Amazon signs partnership with Ministry of Trade in Vietnam
Merchants in Vietnam will be able to sell to wholesale buyers in US, Japan and Europe. This is Amazon’s first ecommerce operation in the country. Amazon has a partnership with VECOM, Vietnam E-commerce Association, which brings together a consortium of local online sellers. Vietnam is a key manufacturing hub and one of the top exporters in the world. The international market offers opportunities for local manufacturers as the Vietnamese market is still small. “Vietnam has more than 700,000 businesses, 98% of which are SMEs. Therefore, in addition to traditional trade promotion initiatives, developing e-commerce is critical”, said Vu Ba Phu, head of the ministry’s trade promotion agency.
Source: retailanalysis.igd.com
US: Walmart looks to hire 2,000 employees for Technology Department
Walmart has announced plans to hire 2,000 technology workers in 2019 - doubling down on the retail giant's commitment to tech and bolstering both its e-commerce business and in-store innovations. In addition to these positions, the company is also reportedly looking for a Chief Executive Officer for a “stealth company”, a new startup in the company’s Silicon Valley tech incubator, Store No. 8. The source said that job duties for this position include “building a business from scratch”, working alongside the company’s senior executives, and also serving as a “public champion” for the business. The ability to handle competitive threats is a key skill listed in the job posting.
Source: delimarketnews.com
US: New Seasons Market aids furloughed, unpaid government workers
One month into the partial government shutdown - which has become the longest shutdown in U.S. history - West Coast independent grocer that operates New Seasons Market and New Leaf Community Markets has begun offering a discount to furloughed and unpaid federal workers to ensure that they have access to fresh, quality food. Any customers who show their federal government identification card will receive a 15% discount on most items in any of New Seasons' Oregon, Washington and California stores, and New Leaf's Santa Cruz and Half Moon Bay, California, stores for the duration of the partial shutdown.
Source: progressivegrocer.com
Holland: Ahold Delhaize appoints Marit van Egmond as Brand President & CEO at Albert Heijn
Ahold Delhaize announces the appointment of Marit van Egmond as Brand President & CEO of Albert Heijn as of February 1, 2019. She will succeed Wouter Kolk, who will fully focus on his duties as CEO Ahold Delhaize Europe and Indonesia. Marit van Egmond has more than 20 years of international retail experience, and currently serves as Executive Vice President Commerce at Albert Heijn. She began her career as a management trainee at Ahold and has held several commercial, operational and management roles within the company, including CEO of Gall&Gall. She will continue to report to Wouter Kolk.
Source: aholddelhaize.com
France's Carrefour: Solid sales growth in the fourth quarter of 2018
Carrefour reported: Group sales up +1.9% on a like-for-like basis, vs +1.1% over the first nine months of the year. Food e-commerce sales up by more than 30%. Strong acceleration in Brazil (+6.2% LFL), driven by an improved commercial performance, expansion (+10.7% organic growth(1)) and food inflation. Stable sales in France (-0.1% LFL), despite the impact of the “yellow vests” protests.
Source: businesswire.com
Belgium: Spar adopts Nutri-Score labelling system for own brand products
Spar Belgium has announced that it has introduced the Nutri-Score labelling system to its private-label products. By 2020, the new food labelling system will be added to all own-brand items sold in Spar stores across Belgium that are operated by its retail partner, Colruyt. The easy-to-understand label uses letters and colours to illustrate the nutritional value of food items. Commenting on the introduction of the label, Stefan Goethaert, general manager of Colruyt Group Fine Food, said: “It’s very important for us to keep informing our customers in a clear and transparent way. This helps customers make responsible choices about which products to consume, based on a scientifically validated score.”
Source: esmmagazine.com
Czech investor readies financing for possible Metro bid: sources
Czech investor Daniel Kretinsky is preparing a potential bid for Metro, people close the matter said. Global Commerce (EPGC), a vehicle co-owned by Kretinsky and Slovak investor Patrik Tkac, is expected to have the financing and other arrangements in place to be able to announce a tender offer for Metro as early as March, the people added. Kretinsky, the main owner and CEO of Czech power group EPH and a shareholder in France's Le Monde newspaper, and Tkac already own a roughly 10% stake in Metro, which has a total market value of about €5.2bln ($5.9bln). EPGC and Metro declined to comment.
Source: esmmagazine.com
Thailand: Tesco-Lotus launches Thai food range
Tesco-Lotus has launched 45 Thai food products under the Tesco brand. The food products include both savoury and sweet items with top quality ingredients from Thailand. These include sweet tamarind from Phetchabun, purple sweet potatoes from Ubon Ratchathani, durian from Chanthaburi, mangoes from Prachuap Khiri Khan and coconut sugar from Samut Songkhram. The ingredients are used in traditional recipes to deliver an authentic taste and at affordable prices. Tesco Group collaborated with the Ministry of Commerce to develop a range of authentic Thai products that is internationally accepted in terms of safety and quality. The initiative will support Thai SME to expand their reach through Tesco’s distribution network both in Thailand and overseas.
Source: retailanalysis.igd.com
Holland: Jumbo to offer mixed Belgian-Dutch product range
Dutch supermarket chain Jumbo will adapt its product range for the Belgian market, but also plans to bring Belgian products to the Netherlands. Both countries should profit from our expansion into Belgium, says CEO Frits van Eerd. Jumbo will add a specific product range for the Belgian market once the chain's expansion to Belgium gets the go-ahead later this year: Van Eerd explains on Dutch website Distrifood that he thinks just offering a Dutch product range in Belgium would be a big mistake. With a well-balanced mixture that can be a success in Belgium, but also by adding Belgian products to its Dutch product range, Van Eerd hopes to create "a cross-pollination that also benefits Dutch Jumbo outlets".
Source: retaildetail.eu
Ireland: Aldi to recruit 500 employees and open seven stores
Discount retailer Aldi has announced plans to recruit 500 employees this year and open seven new Irish stores. The roles are for area managers, store managers, assistant store managers and store assistants. Aldi also said that, from the beginning of February, it will pay its employees a minimum rate of €11.90 per hour, matching the living wage rate recommended by The Living Wage Technical Group. Aldi has been Ireland's highest paying supermarket for over a decade with store employees earning up to €14. The German retailer has grown its share of the Irish grocery market to 10.8% and it saw an additional 270,000 new customers in its stores last year.
Source: rte.ie
Italy: Iliad brings SIM card machines to Carrefour supermarkets
Iliad is continuing to extend its distribution network throughout by installing automatic SIM card dispensing machines in the stores of supermarket chain Carrefour, reports website Universo Free. The distribution machines - dubbed ‘Simbox’ - have already been installed in five Carrefour supermarkets in Turin, Pavia, Lucca, Paderno Dugnano and San Giuliano Terme, as well as five more shopping malls throughout the country. The news comes shortly after Iliad reached agreements with retail chains Unieuro and Coin to install Simbox machines in their stores. Iliad’s SIM cards cost EUR 9.99 and can be acquired at over 150 corners and 11 points of sale throughout the country.
Source: telecompaper.com
Switzerland: Migros Group sees 1.3% growth in sales in 2018
Swiss retailer Migros Group has posted a 1.3% growth in sales to CHF 28.4bln (€25.1bln) in its financial year 2018. Consolidated retail sales grew by 2.5% to CHF 16.9bln (€14.9bln), with Migros supermarkets and hypermarkets generating domestic sales of CHF 11.8bln (€10.4bln) in 2018. Sales in the 10 Migros cooperatives increased by 1.5% despite the challenging market environment. This was mainly driven by the increase in customer frequency to 350mln transactions (+1.5%).
Source: esmmagazine.com
Holland: Ahold Delhaize's trading statement for fourth quarter and full year 2018
Ahold Delhaize reports strong sales growth in the fourth quarter: Net sales of €16.5bln, up 3.0% at constant exchange rates. Comparable sales (excluding gasoline sales) in the U.S. up 2.7%, showing continued good momentum. The Netherlands comparable sales up 3.3%, cycling a strong fourth quarter 2017. Ongoing operational improvements in Belgium resulted in 3.0% comparable sales growth. CSE comparable sales (excluding gasoline sales) up 2.0%, with strong sales in the Czech Republic. Net consumer online sales up 26.4% at constant exchange rates in the fourth quarter and reached €3.5bln for the full year 2018.
Source: aholddelhaize.com