S Board and support the Reshaping for Growth strategy. Now, as the strategy enters the next phase, it's the right time for me to step back. It also means I can devote more time to supporting early stage growth businesses, which I'm passionate about, while continuing to cheer the M&S team on from the sidelines."
Source: corporate.marksandspencer.com
DESPAR Italia opens 12 new stores in October
DESPAR Italia welcomed the opening of 12 new stores across DESPAR Express, DESPAR supermarket, and EUROSPAR supermarket formats nationwide. Providing a wide-ranging assortment focusing on fresh and local, three new DESPAR supermarkets opened their doors to customers for the first time.
Source: spar-international.com
Spain: Santiago Bau Arrechea named CEO of El Corte Inglés
Spanish department store chain El Corte Inglés has announced a major shake-up in its executive leadership. Santiago Bau Arrechea has been appointed as the retail group's new CEO, taking charge of all business units of the group, as well as the corporate and financial operations.
Source: esmmagazine.com
UK: BRC calls on Lords to 'stand firm' on Employment Rights Bill
The British Retail Consortium (BRC) has released a statement urging members of the House of Lords to "stand firm" on the Employment Rights Bill, as it enters the next stage of parliamentary consideration.
Source: grocerygazette.co.uk
Finland: Tokmanni Q3 revenue up 4.0%, announces expansion plans
Nordic discount retailer Tokmanni Group reported a 4.0% annual revenue increase in the third quarter of its financial year 2025 to €432.8mln. Additionally, two Eurospar opened in Masku and Tornio after the reporting period, in addition to an existing outlet in Ylöjärvi.
Source: esmmagazine.com
NIQ launches metric to show how brands convert shelf presence into purchases
Coca-Cola has been recognised as the top FMCG brand in Western Europe for its success in driving conversions, according to NielsenIQ (NIQ)'s Brand Traction Score. The new metric measures how effectively brands convert their shelf presence into actual consumer purchases.
Source: talkingretail.com
Coupang purchases 8,000 tons of imperfect vegetables directly from farms
Coupang announced that over the past three years, it has purchased and delivered more than 8,000 tons of "imperfect vegetables" through its dawn delivery service directly from farms nationwide. In 2023, Coupang purchased 1,500 tons of imperfect vegetables directly from farms, increasing the volume to 3,700 tons last year. This year, it has procured over 2,800 tons from farms across the country through October.
Source: chosun.com
