Philippines: Injap Sia opens 1st supermarket
Mang Inasal founder Edgar “Injap” Sia II has opened his first supermarket under the pioneering brand, MerryMart Grocery Centers. This marks a homecoming of sorts for Sia whose family has been operating a grocery chain in Capiz. He said the family’s experience in the retail business bodes well for his new supermarket brand. “This is going back to our basics. My grandfather started his grocery store in the 1950's in our hometown. My parents as well opened their own grocery business way back in 1989 and have been operating successfully for 30 years and counting. This background gives our family extensive experience in the retail business”, Sia said. A company under Injap Investments Inc., MerryMart Grocery Centers Inc. opened its first branch at the ground floor of DoubleDragon Plaza in the Manila Bay area. MerryMart aims to cover all the grocery retail categories from small, medium and large grocery retail formats. Moving forward, the company has a goal of rolling out a total of 1,200 branches nationwide by 2030.
Source: philstar.com
Amazon officially launches in UAE, replaces Souq.com
Starting today, UAE’s Souq.com will now be known as Amazon.ae. About two years after spending over $500mln to acquire Souq, the American e-shopping giant has officially rolled out the local commerce site for customers in the country, it was announced on Wednesday. With the launch, shoppers in the UAE can make online purchases through the Amazon app or by visiting the new website, while customers who still use Souq.com will be redirected to the new domain. Payments can be made in AED using local and international credit cards. They can also choose to pay cash on delivery, which is something previously not experienced by local customers when shopping on the US website.
Source: gulfnews.com
Germany: Penny introduces reusable nets for fruit and vegetables
German discounter Penny is trialling two different variants of reusable 'nets' for fruit and vegetable products, in order to reduce the amount of packaging used. The test will last for 20 weeks and in the end the variant that is preferred most customers will be introduced to its assortment. Extra Payback loyalty points and reductions on future purchases of loose fruit and vegetables are set to be implemented, to encourage shoppers to purchase the nets. In the north and east of the country, Penny will offer reusable polyester nets for €0.49 for a two-pack, while in the west, southwest and south, customers can buy reusable organic cotton bags for €0.99.
Source: esmmagazine.com
UK: Late Easter sunshine heats up grocery market
UK supermarkets saw the fastest rate of growth of 2019, thanks to a warmer and later Easter weekend. The latest grocery market share figures from Kantar show total year-on-year sales increased by 2.0% during the 12 weeks to 21 April 2019. Bolstered by a record-breaking £2.5bln spent during the Easter week, this is the fastest rate of growth the overall sector has experienced in 2019. Growth of 8.6% pushed Lidl’s market share to a new high of 5.7%, up 0.3 percentage points compared with last year. Half of Lidl’s sales now come from the fresh and chilled aisles and its performance this period was fuelled by customers spending an extra £14mln on dairy items and £13mln on fruit, vegetables and salads. Fellow discounter Aldi was again the fastest growing supermarket, a position it has held since July 2018. Aided by its store-opening programme, Aldi attracted an additional 823,000 shoppers through its doors to grow sales by 11.6% and increase its market share by 0.6% percentage points to 7.9%. Co-op and Ocado were the only other retailers to gain market share on last year, moving to 6.1% and 1.3% respectively. Tesco’s position as the UK’s largest supermarket remains secure. More than three quarters of British households visited Tesco in the past 12 weeks, over 5mln more than each of its two closest rivals. Though sales were up 1.0%, growth was behind the market which meant a loss of share compared with last year to 27.3%. Sainsbury’s has reclaimed second position despite a sales decline of 1.2%. Asda increased sales by 0.3% to take market share of 15.2%. Asda remains strong in its northern heartland with the north of England and Scotland accounting for more than 40% of sales. Despite movement at the top of the table, the phrase ‘big four’ continues to hold meaning and Morrisons’ 10.3% market share means it sits comfortably ahead of the fifth largest retailer, Aldi. Alcohol sales were the biggest contributor to Morrisons’ 0.6% growth this period. Sales at Iceland and Waitrose rose by 1.4% and 0.7% respectively, with Iceland holding market share of 2.1% and Waitrose falling back by 0.1 percentage points to 5.0%.
Source: uk.kantar.com
Lidl bids to become Germany's 'most sustainable discounter'
Lidl has set itself the goal of becoming the most sustainable discounter in Germany, by meeting its consumers' demand for more organic products. According to the purchasing director at Lidl Germany Jan Bock, consumers, particularly those aged between 14 and 30-year-olds, and over-50s prefer organic food. "The sale of organic food at Lidl is growing at a double-digit rate", said Bock. Furthermore, Bock added that the company supports the goal of Germany's federal government to extend the organic cultivation area in Germany to 20% by the year 2030. Today, it accounts for 10% of the total cultivation area.
Source: esmmagazine.com
France: supermarket group Auchan to sell 21 sites
French supermarket retailer Auchan has decided to sell 21 sites in France, as a result of the tough business conditions within the sector that have already impacted its rivals such as Carrefour and Casino. Auchan said that its decision to close the sites was due to poor results in its main French business. The company added there could be job losses if no suitable buyers could be found for the sites.
Source: reuters.com
Singapore: Sheng Siong's profits jumped 5.9% to $19.36mln in Q1
Supermarket chain Sheng Siong Group started 2019 on a high note after its profits edged up 5.9% YoY to $19.36mln in Q1 from $18.28mln, an announcement revealed. Revenue for the quarter also jumped 10.1% YoY to $251.44mln from $228.28mln in 2018. The strong performance was attributed to a 9.6% YoY increase in gross profit arising mainly from higher revenue, but was offset by higher operating expenses from its six new stores which opened between April and December 2018. Revenue growth was due to its 10 new stores. However, this was also offset by comparable same store sales (SSS) which shrank by 1ppt due to cautious consumers’ sentiment and the opening of new supermarkets in the vicinity of some of Sheng Siong’s existing stores.
Source: sbr.com.sg
US: Lyft expands grocery rides program to 15 cities
Lyft is expanding its Grocery Access Program to 15 U.S. and Canadian cities after a successful pilot program in Washington, DC, according to Mashable. The program offers rides for $2.50 to and from the grocery store for families in low-income or rural areas deemed food deserts. The pilot was launched in January and will now be available in cities including Atlantic City, New Jersey; Chicago; Columbus, Ohio; Los Angeles; Miami; Phoenix, Arizona; Portland, Oregon and Atlanta, Georgia. Lyft will partner with community groups like food banks and farmers markets in each city to determine the best way to identify participants for the program and distribute the subsidized rides. In Washington, participants were identified based on childrens' school enrolment.
Source: grocerydive.com
US: Acme Fresh Market names new president
Independent grocer Acme Fresh Market, with 16 stores in northeastern Ohio, has named fifth-generation family member Nick Albrecht president of the company. Previously EVP of the company, Albrecht succeeds Jim Trout, who was the first non-family member to hold the position. Trout has been appointed VP of special projects, a newly created part-time position. “I certainly like selling stuff. I found that passion quickly”, Albrecht said in a local news report. He joined the company 15 years ago after serving in the U.S. Army.
Source: progressivegrocer.com
US: Mercato moves headquarters to San Diego, grows team to expand markets coast to coast
Mercato, the online ordering and delivery platform for independently owned grocery stores, recently moved its headquarters from New York City to San Diego in the Downtown Works building on W. B Street. The rapidly growing startup will continue to maintain office space in New York City for some sales staff. The move signals Mercato’s ongoing strategy to expand in markets from coast to coast. Tech entrepreneur and Mercato Founder and CEO Bobby Brannigan, who created the e-commerce platform to help independent grocers like his parents in Brooklyn, New York, to compete, sees the potential for startups in San Diego. He cites the city’s livability, beautiful beaches and ability to attract highly-qualified employees. “We moved Mercato to San Diego because of its amazing weather, vibrant and growing downtown, and lower cost of living compared to cities like New York City and San Francisco”, said Brannigan. “As one of the country’s most desirable cities to live in, San Diego attracts top talent, now an advantage for Mercato.”
Source: businesswire.com
US: Lidl plots New York expansion
Following the acquisition of Best Market last year, Lidl has set its sights on building a significant presence in Long Island, New York. Last November, Lidl acquired 27 stores in New York and New Jersey from Best Market, a regionally focused retailer. This marked its first acquisition in the US, following its USA launch in 2017. Since its market entry, the retailer has adjusted its property strategy, including looking at opportunities with smaller, leasehold sites. With 65 stores currently trading, its progress has been slower than initially anticipated, with the business changing its leadership last summer. Lidl will open its first stores in Long Island by early 2020. As part of the transition of the Best Market business, it will remodel stores currently located in Babylon and Huntington. Lidl also will open stores in Plainview and Center Moriches. These will be new build locations, reflecting its strategy to date. Aldi, its main hard discount competitor, operates six stores in Long Island.
Source: retailanalysis.igd.com