Canada: Loblaw profit beats estimates on retail sales
Loblaw Cos Ltd reported a better-than-expected quarterly profit, as more people shopped at the Canadian retailer’s food and drug stores. In the face of stiff competition from Amazon.com Inc, Loblaw has been expanding its home delivery services in Canada, through its partnership with San Francisco-based online grocery chain, Instacart. Adjusted gross profit in the retail segment, the company’s biggest, rose 2.6% to C$3.25bln. The company said retail same-store sales, both in the food and drug segments, grew 1.7% in the quarter.
Source: in.reuters.com
US: Aldi named Retailer of the Year 2019 by Progressive Grocer sister brand
Hard-discount grocer Aldi has been named 2019 Retailer of the Year by Store Brands, Progressive Grocer's private-label-centric sister brand, also owned by Chicago-based retail intelligence provider EnsembleIQ. The brand honored the Batavia, Illinois-based grocer, which plans to expand its store footprint to 2,500 from 1,800 by the end of 2022, for "differentiating itself with private brands that offer value, innovation and exclusivity." Currently, the grocer's product assortment consists of 90% private-label products.
Source: progressivegrocer.com
US: SpartanNash announces fourth quarter and fiscal year 2018 financial results
SpartanNash Company (the “Company”) reported financial results for the 12-week fourth quarter and 52-week fiscal year ended December 29, 2018. Consolidated net sales for the fourth quarter increased $11.3mln, or 0.6%, to $1.90bln from $1.89bln in the prior year quarter. The increase in net sales was driven by continued sales growth in Food Distribution of 4.7%, partially offset by lower sales in Military Distribution and Retail as discussed in the Segment Financial Results. Gross profit for the fourth quarter of fiscal 2018 was $245.4mln, or 12.9% of net sales, compared to $254.8mln, or 13.5% of net sales, in the prior year quarter. As a percent of net sales, the change in gross profit was primarily driven by a higher mix of sales within Food Distribution as a percentage of total sales in addition to the other factors described below within the Segment Financial Results.
Source: businesswire.com
US: Publix reveals 3 more GreenWise Market locations
Publix Super Markets will roll out its GreenWise Market specialty, natural and organic store concept in three additional cities: Odessa and Nocatee (Ponte Vedra Beach), Florida, and Lexington, South Carolina. “We’re creating a community gathering place where high-quality natural and organic products are the center of what we offer”, noted Publix President Kevin Murphy. “And we’re helping our customers support their healthy lifestyle with convenient in-house prepared meals and grab-and-go options made from organic and antibiotic-free ingredients.”
Source: progressivegrocer.com
Noon expands into Egypt
Pure ecommerce retailer Noon has said it is testing its operations before officially entering Egypt. When it goes live in the country, Egypt will be the third country where Noon is available, after Saudi Arabia and the UAE. Its expansion into Egypt will be supported by a customer fulfilment centre in Greater Cairo’s Abu Rawash area, while there are plans to add a further five in future, depending on its success.
Source: retailanalysis.igd.com
Holland: Jumbo aims to make 27mln drinking cups sustainable
Dutch retailer Jumbo has announced a project that aims to make more than 27mln drinking cups sustainable on an annual basis. It will involve studying the use of drinking cups by customers and employees, the materials used in making these cups, and the possibility of installing collection points for recycling. The retailer will then look for measures that will result in fewer and more recyclable industrial waste streams. The project has been selected by the Rijkswaterstaat (Directorate-General for Public Works and Water Management) as an 'icon project', the company said. Director of buying and merchandising at Jumbo, Olaf de Boer, said: "We have just submitted this project because, in addition to reducing and improving our product packaging, we also want to contribute to reuse and recycling of packaging and use of materials in general. This is the only way we can work towards developing a circular economy, in which materials can be reused after use, with the least possible amount of waste." The retailer has pledged to reduce its packaging materials by 20% and make 95% of all packaging materials recyclable by 2025. Recently, it replaced plastic packaging from its organic kiwis, avocados and bio bananas with banderoles, which 'wrap' around the product.
Source: esmmagazine.com
Japan: JD and Rakuten collaborate on drone-delivery plan
Chinese online retailer JD, and Rakuten, the Japanese e-commerce firm, will collaborate on developing unmanned delivery solutions in Japan. According to a new agreement signed between JD and Rakuten, JD’s drones and autonomous delivery robots will be used in Rakuten’s unmanned delivery services, which the firm launched in 2016. The two companies will collaborate on Rakuten’s lineup of unmanned delivery services to suit a wide range of applications and situations. Rakuten has already gained experience through providing delivery services and trials in collaboration with corporate partners and local governments. In 2018, its first delivery trial was conducted using a combination of drones and autonomous delivery robots, a step toward solving the last mile challenge for the logistics sector in Japan.
Source: insideretail.asia
Germany: Watchdog clears possible Metro takeover by Czech investor Kretinsky
Germany’s antitrust watchdog has cleared a potential acquisition of retailer Metro by Czech investor Daniel Kretinsky, a spokesman for the Federal Cartel Office said. Kretinsky had asked the agency to review his plans to buy a stake of 25-35% in the company, which the watchdog cleared. Any acquisition of more than 30% would trigger a mandatory takeover offer, according to German law. People close to the matter had told Reuters last month, that Kretinsky’s vehicle Global Commerce (EPGC), co-owned by him and Slovak investor Patrik Tkac, was working on the financing for a possible tender offer.
Source: reuters.com
Romania: Glovo launches operations in Cluj-Napoca
Spanish delivery app Glovo, which allows smartphone users to order anything they want from their mobile, is now available in Cluj-Napoca. Glovo entered the Romanian market in May last year, the application being available so far only in Bucharest, where in the first 7 months of activity, the start-up brokered the sale of over 300,000 products worth a total of about 7.5mln lei. "Apart from the fact that this launch marks the beginning of our expansion in Romania, the fact that in Cluj-Napoca there are over 500 start-ups and more than 1,300 companies in the IT&C area makes us feel that we are in the right place together with people and companies that have the same DNA as we do. Our vision is to make available to all the convenience of this technology that we develop that connects the user with the whole city and creates an opportunity for thousands of 'glovers' to increase their revenues", said Victor Răcariu, general manager of Glovo Romania, according to local Ziarul Financiar.
Source: romania-insider.com
Middle East: Majid Al Futtaim to launch Carrefour Business
Majid Al Futtaim has announced plans to launch a new wholesale grocery service to enable it target restaurants and hotels, under the Carrefour Business brand, by June 2019. The new channel will help Majid Al Futtaim diversify its sources of revenue in the region and help it target the large-scale independent and HoReCa market across the Middle East. The service will only be available through the brand’s website, with orders delivered to clients. Many of the more than 4,000 SKUs will be Carrefour or Promocash private label products. Commenting on the new brand, the chief operating officer of Carrefour UAE, Miguel Povedano, said: “We aim to be the number one wholesaler… in three to five years. This is a long-term commitment.” On its launch Carrefour Business will supply 13 Majid Al Futtaim-owned hotels.
Source: retailanalysis.igd.com
Australia: Wesfarmers 2019 half-year results 
Wesfarmers Limited has reported a net profit after tax (NPAT) of $4,538mln for the half-year ended 31 December 2018. The reported profit includes post-tax significant items of $3,059mln relating to discontinued operations, including gains on the demerger of Coles and disposal of Bengalla, Kmart Tyre and Auto Service (KTAS), and Quadrant Energy which were completed during the half-year. NPAT from continuing operations increased 10.4% to $1,080mln. Managing Director Rob Scott said the period was one of significant change for the Group, with a number of actions taken to reposition the portfolio, including the successful demerger of Coles in November 2018.
Source: wesfarmers.com.au