Kaufland invests more in Australia
Schwarz Group has invested a further AU$145mln into Australia, as it continues its plans to launch Kaufland. The additional investment means that since 2017 the business has invested AU$325mln into the set up of its business in Australia. Kaufland is currently recruiting for area managers and according to local press has started hiring staff for six provisional stores across Melbourne. A Kaufland spokesperson was quoted as saying: “This capital increase reflects the importance and long-term commitment to our expansion. It marks our continual investment in Australia both now and for the future, through the creation of jobs, competition and opportunity”.
Source: retailanalysis.igd.com
China: CP Lotus books a loss after expanding network
Hong Kong-listed Chinese supermarket operator CP Lotus Corporation has posted a loss of RMB 288.4mln (US$43mln) as it rolls out new stores. But the Thai-led company has promised to continue to open new stores on the mainland, revealing plans for a new brand of shops selling only food and will explore new opportunities to open specialty areas within existing stores. Sales for the group rose 4.8% to about RMB 10.122bln for the year to December, largely due to the opening of eight new hypermarkets, two boutique supermarkets and a new neighbourhood store. Same-store sales rose by 0.6%, with fresh food and dry-grocery categories fuelling the growth.
Source: insideretail.asia
Holland: Spar conducts a 'waste-free' annual convention
Spar Netherlands organised a 'waste-free' annual convention focused around the theme of responsible retailing in Utrecht on 13 February. The event saw Spar retailers, their teams and suppliers showcasing their latest products and services. To make the event waste-free, the retailer implemented a number of measures at the venue including sustainable alternatives for disposable items and LED lighting. A large recycling point was set up for disposing of different types of waste like paper, compost, plastic, and general waste. The retailer aims to recycle the plastic collected in the event into trophies for its upcoming contests within the retail group. The flooring used in the event will be re-used to produce garden furniture, the company said.
Source: esmmagazine.com
Russian fund accuses takeover target DIA of misleading investors
Russian tycoon Mikhail Fridman’s investment fund accused Spanish supermarket chain DIA of misleading investors over its recapitalization plan, the latest broadside in a tussle over the future of the struggling retailer. Fridman’s LetterOne (L1) has launched a bid for the just over 70% of the Spanish company it does not already own, and is proposing a capital increase to rival one put forward by DIA’s board. L1 said that a statement DIA made saying the fund’s plan did not provide effective solutions to the firm’s woes was “misleading and aims to cast doubt on the viability of L1 Retail’s recapitalization plan”. DIA declined to comment.
Source: reuters.com
Holland: PLUS rolls out HelloFresh range
Following successful trials in five supermarkets, PLUS is rolling out HelloFresh meals across its estate of 260 stores. The now widely-ranged products contain the ingredients to create a meal for two people, with meat, fish and vegetarian options available for €9.95. The range in-store updates weekly, while customers don’t have to subscribe to HelloFresh to purchase the products.
Source: retailanalysis.igd.com
US: Price Chopper enterprises names Brian Haaraoja new CEO
Price Chopper Enterprises has named Brian Haaraoja CEO and president. He succeeds Peter Ciacco, who will retire in mid-April. Haaraoja was most recently VP of marketing and merchandising for Oklahoma City, Oklahoma-based H.A.C. Inc., Homeland Foods’ parent company. He has extensive grocery experience, including divisional and departmental VP roles with SpartanNash, in Grand Rapids, Michigan; Shaw's, in West Bridgewater, Massachusetts; and Giant Foods, based in Landover, Maryland. After graduating from Western Michigan University with a B.S. in food distribution, he began his career with Jewel Foods, in Chicago.
Source: progressivegrocer.com
US: Kroger stops accepting Visa credit cards at another banner
Starting April 3, Smith's Food & Drug will stop accepting Visa credit cards for payment, making it the second Kroger Co. banner to do so. Kroger is ceasing acceptance of Visa credit cards due to the excessive interchange and network fees that Visa and its issuing banks charge retailers, which are driving up food prices for shoppers. According to Kroger, the fees are higher than those of any other credit cards accepted by Smith's and "exceed grocery store margins in the highly competitive food retail industry."
Source: progressivegrocer.com
US: Albertsons Companies partners with Glympse to give customers real-time status of delivery and pickup orders
Albertsons Companies is enhancing its eCommerce platform with Glympse, a location sharing technology that will give shoppers real-time status of their grocery delivery or Drive Up & Go order. When customers are finishing their delivery order with an Albertsons Cos. store, they can now opt-in to notifications powered by Glympse via text or email that provide key updates throughout the fulfillment process. Once their order is en route, they will receive a link to a live map of their delivery truck and exact time of delivery. “We want to make our eCommerce experience as simple and transparent as possible”, said Narayan Iyengar, SVP Digital and eCommerce at Albertsons Cos. “Our partnership with Glympse makes it even easier for customers to get their groceries however and whenever they want.”
Source: globenewswire.com
US: Food Lion remodeling 92 South Carolina stores
As part of its ongoing "Easy, Fresh and Affordable ... You Can Count on Food Lion Every Day!" store refresh strategy, Food Lion has revealed that it will remodel 92 stores in the greater Myrtle Beach, Florence, Columbia and Charleston, South Carolina, markets in 2019. The $158mln capital investment will not only go toward overhauling the stores, but also toward lowering prices, and expanding the assortment of products available at each store, including more local, natural, organic and gluten-free items. Food Lion is also expecting to hire almost 2,000 new associates at these stores to boost the customer experience.
Source: progressivegrocer.com
US: Sprouts expands Instacart delivery to Southeast
Starting March 5, Sprouts Farmers Markets shoppers in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee will be able to have groceries delivered from the food retailer via San Francisco-based Instacart. To sign up or place an order, customers can use the Sprouts app or go online. New Instacart customers will get $20 off their first delivery if it’s worth $35 or more, using the promo code SPROUTS20. The service will offer same-day delivery from Sprouts in as fast as an hour in select ZIP codes in Birmingham and Huntsville-Madison, Alabama; Augusta and Atlanta, Georgia; Clearwater, Orlando, South Sarasota, Tampa and Valrico, Florida; Charlotte, Durham, Fayetteville and Raleigh-Falls of Neuse, North Carolina; Simpsonville, South Carolina; and Memphis and Nashville, Tennessee.
Source: progressivegrocer.com
US: Sam’s Club upgrades scan-and-go technology for Sam’s Club Now
Sam’s Club has filed a patent on advancements that it's made to its Sam’s Club Now app, which is used in its Dallas-based innovation lab and club, Sam’s Club Now, which opened last fall. After using the location to test augmented reality, wayfinding and navigation, as well as one-hour Club Pickup, the company will begin testing the advancements made to the Scan-and-Go technology that it uses as the basis of the Sam’s Club Now app. The test will launch technology using computer vision and machine learning. Rather than having to locate the barcode and scan it just right, the camera in the app will identify the product with a simple hover and add it to the member’s shopping list. The new scanning technology reduces the time needed to add a product from 9.3 seconds to 3.4 seconds.
Source: progressivegrocer.com