AliExpress opens first physical store in Europe
AliExpress is going offline. The popular Chinese shopping platform has opened a physical store in Madrid, the first of its kind in Europe. The store actually operates more like a showroom, because products still need to be ordered online. AliExpress has opened its first European retail store in Madrid Xanadú, one of Europe’s biggest shopping malls. Since last Sunday, Spanish consumers have been able to visit the store and see, feel and try different kinds of products. But if they want buy something from Aliexpress, they still need to go online to order the products.
Source: ecommercenews.eu
Costco to open first West Australian store
Costco will open the doors of its first West Australian store in just a few months. The mega-retailer will take on the supermarkets and department stores, selling everything from groceries to diamond rings when it opens in Perth early next year. "Diamond rings we sell one at a time, so you can buy a $300,000 diamond ring or you can buy a $10,000 diamond ring", Costco Australia Managing Director Patrick Noone told 9News. The $55mln store will include a petrol station, optometrist, hearing aid centre and a huge supermarket that sells in bulk.
Source: 9news.com.au
Aldi plans on trebling number of stores in Portugal
In a bid to treble its number of stores, Aldi is planning to invest five times more money in Portugal. The move was confirmed by Rita Agostinho, the group’s head of marketing in Portugal in an interview with Jornal Económico, revealing that the plan is to increase the number of stores from 68 to 200 in less than five years. And she said: “It is our goal to strengthen our presence in the whole country, trying to reach regions where we aren’t represented yet and strengthening those where we are.” As Jornal de Económico points out, the plan comes at a time when Spanish supermarket group Mercadona is entering the Portuguese market.
Source: internationalsupermarketnews.com
Retail sales witness 'steady' growth in Q2 2019: Retail Ireland
Irish retail sales values saw 2.4% growth in the second quarter of 2019, while sales volume grew by 4.1% in the same period, according to Retail Ireland, the Ibec group that represents the retail sector in Ireland. Sales performance for the period, which has been described as 'steady' and 'unspectacular', was mainly influenced by a relatively wet and cool summer. Director of Retail Ireland, Thomas Burke, said: "As the country sizzled in the sustained spell of warm weather in 2018, retailers experienced a significant uptick in sales. This has not been matched in 2019 and many retail categories are struggling to replicate 2018’s performance as a result", he added.
Source: esmmagazine.com
Shopee app Singapore’s most downloaded
The Shopee app has emerged as Singapore’s most downloaded shopping app. The popular Alibaba-backed e-commerce platform had 2.8mln visitors per month on average during the second quarter, with an 11% increase compared to the previous quarter. It is currently the most-used app of its kind throughout the whole of Southeast Asia, while rival firm Lazada remains the most actively used e-commerce app within Singapore itself. “Apps by Alibaba such as Taobao and AliExpress remained prominent among Singaporean consumers probably due to the increased popularity of Chinese products and Chinese language proficiency in the country”, read a report by iPrice Group.
Source: insideretail.asia
Japan: Lawson starts late night unstaffed hours
To reduce the burden on store employees and compensate for labour shortages, Lawson has started unstaffed operations at a store in Yokohama's Isogo Ward, Kanagawa Prefecture, south of Tokyo, Japan. The concept was first announced back in December 2017. Unstaffed service hours are between midnight to 5 a.m each day. The test will last for around six months. While a staff member will be available to support during the trial, Lawson hopes the outlets will be fully operational without personnel in the future. Certain categories, including cigarettes, alcohol, and postage stamps will be unavailable for purchase during unstaffed hours. Customers will need to download a mobile app to enter the store and use their smartphone camera to scan the bar code of products to pay. Purchases will be made via payment apps like Line Pay.
Source: retailanalysis.igd.com
Costco China opens first store in ShanghaiUS warehouse retailer Costco opened its first store in China on August 27, against a background of an escalating trade war between the US and China and at a time the local economy is showing signs of slowing. The giant store will open in a suburb of Shanghai boasting a catchment of 2mln consumers and follows a four-year program by Costco to build brand awareness among local consumers through a presence on Alibaba’s Tmall Global. The company has a target of signing up at least 100,000 members to make the venture viable.
Source: insideretail.asia
CEO change in the works at Walmart Canada
Walmart Canada has named 25-year Walmart veteran Horacio Barbeito as president and CEO, taking over from Lee Tappenden, who is leaving the company. Plans call for Barbeito, known as “Haio,” to take the reins as CEO in October, pending work authorization, Walmart Canada said Monday. He comes to the Walmart’s Canadian operation from Walmart International, where he has served as president and CEO of Walmart Argentina and Chile since March 2015.
Source: supermarketnews.com
US: Alert Innovation, Inc and Murata Machinery, Ltd announce partnership to expand reach of Alphabot technology
Under the terms of the partnership, Murata Machinery, Ltd. (hereinafter, Muratec) a global leader in the material handling industry, will collaborate with Alert Innovation in both the development and commercialization of Alert Innovation's Alphabot material handling technology. Having recognized Alphabot's superior capabilities across diverse automation applications, Muratec will adapt and sell the technology to support applications beyond Alert Innovation's focus on transforming grocery retail. "We developed the Alphabot technology to solve arguably the most difficult automation challenge in any industry, namely automating the supermarket", says John Lert, Founder and CEO of Alert Innovation. "In solving that problem, we have created a technology that will be the best-in-class solution for a broad array of automation problems as well. Our partnership with Murata makes it possible for companies other than food retailers to benefit from this breakthrough technology, and it will also make both Muratec and Alert Innovation stronger companies in the process."
Source: prnewswire.com
US: Grocery workers authorize strike against Oregon and SW Washington stores if negotiations fail
Grocery store workers in Oregon and Southwest Washington have voted to authorize a strike if the workers’ union fails to reach a satisfying agreement with negotiators representing such stores as Fred Meyer, QFC, Safeway and Albertsons. Members of United Food and Commercial Workers Local 555 in Baker City voted on Saturday night to authorize a strike. That vote concluded a series of 92 meetings held this summer across Oregon and Southwest Washington, according to Kelley McAllister, the union’s communications director. Members of the union voted nearly unanimously, McAllister said, to authorize a strike if needed.
Source: oregonlive.com
US: Southeastern Grocers settles with DOJ, EPA on refrigeration emissions
Southeastern Grocers Inc. (SEG) has agreed to cut emissions of ozone-depleting gases from refrigeration equipment at all 576 of its stores under a proposed settlement with the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to resolve alleged violations of the Clean Air Act. Under the settlement, SEG will spend about $4.2mln over the next three years to lower coolant leaks from refrigerators and other equipment, and improve company-wide compliance, as well as paying a $300,000 civil penalty.
Source: progressivegrocer.com
US: Meijer plans neighborhood market grocery concept
Meijer is opening a smaller-format neighborhood market store, Woodward Corner Market, in Royal Oak, Michigan, outside of Detroit. The 41,000-square-foot store will focus on fresh food; local, artisan items; and national and Meijer brands. Woodward Corner Market is the second location that's solely a grocery store. The first was Bridge Street Market, which opened in August 2018 in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Meijer plans to open a total of six smaller-format urban stores by 2021.
Source: progressivegrocer.com