US: Online grocery sees 18% more users versus pre-COVID-19
A new grocery consumer research study finds there are 18% more online grocery users now compared with pre-COVID times. The survey of 615 American shoppers was released by New York-based digital shopper marketing platform Chicory and has a margin of error of plus/minus 5.249%. The results of Chicory's fourth quarterly consumer survey quantify the impact of COVID-19 on online grocery usage by comparing current results with past quarterly studies throughout 2020. The latest survey, conducted in early October, found that Walmart (55%) and Amazon (40%) are front-runners in the online grocery wars, but other retailers are gaining ground.
Source: progressivegrocer.com
Amazon announces first fulfillment center in Nebraska
Amazon.com, Inc. announced plans to open its first fulfillment center in the state of Nebraska in Papillion. The site, which is anticipated to launch in 2021, will create 1,000 full-time jobs with industry leading pay and comprehensive benefits starting on day one.
Source: businesswire.com
US: Piggly Wiggly boosts e-commerce
Piggly Wiggly Midwest has renewed its e-commerce partnership with Mercatus as food retailers across the country continue to expand their online offerings. The food retailer will continue to offer shoppers a seamless e-commerce experience using the Mercatus Integrated Commerce platform. The retailer currently offers essential curbside pickup services at 27 of its 96 brick-and-mortar locations.
Source: progressivegrocer.com
Romania: Supermarket chain Mega Image deploys self-checkout facility in 10% of its local stores
Supermarket chain Mega Image, part of Dutch-Belgian group AholdDelhaize, has installed self-checkout cash registers where customers scan their products themselves and then pay in 80 stores or about 10% of its entire Romanian network. "The project started last year and accelerated in the context generated by the pandemic. The self-checkout cash registers are now available and active in over 80 stores. The expansion plan continues, and they will be available in over 100 supermarkets by the end of the year," said the representatives of Mega Image, quoted by Ziarul Financiar.
Source: romania-insider.com
UK: Morrisons and Too Good To Go save 100,000 meals from going to waste
Morrisons reported: 100,000 bags of unsold food have been sold, saving 250 tonnes of CO2e. 100 tonnes of food waste has been prevented. Using the Too Good to Go app, customers can get £10 of fruit, veg, deli and bakery products for just £3.09.
Source: morrisons-corporate.com
France: Carrefour's third quarter sales accelerate, keeps to goals
Carrefour, Europe's largest retailer, delivered its strongest underlying sales growth for at least two decades in the third quarter, reflecting a better performance in its key markets of France, Spain and Brazil. The French company also said it was on track with a strategic overhaul aimed at boosting earnings and sales, and that it was sticking with all the targets under the plan. "Carrefour's sales in the third quarter reflect the excellent momentum underway in the group, confirming the success of the Carrefour 2022 transformation plan", chairman and CEO Alexandre Bompard said in a statement.
Source: esmmagazine.com
Belgium: Colruyt intensifies price competition with Albert Heijn
Since a few weeks, Colruyt reacts to price cuts at Albert Heijn in all its Flemish supermarkets, and no longer regionally. A logical consequence of the expansion policy of the Dutch chain, says the market leader. Price competition between market leader Colruyt and challenger Albert Heijn is entering a new phase. Until recently, the market leader adjusted its prices regionally, in stores that had Albert Heijn as a direct competitor in their market area. But since a few weeks this is a thing of the past: when Colruyt has to react to a price cut at Albert Heijn, the retailer immediately does so in all its Flemish stores.
Source: retaildetail.eu
Amazon launches 'eco-friendly' shopping platformAmazon has launched a dedicated “eco-friendly” shopping platform to help guide consumers in the UK and other European countries to household products with sustainable credentials. From plastic-free solid shampoo bars to organic children’s clothing, more than 40,000 items on the new platform will carry certificates from schemes such as Fairtrade International and the Carbon Trust to help consumers pick products on their environmental merits.
Source: theguardian.com
India: FreshToHome raises $121mln to grow its meat and vegetable e-commerce platform
FreshToHome, an Indian e-commerce startup that sells fresh vegetables, fish, chicken and other kinds of meat, has raised $121mln in a new financing round as the Bangalore-headquartered firm reports accelerated growth spurred by the coronavirus pandemic. The startup, which offers its service in several major Indian cities, including Delhi, Mumbai, Pune, Bangalore, and Hyderabad, is processing about 1.5mln orders a month, up from 420,000 monthly orders last year, said Shan Kadavil, co-founder and chief executive of FreshToHome, in an interview with TechCrunch.
Source: techcrunch.com
Russia: X5’s Pyaterochka opens first staffless store
Pyaterochka launched its first staffless #naletu (On the Fly) store in Moscow in October 2020. Also, following the pilot concept’s trial, the retailer plans to launch several similar projects in other districts in the capital. The store stocks 900 SKUs in 80 sq. m. of selling space and has a fully automated checkout system. To use the store shoppers must download the #naletu app, and log in with their X5 ID. The app generates a dynamic QR code, which allows the shopper to enter the store, at any time between 07:00 and midnight, seven days a week.
Source: retailanalysis.igd.com
UK: M&S creates 500 jobs amid digital-first Christmas strategy
Marks & Spencer has revealed plans to create 500 seasonal jobs in online distribution as it prepares to deliver its “most digital Christmas yet” amid ongoing Covid restrictions. M&S said the new jobs will consist of fixed-term contract staff at its online distribution centre Castle Donington, and they will be in addition to the 400 permanent roles that were announced in July. The retailer said that the total of 900 new roles mean its total staff numbers would increase 30% year-on-year to approximately 4000.
Source: retailgazette.co.uk
UK: Co-op extends transformational IT programme to all stores to improve customer experience and supply-chain collaboration
Co-op is set to extend the roll-out of its transformational IT programme to all its stores this month (October) in a move designed to further improve the planning and allocation of space in stores, increase availability, reduce waste and, foster greater collaboration throughout the supply chain.
Source: retailtimes.co.uk
New Zealand: Countdown customer care strike continues as frustration grows
Countdown customer care specialists who deal with the supermarket’s online orders are taking partial strike action and withdrawing labour relating to online shopping as anger grows among workers at the company’s comments about pay and value, FIRST Union said.
Source: scoop.co.nz
Yandex to launch food delivery services in Israel
Russian tech giant Yandex is hiring in Israel ahead of setting up food delivery operations in the country, a source close to the matter has told "Globes." Yandex first entered Israel two years ago with its taxi hailing app Yango and has since expanded operations to music services competing with Spotify. Yandex is a tech giant whose search engine is the Russian language equivalent of Google. Headquartered in Moscow, the company is traded on Nasdaq with a market cap of $20bln.
Source: en.globes.co.il