US: Dollar General, Western Union team on money transfer service
Dollar General Corp. and Western Union have joined forces to enable customers to complete Western Union money transfers at all 15,472 Dollar General locations across 44 states. The partnership lets customers initiate or receive international and domestic money transfers digitally via the Western Union mobile app or by going online, and then pay in person at Dollar General locations. After consumers complete the digital portion of the transaction, they can visit a nearby Dollar General store to finalize the transfer with a debit card or cash. Customers receiving money transfers can likewise initiate the transaction digitally, and then visit a Dollar General with a valid ID to get their money.
Source: progressivegrocer.com
US: Hy-Vee expands pickup lockers program
Hy-Vee has begun leasing its Aisles Online Click-and-Collect Lockers to local businesses, according to Sioux Falls Business and the company’s website. Last week, the grocer began operating the pickup lockers, which hold e-commerce orders for next-day pickup, at the employee parking lot of the Avera McKennan Hospital & University Health Center in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. This is the third locker installation Hy-Vee has placed at a non-store location, the retailer’s vice president of e-commerce development told Sioux Falls Business. Another location opened at St. Luke’s Hospital in Cedar Rapids, Iowa in February. Hy-Vee declined to comment or provide further details when contacted by Grocery Dive. Hy-Vee’s Aisles Online Click-and-Collect Lockers also appear in select stores and at the company’s new Fast & Fresh and HealthMarket locations. Customers place their order, specify a location and are then given an access code for the locker to access their groceries. Hy-Vee’s lockers are temperature controlled and support the full assortment of store products. According to the company’s website, it only needs "access to electricity and an internet connection" to install the units.
Source: grocerydive.com
Brazil: Carrefour grows Rappi partnership
Carrefour Brazil has announced it is expanding its partnership with Colombia-based Rappi to grow its online capabilities and reach further in the country. Carrefour Brazil has said it wants online to account for 30% of its total sales by the end of 2019. The expansion of its agreement with Rappi will play a major role in its attempts to reach this target. The relationship between Carrefour Brazil and Rappi will see the two collaborate on the opening of 15 dark stores across nine of the country’s leading cities. The two companies said four dark stores will be opened in Sao Paulo alone.
Source: retailanalysis.igd.com
Germany: Lidl Chief Executive Jesper Højer steps down
Lidl chief executive Jesper Højer has stepped down from his post, after two years at the helm of the discounter. Højer’s departure was confirmed in a statement from Lidl, in which the Dane said that he was stepping down as chief executive and departing the group 'with immediate effect'. “I am proud to have worked for many years in various international positions for such a dynamic company as Lidl, and to have contributed to the success of the past few years”, he said. “The decision to make my position available was not easy for me, but it's time to realign my family and professional future”, Højer added.
Source: esmmagazine.com
Poland: Dino Polska opens 33 new stores in first quarter
Polish retailer Dino Polska has announced that it opened 33 new stores in the first quarter of 2019, compared to 25 in the corresponding period last year. The store increase means that Dino Polska has hit the thousand-store mark, operating a total of 1,009 stores as of March 2019, compared to 800 at this stage last year. The total selling area of Dino Polska is now 389,000 square metres, up from 305,400 square metres a year ago.
Source: esmmagazine.com
UAE: Union Coop announces FY2018 results
The UAE’s largest Consumer Cooperative, Union Coop, said it generate a total revenue of AED2.8bln (US$ bln) in 2018. Discussing the positive performance, Union Coop’s chief executive, H E Khalid Humaid Bin Diban Al Falasi, said: “Despite the challenges faced by the retail trade sector, Union Coop has maintained its dominant position in the market by adhering and complying with best international standards and adapting them to suit the local culture of our country in general and the Emirate of Dubai in particular.” To continue its growth trajectory Union Coop said it was looking to open a further 17 sites in the medium term and has received approval to expand outside Dubai. Union Coop said it is looking for land in Abu Dhabi.
Source: retailanalysis.igd.com
UK: Nisa boosted by Co-op tie-up
At its annual Stoneleigh trade show Nisa has reported that, since its acquisition by Co-op in May 2018, recruitment of new stores to its wholesale distribution network has increased by 25%. Boosted by access to the improved ranges Co-op brings, Nisa has successfully recruited 1,006 stores, compared with around 800 in the previous financial year. Having rolled out 850 Co-op products to the Nisa wholesale offer, these lines now comprise 16% of the total volume of products being purchased by its retailers. These have especially strengthened the Nisa offer in chilled and fresh categories. This success of Co-op products means that by the end of April a further 1,000 Co-op lines will now be made available to Nisa-supplied retailers. In total these 1,850 Co-op brand products accessible through Nisa will then represent some 80% of Co-op's full private label range.
Source: retailanalysis.igd.com
France: Casino Group takes note of Moody's decision and remains focused on its strategic and financial objectives for 2019-2021
Casino Group takes note of Moody's decision to downgrade its financial rating from Ba1 negative outlook to Ba3 negative outlook. The Group notes that Moody's bases its analysis on Casino's gross debt at the end of 2018, which does not take into account either the disposal plan or the future reduction in bond debt. Moody's also states that the Group is well positioned in convenience formats and online activities, and that it has the potential to generate new sources of revenues, particularly through its Greenyellow and 3W relevanC subsidiaries. In addition, Moody's positively highlights the Group's limited and decreasing exposure to the declining hypermarket format. This change in rating has no impact on the availability or cost of the Group's financial resources. As at 31 December 2018, Casino in France had €5.0bln in liquidity, composed of a gross cash position of €2.1bln and confirmed credit lines of €2.9bln with an average maturity of 2.4 years.
Source: globenewswire.com
UK: Co-op expands robot delivery trial
The Co-op has expanded its partnership with Starship Technologies to offer robot delivery from a second store in Milton Keynes. Following the launch of the trial in May, the retailer has begun delivering orders by autonomous robots from a second store in Emerson Valley, Milton Keynes. The store has recently reopened after a refit, and now offers an increased range. Customers within the Emerson Valley area are now able to order Co-op products from the Starship app, and have these delivered in under an hour by a Starship robot. Starship Technologies currently also delivers for a Tesco Extra store in the Kingston Centre, Milton Keynes.
Source: retailanalysis.igd.com
Germany: Rewe reports strong growth in 2018
Germany-based Rewe Group announced revenues rose 4.7% to €61.2bln. Its performance was driven by growth both in its home market, where revenues increased by 4.5%, and internationally, where they rose by 5.2%. Rewe said that while its performance was positive across its business units, the independent food retail business ‘was a driver of the positive overall development’. The group said its retailers had increased sales by 9.1% in 2018, which followed growth of 8.5% in 2017. The figures were aided by a 5.1% increase in the number of stores of Rewe retailer in Germany, which reached 1,718 at the end of 2018. Discussing the performance, Rewe Group’s chief executive, Lionel Souque, noted the importance of its retailers ‘being local enterprises with roots in their respective towns and communities, high customer proximity, regional and local product ranges, as well as individual service.’ The continued success of its operating model is encouraging Rewe to maintain its focus on its independent retailers and its expansion within the area.
Source: retailanalysis.igd.com
Australia: Amazon posts 2018 sales
Amazon in Australia has recorded sales of AU$292mln for the 12 months ending 31 December 2018. The online retailer has filed accounts for its first full financial year in Australia, with revenue increasing significantly from the AU$17mln revenue reported in 2017. Of the AU$292mln: retail sales accounted for AU$106mln, sales from other related parties accounted for AU$150mln and third-party seller services accounted for AU$23mln. Despite the solid sales, the retailer still reported a net loss of AU$5.3mln.
Source: retailanalysis.igd.com