US: Nielsen Global Connect has a new name and a new owner
One of the most well-known shopper and retail data companies in the industry is getting a new name and a new owner. Just days after announcing Nielsen Global Connect was being rebranded as NielsenIQ, parent company Nielsen Holdings revealed the consumer and retail measurement company was being sold to the private equity firm Advent International, in partnership with James “Jim” Peck, former chief executive officer of TransUnion, for US$2.7bln.
Source: canadiangrocer.com
HelloFresh sees U.S. growth opportunities as pandemic triggers eating at home boom
German meal-kit delivery firm HelloFresh said it was expanding capacity to keep up with a surge in demand for its products in the United States, and sales worldwide more than doubled in the third quarter. HelloFresh, which considers the United States as its key market, delivers pre-portioned meal ingredients with recipes to subscribers. Like rivals, such as New York-based Blue Apron, the company benefited from a surge in orders in recent months as more people cook at home due to lockdowns. “The trend towards eating more meals at home accelerated during the pandemic and we consider the key drivers for this to have become permanent”, Chief Executive Dominik Richter said. HelloFresh reported sales of 970.2mln euros ($1.13bln) for the third quarter, the upper end of the company’s own forecast range provided last month of 968mln to 971mln euros, and up 120% from a year earlier.
Source: reuters.com
US: W. P. Carey announces $102mln (€87mln) investment in supermarket portfolio
W. P. Carey Inc., a leading net lease REIT specializing in corporate sale-leasebacks, build-to-suits and the acquisition of single-tenant net lease properties, announced a $102mln (€87mln) sale-leaseback of a 27-property supermarket portfolio located in Northern Spain and the Balearic Islands, bringing total investment volume for the year-to-date period to approximately $700mln. The portfolio comprises a total of 481,000 square feet (45,000 square meters) and is triple-net leased under three 20-year master leases to Eroski Sociedad Cooperativa ("Eroski"), one of the largest food retailers in Spain.
Source: prnewswire.com
US: Rouses deploys new loss prevention tech
Rouses Markets is getting more serious about loss prevention. The food retailer and IDScan.net, a provider of identity verification and information-gathering solutions, recently completed a pilot program of a new loss prevention solution, IDWare Profit. The solution reduced returns by 36% at participating stores. Following the successful pilot, Rouses has expanded the use of the solution in more than 90% of its stores and plans to include it in all its stores this year.
Source: progressivegrocer.com
Holland: Ahold Delhaize Q3 2020 results
Ahold Delhaize reports strong Q3 results; announces initiatives to solidify position as industry- leading local omnichannel retailer in 2021 and beyond. Net sales were €17.8bln, up 6.8%, or 10.1% at constant exchange rates. In the U.S. and Europe, comp sales growth excluding gas was up 12.4% and 7.5%, respectively. Net consumer online sales grew 62.6% at constant exchange rates; including 114.7% growth in the U.S. COVID-19-related costs were approximately €470mln year to date, and approximately €140mln in Q3, including safety measures and enhanced associate pay. Underlying operating margin was 4.6%, up 0.2% points from the prior year at constant exchange rates.
Source: aholddelhaize.com
Spain: DIA launches its 'Express Service' for home deliveries in 1 hour
DIA launches its 'Express Delivery' service to offer its customers the opportunity to shop online and receive home-delivery orders in 1 hour, thus meeting their immediate food supply requirements. In this first phase, more than 60% of the Spanish population and 90% of homes in cities with more than 50,000 people have access to an express delivery service, available in 107 areas and with orders met by a network of 400 stores.
Source: marketscreener.com
Retail sales soared in The Netherlands in third quarter: CBS
Retail sales rose by 9.2% in the third quarter of the year in the Netherlands, new data from the Centraal Bureau voor de Statistiek (CBS) has shown. The quarterly rise is the highest since the data was first published in 2015, the statistics body said. Retail sales volume increased by 7.3%, while internet sales rose by 40% compared to the same quarter the previous year, slightly less than in the second quarter (+55%). Supermarkets saw turnover increase by 6.0%, with specialty stores, including butchers, greengrocers and liquor stores, seeing a 9.2% increase in the period.
Source: esmmagazine.com
Denmark: Coop launches webshop for small producers
Coop Denmark has announced that it has launched a new online shop via Coop Crowdfunding, where small Danish food producers will be able to sell their goods directly to consumers. Earlier this year, Coop launched a temporary webshop to help small, pandemic-affected producers to sell goods directly via Coop Crowdfunding as part of its Restart Denmark plan.
Source: esmmagazine.com
UK: New Groceries Code Adjudicator takes up post at ‘significant time’ for sector
Mark White is now the UK’s Groceries Code Adjudicator. He officially succeeded Christine Tacon after acting as her deputy for the past 3 months. White commented: “This is a significant time for the groceries sector and I am delighted to be in a role where I can play a part in ensuring fairness for those who supply our major supermarkets”.
Source: kamcity.com
Russia: Online retailer Ozon plans potential $500mln U.S. IPO
Russian online retailer Ozon has filed for an initial public offering (IPO) in the United States, it said, which financial market sources said could raise at least $500mln for the company’s expansion. Ozon intends to list its American depositary shares (ADSs) on the Nasdaq Global Select Market. No pricing terms were disclosed but two financial market sources estimated that Ozon could raise at least $500mln.
Source: reuters.com
Australia: Woolworths says Q1 sales surged on lockdown demand, sees higher costs
Woolworths Group Ltd said first-quarter sales surged 12% as coronavirus lockdowns boosted demand for household essentials but Australia’s biggest grocery chain expects costs to remain elevated this year. Total group sales for the country’s biggest supermarket operator came in at A$17.85bln ($12.79bln) for the 14 weeks to October 4, up from A$15.90bln a year earlier.
Source: uk.reuters.com
China: JD.com hosts a 200-hour livestream during 11.11
The ecommerce giant and Kuaishou, a Chinese video-sharing platform, are partnering up to launch a 200-hour livestream during this year’s Singles Day Shopping Festival. JD.com shared that from 1 November to 9 November, many Kuaishou hosts will take turns presenting in the event. The Kuaishou viewers will receive coupons to be redeemed on JD.com. The live broadcasts cover key categories including: Fresh food; Health and beauty (e.g. make-up and skin care); Household products; Digital products such as computers and mobile phones. The aim is to attract the users with high quality and high value products.
Source: retailanalysis.igd.com
Holland: Hema sees 100mln euro impact from corona crisis
The corona crisis is also hitting department store chain Hema, which has therefore already written off some 100mln euro. The impact of the pandemic will continue to be felt in the years to come, expects the retailer, who nevertheless managed to halve its losses.
Source: retaildetail.eu