US: Uber’s food delivery business outshines core rides service
Uber’s food delivery business brought in more money during the third quarter than its signature rides business, showing just how much consumer behaviour has changed - and how far the company has adapted - since the pandemic struck. The San Francisco-based ride-hailing company lost US$1.09bln in the 3 months that ended September 30 as many customers were still staying out of shared vehicles.
Source: canadiangrocer.com
US: Food Lion named “Best-of-the-Best corporations for inclusion” by National Business Inclusion Consortium
The National Business Inclusion Consortium (NBIC) has named Food Lion among the Best-of-the-Best list of corporations in America committed to diversity and inclusion across all communities. This is the fourth consecutive year Food Lion has received this honor. Food Lion joins the ranks of 50 major businesses who earned this designation.
Source: globenewswire.com
Walmart to sell operations in recession-hit Argentina, taking $1bln hit
Walmart Inc, the world’s largest retailer, said it was selling its retail operations in Argentina to South American supermarket chain owner Grupo de Narváez, pulling back as the country grapples with an economic crisis. The U.S. company did not disclose the size of the deal for retail operations involving more than 90 stores, but said it would record about a $1bln after-tax, non-cash loss related to the divestiture in its fiscal third quarter next year.
Source: reuters.com
AWS announces plans to launch a second region in India
Amazon Web Services, Inc. (AWS), an Amazon.com company, announced the expansion of its services to include a second infrastructure region in India by mid-2022. The new AWS Asia Region, which will consist of 3 Availability Zones at launch, will join the existing 9 AWS Regions and 26 Availability Zones across Asia in India, Australia, Greater China, Japan, Korea, and Singapore. Globally, AWS has 77 Availability Zones across 24 infrastructure regions, with announced plans to launch 15 more Availability Zones and 5 more AWS Regions in India, Indonesia, Japan, Spain, and Switzerland.
Source: businesswire.com
Sainsbury’s: We want to be Britain’s favourite supermarket
Sainsbury’s new CEO Simon Roberts is refocusing the supermarket on its core food business as it sets the company the target of becoming “Britain’s favourite supermarket”. Speaking on a press call, Roberts admitted that it needs to adapt faster to changing customer shopping habits and simplify its business. It is putting the focus on improving quality and value, as well as increasing innovation and convenience.
Source: marketingweek.com
Hungary: Retail commerce volume increases
According to the latest Central Statistical Office figures, while retail commerce in September decreased by 2% compared to September 2019, it increased by 1% since August. The commerce in the category The wholesale of other intermediate products increased by 2% after a 0.2% decrease in August. While the volume of trade in retail sale in non-specialised stores with food, beverages or tobacco shops increased by 0.6%, the same figure for food grocery retail (which makes up 75% of the wholesale of other intermediate products category) increased by 2.25%. The contraction in the retail sale of automotive fuel accelerated - while in August, the decrease figure was 4.6%, by September, it reached 9.8%.
Source: agroberichtenbuitenland.nl
Holland: Uber accused of pressuring dozens of Amsterdam employees to quit before layoffs were approved
Ride-hailing platform Uber let go of about two hundred of its employees in Amsterdam coercing many into signing a severance deal that would give them monetary compensation in return for their resignation. In doing so, the company circumvented regulations set out by worker’s benefits agency UWV, angering labor union FNV.
Source: nltimes.nl
UK: Asda hires CIO Anna Barsby as it moves from Walmart ownership
Supermarket chain Asda has hired CIO Anna Barsby to lead the technology separation of the retailer during its split from Walmart to its new owners the Bradford based Issa brothers, who own and founded EG Group. Barsby will be Chief Digital and Technology Officer (CDTO) during the separation of Asda.
Source: diginomica.com
Belgium: Carrefour freezes 20,000 prices until year-end
Supermarket chain Carrefour has announced it will freeze the prices of 20,000 products from now until 31 December. The freeze affects almost all of the chain’s regular stock items - 20,000 in supermarkets and hyper-markets, and 10,000 in its Market and Express stores. There are some exceptions: special promotions currently running; seasonal fruits and vegetables and other fresh products whose price fluctuates daily, such as fish; and products sold as part of a short-chain arrangement with local producers.
Source: brusselstimes.com
Thai antitrust regulator approves CP Group deal for Thai Tesco stores
Thailand’s antitrust regulator said it had approved CP Group’s deal to buy Tesco PLC’s retail stores in the country. The merger was not considered a monopoly, the Office of Trade Competition Commission (OTCC) said, without giving further details. Tesco said earlier this year it had agreed to sell its supermarket businesses in Thailand and Malaysia to Charoen Pokphand Group for an enterprise value of $10.6bln.
Source: reuters.com
Amazon launches regional hub in Europe for air cargo
Amazon.com Inc said it has launched its first regional hub in Europe to handle air shipments, creating 200 new jobs in Germany’s Schkeuditz, where the new facility is based. Amazon currently has a fleet of more than 70 aircraft, an area of focus for the online retailer as it pushes for faster deliveries to meet a surge in online orders.
Source: reuters.com
UK: Frozen foods supermarket Oops opens first two stores with plans to launch 30 more across the UK
A new frozen foods supermarket has launched its first two stores in the North West - and has plans for another 30 sites across the UK. Oops has opened shops in Preston and Bolton, aiming to bring a new focus to the industry by selling surplus foods that would otherwise go to landfill when it is still edible.
Source: business-live.co.uk