US: Schnuck Markets improves store operations and customer experience with Zebra Retail Solutions
Zebra Technologies Corporation, an innovator at the edge of the enterprise with solutions and partners that enable businesses to gain a performance edge, announced that Schnuck Markets, Inc. (Schnucks) selected Zebra data capture, mobile computing and printing solutions to increase store teammates’ productivity and improve the customer experience. “One of our core values is putting the customer first”, said Dave Steck, Vice President of IT Infrastructure and Application Development for Schnucks. “Zebra’s innovative, reliable grocery solutions have improved the efficiency and performance of our teammates which has led to better customer service.”
Source: businesswire.com
US: Wegmans plans to expand to Delaware
A Wegmans location has been proposed in Greenville, Delaware, an affluent suburb of Wilmington, the Rochester Democrat & Chronicle reported. The new Wegmans still has to be approved by county government, but the grocer appears to have garnered local support. It would be the first grocery store in Delaware for the popular grocer. If approved, the new location is projected to open around 2022. A spokesperson for Wegmans told the Democrat & Chronicle that while store design plans aren’t finalized, the location will be around 115,000 square feet and include the same features of other new Wegmans stores. Wegmans has also announced that it will launch kerbside grocery pickup at all of its stores in its hometown of Rochester, New York, by the end of February. Wegmans first introduced click-and-collect in Rochester last March. Shoppers must spend a minimum of $10 to be eligible for pickup, and the orders will be fulfilled through Instacart.
Source: grocerydive.com
US: Walmart buys Israeli product review insight firm Aspectiva
Walmart said it has acquired Aspectiva, an Israeli start-up whose technology analyses consumers’ product reviews to help shoppers make decisions. Financial details were not disclosed. Aspectiva will join Walmart’s Store No 8, the incubation arm launched by the U.S. retailer in 2017 to find new commerce-related technologies. Aspectiva has developed machine-learning techniques and natural language processing capabilities, “areas we believe will have a profound impact on how customers will shop in the future”, Store No 8 principal, Lori Flees, said.
Source: reuters.com
US: Whole Foods converting all 365 stores to namesake moniker
Whole Foods Market is dropping the name of its smaller-format 365 by Whole Foods Market stores a month after the natural food grocer revealed plans to discontinue its expansion of the concept, Yahoo Finance has reported. All 365-bannered stores owned by Whole Foods - currently 12 open locations, according to the grocer's website - will be converted into traditional Whole Foods stores by the year's end, the news outlet said. Each will experience changes in signage, product assortments and back-end distribution, and, given their 25,000- to 30,000-square-foot size - 10,000 less than the average Whole Foods - may lack features such as a meat counter.
Source: progressivegrocer.com
Germany: REWE appoints new CEO
REWE Group has strengthened its international trading business: As of April 1, 2019, Jan-Peer Brenneke will start as CEO of REWE International AG and Divisional Board for Commodity Trade International of the REWE Group in Wiener Neudorf and will work on strengthening and developing the product areas for Austria, quality management, own brands (disciplinary and technical) as well as PENNY International and BILLA CEE (professionally). In his new function, he reports - like the other members of the Executive Board of REWE International AG - to Jan Kunath, Deputy Chairman of the Executive Board of the REWE Group. Brenneke has been managing director of the REWE Group Buying GmbH in Cologne. He is responsible for the Private Label Purchasing & Development division.
Source: internationalsupermarketnews.com
UK: Marks and Spencer and Ocado in home delivery deal talks
Marks and Spencer (M&S) and Ocado have confirmed they are "in discussions" about a £1.8bln joint venture. Shares in both companies jumped on the news about the deal, which would give M&S a food delivery service for the first time. The London Evening Standard said any deal would see M&S pay Ocado between £800-900mln for a 50% stake. The deal seems to suggest the end of Ocado's current deal with Waitrose, which was due to expire next year.
Source: bbc.com
China: JD to add 15,000 staff this year
Chinese e-commerce giant JD has announced it plans to recruit up to 15,000 staff this year - just a week after saying it would let go 10% of its senior executives. The majority of positions expected to be filled this year will be in logistics, with up to 10,000 delivery and low-level management positions being recruited. Other staff will be hired to improve user experiences in the firm’s retail arm. JD pledged in its announcement to promote competent staff and offer more leadership training to young people as part of its contribution to society. The firm currently hires around 170,000 full-timers, according to last year’s estimates, and is moving to extend its supply network throughout every one of China’s county-level territories.
Source: insideretail.asia
eCargo Holdings buys 85% stake of Metcash’s China business
E-commerce solutions firm eCargo Holdings (ECG) has completed the acquisition of an 85% stake in Australia-based Metcash’s China business. The transaction involves Metcash Export Services, including its subsidiary Metcash Asia China. The company wholesales and distributes products to supermarkets and retail groups in China. It also operates cross-border eCommerce stores on platforms such as Tmall Global and JD Worldwide. Announced in November last year, total consideration of the transaction is A$2.5mln ($1.79mln) along with 85% of the net asset value of the business of A$5.8mln ($4.15mln) and deferred compensation of up to A$3.5mln ($2.5mln).
Source: retail-insight-network.com
Africa: Shoprite cautious on improving outlook after worst first half in more than a decade
Africa’s largest supermarket group, Shoprite Holdings, said its outlook could improve after its worst first-half performance in more than a decade, hit by supply problems in South Africa and a currency devaluation in Angola. “Since January 2019, an improved sales trend is evident”, the group said in a statement, adding though that its weak trading in July-December last year meant it was unlikely to achieve growth for the full year ending in June 2019. The supermarket and furniture retailer also said it aimed to simplify its share structure and was in talks with Thibault Square Financial Services Proprietary Limited to buy, redeem or cancel deferred shares held by Thibault, which owns 32.3% of voting rights.
Source: reuters.com
Group of Walmart Mexico workers threaten strike for higher pay
A union representing workers at Walmart Inc’s Mexico unit said it would go on strike next month if it did not secure better pay and conditions for thousands of employees. The National Association of Trade and Home Offices, which holds 121 collective contracts across 10 states with Wal Mart de Mexico, or Walmex, said it was seeking a 20% salary hike over 2018 wage levels for the 8,000 workers it represents.
Source: reuters.com