Germany: Bünting revamps brand image of Combi and Famila supermarkets
Germany's Bünting Group has announced that it has overhauled the brand image of its Combi and Famila supermarket chains. The underlying idea behind the campaign was to give the brands a sharper profile that resonates with their proximity with northern Germany. Managing director and marketing manager at Bünting, Frank Hilgenberg, said: "We place our North-German identity at the centre of our brand communication. It is important to us that our customers identify with our new appearance." The new look of Famila comprises typical Nordic motifs and bright colours to emphasise on its connection with the region. Combi has been given a clear design with advertising messages put in a concise manner in a typical North German style.
Source: esmmagazine.com
UK: Co-op to introduce new task management tool in stores
An internal Co-op team has been putting together a new system to make the lives of its store managers easier - and the fruits of this labour are set to appear later this year. According to the retailer’s Colleague Stories website, the Co-op is in the final stages before launching its new MyWork mobile task management tool that digitises several paper-based jobs and replaces daily and weekly bulletins with “in the moment” central staff communications. The new software, which is uploaded onto a handheld tablet or mobile device, also gives store managers an opportunity to create their own localised tasks and assign them to individuals accordingly. Users can attach in-store photos and annotate them before sharing via the system, with the idea behind the new initiative to enhance inter-staff communication and make daily in-store processes more efficient.
Source: essentialretail.com
Russia: Magnit sees revenue up 8.2%, driven by expansion
Russian retailer Magnit has posted a 8.2% increase in revenue to RUB 1,237bln (€16.7bln) in full-year 2018, with the operator increasing its store estate by 11.6% over the year. Like-for-like sales at the retailer dropped 2.5%, comprised of a 0.1% increase in average basket sales, and a 2.6% decline in traffic. Like-for-like performance did 'demonstrate positive dynamics towards the end of the year', however, the retailer said. EBITDA for the year stood at RUB 89.9bln, while full-year EBITDA margin was 7.3%.
Source: esmmagazine.com
Carrefour Egypt to reduce the use of energy
Schneider Electric has revealed the deployment of its EcoStruxure Facility Advisor solution, which helps monitor the use of energy and asset availability and improve efficiency, at the 19 Carrefour stores in Egypt, operated by Majid Al Futtaim, a pioneer of shopping centers, communities, shops and leisure leader in the Middle East, Africa and Asia. “In a retail environment as competitive as it is today, Carrefour is constantly looking for ways to improve quality, supply and prices, as well as implementing sustainable business practices. The company has implemented Advisor services in 19 hypermarkets and supermarkets in Egypt and is planning to introduce it in all its stores” the company commented.
Source: internationalsupermarketnews.com
China: Alibaba opens "hotel of the future"
Chinese internet giant Alibaba is looking for a new source of revenue: it has opened a "hotel of the future" in Hangzhou, brimming with its own technology. The FlyZoo Hotel in Hangzhou has 290 rooms and was built by several Alibaba subsidiaries, like online travel platform Fliggy and the Alibaba Artificial Intelligence Labs. Its aim is to transform the hotel sector and update it to the digital age in which we live, meaning that queues at the reception desk are a thing of the past. For Chinese travellers check-in has been completely digitised, although foreigners still have to ask staff for assistance. Customers can book their stay with the FlyZoo app, but also choose their floor and even the side of the hotel they want. Once inside, artificial intelligence takes over: guests can ditch keycards for access to the hotel, the room and the elevators and opt for facial recognition instead. FlyZoo uses pictures of the check-in to verify if visitors really have booked at the hotel.
Source: retaildetail.eu
Mercadona to open 150 supermarkets in Portugal
Spanish supermarket chain Mercadona plans to open at least 150 stores in Portugal. The target was revealed by the company’s president, Juan Roig Alfonso, during the presentation of the Spanish retailer’s 2018 results in Valencia, reports Jornal de Negocios. The supermarket chain is to open its first four stores in July, with the first opening set for Vila Nova de Gaia, followed by Matosinhos, Maia and Gondomar, at a rate of one per week.
Source: rli.uk.com
Walmart Mexico and union agree on wage hikes to avert strike
Walmart de Mexico, Mexico’s biggest retailer, has reached a deal with a union to raise worker salaries, both groups said, heading off a possible strike and offering reassurance to businesses in the early months of a new government. Walmart Mexico said in a statement it struck the agreement with the Revolutionary Confederation of Laborers and Farmworkers (CROC), offering its workers an average annual salary increase of 5.5% and an annual bonus tied to store performance. CROC, which previously said it was seeking a 20% salary hike, confirmed the deal in a separate statement.
Source: reuters.com
US: Kroger Precision Marketing teams up with Pinterest
The Kroger Co. and Kroger Precision Marketing (KPM) have entered into a strategic integrated media and measurement relationship with Pinterest that enables advertisers to leverage Kroger's first-party data for targeting on Pinterest and effectively track from digital inspiration to purchase via closed-loop measurement - a strong point of differentiation in the marketplace. The partnership allows brands access to the millions of Kroger customers on the social media site and target one in three Kroger shoppers through buying capabilities with Kroger Precision Marketing. Consumers visit Pinterest when they're curious and open to solutions, which is where brands can influence their buying decisions by exposing existing customers to new products, gain incremental customers through inspiration, and more. Kroger captures 96 percent of all transactions through its loyalty card, offering the opportunity to identify the most effective audience, create a seamless connection to commerce and measure sales impact.
Source: progressivegrocer.com
Canada: Sobeys reveals plans for Farm Boy banner's Toronto takeover
Sobeys’ parent company, Empire Co, is feeling real confident about bringing its Farm Boy banner to the big cities. After acquiring the boutique grocery banner late last year, Empire is looking to broaden Farm Boy’s growth beyond Ontario. In a call with analysts, Empire’s President and CEO Michael Medline revealed a Toronto takeover could be in the cards as the company continues the strong upward momentum of its third quarter fiscal 2019. “We’ve never had a weapon like this to go at an area like the [Greater Toronto Area]”, Medline said to analysts. “Ontario has historically been our Achilles heel.”
Source: delimarketnews.com
US: Dollar General to build out distribution capacity for fresh foods
Dollar General is bringing more logistics services in house in order to protect margins and improve service, according to company executives on a recent earnings call. Two new warehouses will bolster the company's traditional ground game, but a move into refrigerated trucking in order to better support the company's relatively new fresh produce program - DG Fresh - is the big task ahead for Dollar General in 2019. In the current fiscal year, the discount retailer aims to expand DG Fresh to 5,000 stores and open up to four new DG Fresh distribution centers. "We know how to distribute goods, fresh, shelf stable, whatever it may be, controlling our own destiny there gives us high confidence that we can execute at a much higher level than we were seeing across the country", said CEO Todd Vasos on the call.
Source: supplychaindive.com
US: IGA pushes local in new branding campaign
IGA this year debuted a new branding slogan, Local Equals Fresh, which helps independent grocers become the trusted partners and problem solvers that consumers need them to be, according to IGA CEO John Ross. The new brand messaging will appear on everything IGA - including websites, social media, store ads, and even the updated IGA private label line. But it’s the merchandising and branding elements for use in store that will undoubtedly make the biggest and most immediate impact with shoppers. The in-store strategy is designed to take the shopper through a journey that emphasizes IGA’s promise to buy from local and regional family farms whenever possible, from “first impression” branding signs; to window, hanging, wayfinding, stanchion and department signs, product stickers; and even employee apparel. Retailers can customize the signage to tell the specific story of each store’s local family farmers, dedicated employees and unique family recipes.
Source: progressivegrocer.com
US: Kroger closes YouTech sale for $565mlnThe Kroger Co. has completed the sale of its You Technology digital coupon subsidiary to e-commerce analytics firm Inmar in a $565mln deal. Kroger said that the transaction includes $400mln in cash received upon closing, which it aims to use to pay down debt. When announcing their agreement in December, Kroger and Inmar didn’t disclose financial terms. Also as part of the YouTech sale, Kroger finalized a long-term pact with Winston-Salem, North Carolina-based Inmar to provide digital offer management services to its supermarkets. "The monetization of our investment in YouTech and long-term agreement with Inmar demonstrate how Kroger can create value in different ways", Stuart Aitken, senior vice president of alternative business at Kroger, said in a statement. "We are excited about the additional value that can be brought forward through future partnerships to create customer value."
Source: supermarketnews.com