US: Grocery store openings up 30% in 2018
New grocery store openings were up 30% in 2018, with more than 17mln square feet of space added in the United States. That’s according to Chicago-based JLL’s "Grocery Tracker 2019" report, which notes that more than one-quarter of the new stores were in Florida, California and Texas, due to expansion by their respective local market-leading grocers: Publix, Sprouts Farmers Market, Aldi, Kroger and H-E-B. “Grocery is one of the strongest retail sectors, with nearly twice as many new stores opening than closing last year”, said James Cook, JLL’s director of retail research. “The grocery sector has seen shopper habits shift to more frequent, shorter trips, versus large weekly hauls. As a result, grocers are focusing on developing smaller-format stores, those under 10,000 square feet, with more local offerings to appeal to the surrounding community.”
Source: progressivegrocer.com
US: Whole Foods opens new small concept in NYC
Whole Foods, which revealed it was abandoning its 365 concept and looking to other formats to expand its footprint, recently converted a former Whole Body location into a Whole Foods Market Daily Shop in New York’s Chelsea neighborhood. The new concept is located next door to a full-size Whole Foods Market. The 2,500-square-foot store, which is open seven days a week from 6 a.m.-11 p.m., focuses on grab-and-go items and a self-checkout kiosk (staffed checkouts are also available), making it easy for the on-the-go consumer to grab coffee or tea from Allegro, including Daily Brew powered by Bulletproof, along with fresh juices and two seasonal kombuchas on tap; a selection of prepared foods, including breakfast bowls and oatmeal; and lunch and dinner options such as paninis, half chickens, salmon and sides. The store also features a build-your-own-acai-bowl bar with self-serve bowls, a first of its kind in the Northeast, offering customers an acai base to top with a selection of fresh cut fruit, granola, nuts, berries and more.
Source: progressivegrocer.com
US: Fast-growing Grocery Outlet files for IPO
Grocery Outlet has confidentially filed a draft registration statement for an initial public offering with the Securities and Exchange Commission, according to a company press release. The company has not yet determined the number of shares to be offered or a price range for the proposed offering. A review process by the SEC will take place before the IPO commences. Grocery Outlet has more than 300 locations, each independently owned and operated, with private equity firm Hellman & Friedman having majority ownership of the company. The chain's annual sales total more than $2 billion.
Source: grocerydive.com
US: Minnesota Supreme Court declines to review $45mln award in Lund family dispute
Kim Lund’s $45mln court victory to cash out her fortune in Lunds Inc. will stand. The Minnesota Supreme Court denied Lunds Inc.’s petition to overturn a lower court award to Kim, the oldest of four Lund siblings who own Lunds & Byerlys, a well-known Twin Cities supermarket chain. Kim Lund five years ago sued Lunds and Russell “Tres” Lund III - her brother and the company’s CEO - for breach of fiduciary duty, among other claims. She had been trying for several years to free up her 25% stake in the company, but amicable attempts had failed.
Source: startribune.com
Canada: Dollarama reports 6% rise in quarterly profit
Canadian discount chain Dollarama Inc reported a 6% rise in quarterly profit, as shoppers spent more at its dollar stores. The retailer’s comparable store sales for the fourth quarter rose 2.6%. The Montreal-based company’s net income for the quarter rose to C$171.98mln ($128.1mln), or 54 Canadian cents per share, in the quarter ended February 3, from C$162.83mln, or 48 Canadian cents per share, a year earlier. Total sales rose 13% to C$1.06bln.
Source: reuters.com
US: Instacart launches instant payment for workers
Instacart has announced the launch of Instant Cashout, a new feature that allows its contract workers to get paid immediately, according to an email from an Instacart spokesperson. Previously, workers could access their earnings via direct deposit on a weekly basis. The company has partnered with tech company Stripe to offer the instant payout platform, which can be accessed in the app available to workers and set up with a debit card. Workers can access Instant Cashout any day, at any time. Instant Cashout is now available to Instacart workers in select U.S. cities in nearly 100 regions, and the company plans to expand the offering to all shoppers by June, a spokesperson confirmed.
Source: grocerydive.com
Walmart aims for American-made products with latest 'open call'
Walmart has put out a call for applications for its sixth annual Open Call event, according to a company press release. The event invites entrepreneurs to pitch products made, sourced or grown in the U.S. for the opportunity to secure a deal for placement in Walmart and Sam's Club stores and on Walmart.com. At last year's Open Call, more than 350 companies from 46 states pitched products at nearly 600 meetings, resulting in new products from multiple categories including food, cosmetics, toys and apparel. The annual event supports Walmart's pledge to buy $250bln in American-made products by 2023.
Source: grocerydive.com
US: Associated Wholesale Grocers report record results
Associated Wholesale Grocers (AWG) is celebrating the success of record results. At an annual shareholders meeting earlier this week, the wholesaler reported record consolidated net sales on continuing operations of $9.7bln and distributed a record $210.5mln in year-end patronage. In addition, AWG finished its year out strong with cooperative sales of $8.59bln - an increase of $110mln from 2017 - and a trading value for class “A” shares that increased 4.55% to $2,300 per share. “Despite the challenges of an intensely competitive retail environment, the impact of disruptive technology and the workforce squeeze, AWG experienced another strong year of performance and growth. We are blessed to be the cooperative grocery wholesaler of choice to many of the nation’s finest independent grocers and our success is wholly due to their success”, said David Smith, President and CEO. “We are so very thankful to all of our members for their trust and support, for the leadership of our board, and the great efforts of our vendor partners, as well as our AWG team mates that made it happen."
Source: delimarketnews.com
UK: Supermarket Morrisons turns to ChargePoint Services for nationwide EV charging rollout
Supermarket chain Morrisons is to install rapid EV chargers at its sites nationwide after partnering with EV charging provider ChargePoint Services (CPS). CPS, which owns and operates the GeniePoint Network, will install 50 - 100kW specification rapid chargers at supermarkets up and down the country. The first are to be installed by the end of next month and 100 are expected to be operational by the end of the year. Andrew Ball, senior buying manager for fuel & services at Morrisons, said that the addition of rapid chargers was in response to customer feedback regarding at-store services, tying in EV chargers with everyday services like parcel collection, recycling and purchasing holiday money. Alex Bamberg, managing director at ChargePoint Services, added: “By offering another useful local service, customers are provided with choice for grocery, café and comfort stops, and green vehicle refuelling. Whether they are local residents or a longer distance traveller, Morrisons are supporting drivers making the change to clean transport technology.”
Source: current-news.co.uk
UAE-based retail giant Lulu Group confirms new malls in Bengaluru & Chennai
Abu Dhabi headquartered Lulu Group has confirmed plans to build shopping malls in Bengaluru and Chennai as part of a major expansion of its interests in India. This is on top of the mall projects the Group had announced for three other Indian cities - Lucknow, Vishakapatanam and Thiruvananthapuram. It currently operates a mall in Kochi, rated as the largest in southern India. “We have acquired an ongoing mall development In Bengaluru and will build our own in Chennai”, said Yousuf Ali, Chairman and Managing Director. “Mall projects give us the best platform to keep expanding our India portfolio - there’s so much still to do in India’s retail space. It was easier to acquire an ongoing project in Bengaluru than go searching for a wide expanse of land. The price was right and that’s why we closed it at the first opportunity.”
Source: gulfnews.com
Spain: DIA reaches agreement on staff restructuring deal with unions
Spanish retailer DIA Group announced that it has reached a staff restructuring agreement with the majority of trade union representatives from Spanish unions Fetico and UGT. This arrangement is part of the company's Strategic Plan 2018 - 2020, which is 'focused on the customer and on a management model that revitalises the store network, both owned and franchised.' The plan will also promote private-label products and fresh produce. The deal will affect 1,604 employees of a staff of more than 26,000. These include 201 office jobs, 308 warehouse positions, and 1,176 store roles. Forty employees will take early retirement, while 356 individuals may be relocated to other facilities, depending on issues such as staff performance and proximity of location, the retailer announced in a statement. This new deal will affect 22% fewer employees - the initial agreement proposed would have involved 2,064 individuals. If relocations are implemented, 40% fewer employees will be affected by the revamped staff restructuring arrangement. This process will also include the sale of 258 stores across Spain, and subrogation of employees will be dealt with on a case-by-case basis, DIA added.
Source: esmmagazine.com
Carrefour to cut another 1500 jobs in France
Carrefour has plans to let go of another 1500 employees in order to reduce the costs of its ailing hypermarket department. Union negotiations have begun and the group is hoping to manage the job cuts by reaching a 'mutual agreement' or 'rupture conventionelle collective' (RCC), which according to French employment law allows for collective resignations without an economic motive or the need for a social plan. To achieve that, they'll have to reach a majority agreement with the unions, which is anything but certain according to newspaper Le Figaro. FO is the most powerful union, representing 47% of the employees, and it remains quite unconvinced. FO will not agree unless Carrefour can offer some guarantees in return, most likely on the wage conditions of the remaining hypermarket employees.
Source: retaildetail.eu