Turkey’s online supermarket grows 434% in H1, reaching TL1.8bln
Fueled by the COVID-19 pandemic that brought stay-at-home orders across the world, Turkey’s online market grew by 434% during the first half of the year, reaching TL1.8bln ($244.90mln). These figures, which were shared in an article in Turkish daily Dünya, citing Trade Ministry data, showed that the local market customers who preferred e-commerce options during the pandemic continued shopping online during the normalization process, as well as when many restrictions in the country were lifted as authorities declared the outbreak under control. According to the data of the InterBank Card Center (BKM), online food and grocery shopping in March, when the first COVID-19 case reported in Turkey, increased by 220% year-on-year. Accordingly, local supermarket chains such as A101 and Şok implemented mobile order applications a few months later, with which they make deliveries within three hours at the latest.
Source: dailysabah.com
UK's M&S Ocado delivery: Turbulent start for Ocado’s partnership, with customer orders cancelled
The first day of Ocado’s partnership with M&S got off to a bumpy start, with the retailer forced to apologise after a “surge in demand” led to a string of customer orders being cancelled. Ocado admitted a “small number” of customer orders were cancelled on Tuesday, while customers trying to order later in the week complained of stock shortages for dairy and fresh vegetables.
Source: inews.co.uk
Three CEOs in three years: where next for Lidl?
Lidl CEO Ignazio Paternò has announced his resignation, according to media reports. Paternò had been Lidl’s third CEO in 3 years, succeeding Sven Seidel (2014-2017) and Jesper Hojer (2017-2019). Disagreements with Schwarz Group chief Klaus Gehrig were widely cited as triggers for those exits. Sources close to the business say Paternò’s reasons are personal and may have been prompted by a desire to return to his native Italy. However, his resignation will have an impact on the wider group as Gerd Chrzanowski, who has been designated successor to Gehrig since March 2020, will now act as temporary Lidl CEO role until a successor is announced.
Source: kantarretailiq.com
UK: Appetite for healthier diets remains in wake of COVID-19
New research released by IGD reveals there is still a significant appetite for change among UK consumers to shift towards healthy and sustainable diets, as they continue to grapple with the impact of COVID-19. IGD’s new consumer research draws on data from more than 1,000 UK consumers collected in July 2020 to explore the impact of COVID-19 on attitudes to healthy and sustainable diets. This research builds on IGD’s Appetite for Change report, released in March 2020 and based on data gathered in November 2019. Highlights include: Over half of consumers (57%) are already changing their diets or are considering making changes to be healthier and more sustainable, down from 66% in 2019. There has been a shift in how healthy consumers perceive their diets to be, with people feeling their diets are less healthy during lockdown than in 2019. Health is now an even bigger motivator for consumers to improve their diet in the wake of COVID-19, with nearly two-thirds (63%) of people citing health as their primary driver up from 58% in 2019. Perceived higher cost remains the main barrier to healthy and sustainable diets, with 38% of consumers thinking it is more expensive.
Source: igd.com
UK: One Stop to roll-out Jack’s discount lines
It has been revealed that Tesco convenience subsidiary One Stop is to launch a number of private label lines from the Jack’s discount format across its company-owned and franchise store estate, adding a significant value tier to the One Stop range. It is understood that the launch will include at least fifty Jack’s branded lines, first developed for the Tesco’s dedicated Jack’s discount format in 2018. Available as early as next week, these discount lines will be mainly in chilled and frozen categories, helping to boost the value proposition for One Stop shoppers with bigger basket needs. As well as providing a clear point of differentiation versus other neighbourhood stores these lines will offer price points competitive with discounters such as Aldi and Lidl.
Source: retailanalysis.igd.com
Japan: Walmart unit Seiyu streamlines deliveries for online shoppers
Japanese supermarket chain Seiyu will expand its capacity to meet surging online orders, debuting an automated fulfillment center early next year in emulating the digital strategy of parent Walmart. The 50,000-sq.-meter site in Yokohama will have triple the shipping capacity of an existing facility in Chiba Prefecture, Seiyu President Lionel Desclee told Nikkei. The new center also will slash employee work by 60%.
Source: asia.nikkei.com
Amazon's Whole Foods opens first delivery-only store in Brooklyn
Amazon.com Inc owned Whole Foods Market opened its first delivery-only store in Brooklyn, New York on Tuesday, as the e-commerce giant looks to take greater advantage of a coronavirus-induced surge in online grocery shopping. Amazon said it hired hundreds of employees to work at the new store, which will deliver to customers only in the Brooklyn area. Afraid to step out of home during the pandemic, people are using their phones and computers to order bread, milk, vegetables and daily household essentials.
Source: reuters.com
T&T announces two new stores in Western Canada
Asian grocery chain T&T Supermarkets is expanding its Western Canada footprint with the addition of two new stores in Calgary and Langley, B.C. The additions will push the chain’s store network to 28 by mid-2021, with a footprint stretching from Vancouver to Ottawa.
Source: canadiangrocer.com
US: JCPenney proposes to sell company out of bankruptcy
J.C. Penney Co. is proposing to sell its assets out of bankruptcy to top lenders after hitting a stalemate with other bidders, including landlords Simon Property Group Inc. and Brookfield Property Partners LP. “We’ve hit a stalemate” in negotiations with several outside bidders, Penney’s bankruptcy lawyer, Joshua Sussberg, said during a hearing in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Corpus Christi, Texas. The company instead will pursue a bankruptcy sale to top lenders, including H/2 Capital Partners LLC, that would hand them equity in exchange for their debt claims, Sussberg said.
Source: foxbusiness.com
US: Southeastern Grocers sells off 23 more Bi-Lo stores
Southeastern Grocers has sold an additional 23 Bi-Lo stores as part of its plan to divest of the brand. The stores have been sold to Alex Lee Inc. and B&T Foods. The stores will remain open as Bi-Lo stores until the transaction is complete, which is expected to take place over a staggered period from September to November 2020, pending customary closing requirements. Alex Lee plans to operate 15 of the stores under the KJ’s Market IGA brand and five stores under the Lowes Foods brand.
Source: progressivegrocer.com
US: Walmart has the ‘secret sauce’ for a profitable online business, former CEO says
Walmart’s soon-to-launch subscription service may lay the path for the company’s online business to turn a profit, former CEO Bill Simon told CNBC. Walmart, the largest U.S. grocer, announced earlier its membership program Walmart+ will launch September 15. The program is a byproduct of many subscription plans the company toyed with last decade and takes inspiration from each, said Simon, who led the retail giant from 2010 to 2014.
Source: cnbc.com