US: Lee Delaney to become CEO of BJ’s Wholesale Club
BJ’s Wholesale Club will have a new CEO at the helm early next year with the promotion of President Lee Delaney. Effective February 2, current BJ’s Chairman and CEO Christopher Baldwin is slated to become executive chairman, and Delaney will take the reins as chief executive as well as join the board of directors. In addition, former Burlington Stores Inc. CEO Thomas Kingsbury will join the warehouse club chain’s board on February 2 with the departure of CVC Capital partner Cameron Breitner, who is stepping down after serving as a director since 2011.
Source: supermarketnews.com
The rise of 'grocerants': U.S. grocery stores that cook you dinner
Supermarkets want to convince customers to visit stores for lunch or dinner - not just for a grocery haul. For decades, grocery stores have included hot food and salad bars, delis and sandwich stations. But in recent years, many grocers have started adding sit-down restaurants, food halls and craft beer on tap, giving rise to the term "grocerants." Diana Sheehan, vice president at marketing research firm Incontext Solutions said:"The grocerant game is something that almost every retailer with larger stores should be playing. Restaurants have become one of the most successful ways for retailers to stand apart."
Source: edition.cnn.com
US: Giant Food Stores introduces Berenstain Bears childcare center
Giant Food Stores has unveiled a new Berenstain Bears-themed treehouse at its flagship store in Camp Hill, Pennsylvania, according to a company press release. The childcare space is one of five Giant plans to open between now and 2020 in partnership with the Berenstain Bears franchise. "The Treehouse" has three play areas that encourage kids to eat healthy, exercise and take care of their health. it also features a reading nook, coloring area and free fruit. There is a mini Giant store where children can learn to grocery shop. The Treehouses will be staffed with a full-time childcare leader and part-time staff, all of whom undergo background checks, drug testing, CPR certification and first aid training.
Source: grocerydive.com
US: Ahold Delhaize to close another Bfresh location
Ahold Delhaize is closing its Allston, Massachusetts, Bfresh grocery store at the end of the month, according to Boston.com. The 10,000 square-foot store offered fresh produce and both made-to-order and takeout meals. The store was not meeting financial expectations, according to a statement from Ahold Delhaize to Boston.com regarding the closure. The concept launched in 2015 under its Fresh Formats subsidiary. Another Bfresh location closed in 2017, leaving the Somerville, Massachusetts, location as the sole operating Bfresh store.
Source: grocerydive.com
Portugal’s store growth since 2018
Portugal has seen an increase in the number of supermarkets operating in the country in the last two years. Research showed in 2018 it saw 126 new supermarkets opened and in 2019 it increased again by 154. The expansion of supermarkets is expected to continue in 2020. Sonae launched 87 stores in Portugal, including stores under the Bom Dia, Go Natural and Modelo banners. Similarly, DIA increased its number of stores, launching 76 Minipreço. Jeronimo Martins opened 24 new stores, under its Pingo Doce and Amanhecer banners. In addition, Lidl and Aldi added a combined total of 43 stores. Intermaché has introduced 11 new stores, while Auchan added 24.
Source: retailanalysis.igd.com
Uganda: Majid Al Futtaim opens first Carrefour store
Majid Al Futtaim, a leading shopping mall chain, has opened a first Carrefour store in Uganda. The retail and leisure pioneer across the Middle East, Africa and Asia are now at the popular Oasis Mall, with a store that covers over 2800 square meters selling area and “offers shoppers great value and choice, through a combination of offers and promotions”. Majid Al Futtaim Hypermarket in Uganda has so far recruited 130 Ugandan employees and has contracted 60 more from external local companies. The company has also engaged 230 Ugandan suppliers to stock the Carrefour store in Uganda.
Source: independent.co.ug
South Korea: E-Mart to bolster grocery, electronics biz, but shutter Pierrot Shopping
E-Mart Inc. that recorded quarterly loss for the first time in the second quarter since its inception will go through major revamp with focus on fresh-food grocery and electronics shopping while shuttering its dollar-store concept Pierrot Shopping to return to the black. According to a business reorganization plan for 2020 announced by E-Mart, it will shut down seven outlets of dollar-store concept Pierrot Shopping that has been suffering from mounting losses since its opening last year and upgrade its offline discount supermarket chain E-Mart stores by bolstering the competitiveness of its food grocery and electronics shopping.
Source: pulsenews.co.kr
Croatia: Fortenova merges Velpro into Konzum
Croatia's Fortenova Group, the successor to the collapsed concern Agrokor, said it is merging wholesaler Velpro-Centar Plus into retailer Konzum. "The objective of such merger is to additionally strengthen the Fortenova Group wholesale segment, with the largest wholesale in Croatia operating under the wing of Konzum, Croatia's largest retail company", Fortenova said in a statement. Via the merger, Konzum will generate an additional revenue of 1.0bln kuna ($149mln / 134mln euro), its network will expand to include Velpro's 16 whole centres across Croatia, while 800 Velpro employees will join its team, raising the number of its workers to 11,000, Konzum CEO Slavko Ledic said in the statement.
Source: seenews.com
Italy: Pam introduces new format in Padua
A new format by Pam has opened, which features Pam’s new generation of urban proximity store layout. The store will be open Monday to Saturday 08.00 to 21.00 and Sunday 09.00 to 21.00. PamCity features new services such as: contactless payments, home delivery and cash deposits and withdrawals with ViaCash. A large focus will be dedicated to food-to-go and food-for-now products. PamCity offers competitive prices and supports the local economy by stocking products from small and medium sized Italian businesses. The retailer’s private label Pam Panorama holds a strong presence across both food and non-food categories. Bio Pam Panorama, the retailer’s organic range, and Semplici and Buoni, its special dietary requirement ranges, are also available.
Source: retailanalysis.igd.com
Spain: Eroski to try to sell Caprabo supermarket chain
Basque based supermarket and consumer goods chain Eroski currently has finance amounting to some €1.5bln and is now looking to reduce this amount by sale of assets. It has suffered with poor performance from its Catalonian supermarket outlet Caprabo which has been under review for some time and it has now brought in an external agency in order to try to find a buyer. If it does sell, then it could make a substantial loss as it paid €1.3bln for Caprabo in 2007.
Source: euroweeklynews.com
China: JD.Com's logistics unit taps banks for potential $8-$10bln IPO - sources
The logistics unit of Chinese e-commerce company JD.com Inc has held early discussions with banks about a potential overseas IPO that could raise $8bln to $10bln, two people with direct knowledge of the matter told Reuters. JD Logistics is targeting a valuation of at least $30bln, according to the people, who declined to be named as the information is confidential. The unit is expected to select banks for the initial public offering (IPO) in the second quarter of next year and will use the funds for warehouse expansion and potential acquisition purposes, one person said. The float could take place in the second half of 2020, the people said.
Source: reuters.com