US: UNFI taps Walmex VP Dorn Wenninger to lead produce
Walmart Mexico executive Dorn Wenninger has joined United Natural Foods Inc. (UNFI) as senior vice president of produce. UNFI said that Wenninger will oversee the company’s strategy and expansion in the produce category. He reports to Paul Green, president of fresh at the Providence, Rhode Island-based grocery distributor.
Source: supermarketnews.com
Loblaws brings waste-free shopping to Canada
One of Canada’s largest grocers, Loblaw Cos. Ltd. (Loblaws), has partnered with the global reuse platform Loop to allow consumers to shop for products in durable packaging that's reused until the end of its life. "Loop is designed to be as convenient as the single-use shopping experience while creating a sustainable, circular model for consumption”, said Tom Szaky, founder and CEO of Loop and TerraCycle. “Collaboration is necessary to tackle the waste crisis head-on. As Canada’s largest retailer, Loblaw’s operational scale and years of expertise will make Loop accessible to more shoppers and make meaningful progress toward our shared goal of reducing waste”.
Source: progressivegrocer.com
New Amazon research center focuses on controversial areas
Food retailers that want to embrace technologies such as machine learning to better serve shoppers and boost revenues might soon feel the increasing influence of researchers from Amazon and the University of Southern California. That's because Amazon and the university are creating a joint research center focused on the development of new approaches to machine learning, privacy, security and trustworthiness. Research conducted by the new Center for Secure and Trusted Machine Learning - along with the policies that might result from it - could shape fresh deployments of cutting-edge software and analytical and data processes, some no doubt already well-established at Amazon.
Source: progressivegrocer.com
UK: Aldi is calling for Arcadia and Debenhams staff to apply as it creates 4,000 jobs
Aldi is calling for those affected by the collapse of the Arcadia and Debenhams retail empires to apply as it aims to create 4,000 jobs across the UK this year. The UK supermarket, which announced recently that it would create the jobs as part of a two-year £1.3bn investment in new and upgraded stores and distribution centres, said that it would very much welcome applications from those recently employed by Arcadia and Debenhams.
Source: aldipresscentre.co.uk
UK: Costcutter launches partnership to meet growing home delivery demand
Costcutter has teamed up with dedicated online shopping platform APPY SHOP in order to expand the home delivery offer for its retailers. The convenience symbol group will now offer APPY SHOP home delivery and click & collect to its independent retailers across the UK.
Source: kamcity.com
Germany: Tegut to launch new store format 'QUARTIER' in March
German retailer Tegut will launch a new store format 'QUARTIER' at Bahnhofstraße 25 in Fulda in March of this year. The retailer has unveiled the location of the first store featuring a 'tegut... QUARTIER' logo. The newly rented branch is also the first in Germany to be assigned the new concept.
Source: esmmagazine.com
DIA to shutter Clarel stores in Portugal to focus on food retail
Spanish retail group DIA will close its Clarel personal and home care chain in Portugal to focus on food retail, according to a report in Dinheiro Vivo. The move will see the closure of 41 of 71 Clarel shops in the areas of the country where the Minipreço supermarket chain already has a strong presence. 12 outlets will be transformed into new Minipreço supermarkets, boosting the group's capacity to respond to increasing consumer demand.
Source: esmmagazine.com
AEON partners Boxed Wholesale in Malaysia
AEON has announced a partnership with US-based Boxed Wholesale to accelerate digitalisation of its stores. The tie-up will see the retailer using the ecommerce company’s technology to expand AEON’s offering in the online space. AEON will use Boxed Wholesale’s solution to create a storefront platform and inventory-picking software for its virtual mall, which will be rolled out in Q2 2021. It will support AEON’s 4,000 tenants in malls throughout the country.
Source: retailanalysis.igd.com
New Zealand: Countdown launches micro-fulfilment tech to make online shopping 5 times faster
Countdown has unveiled the next generation of online shopping in New Zealand, with brand new technology that sorts and moves products directly to its team of 200 personal shoppers in Countdown’s Penrose eStore in Auckland. Known as micro-fulfilment centres, the state-of-the-art automated storage units can hold up to 11,000 of the most in-demand grocery products, enabling Countdown’s personal shoppers to access these easily without having to walk up and down different aisles. Fresh food and perishables such as fruit, deli, bakery goods, vegetables and meat will continue to be hand-selected to order.
Source: countdown.co.nz
Vegan Freso, the first vegan supermarket in the Netherlands
The first 100% vegan supermarket opened in Amsterdam last Friday. Founder James Fresco speaks of "a logical step". The supermarket, located in the Jan Evertsenstraat in Amsterdam-West, was named Vegan Fresco. The range consists exclusively of vegan and plant-based products.
Source: retaildetail.eu
Portugal: Sonae MC sees 9.6% sales growth in 2020
Portuguese retailer Sonae MC reported turnover of €5.1bln last year, an increase of 9.6% compared to 2019, according to results. The biggest contribution came from the group's supermarkets, where sales increased 12.8% to €2.5bln, while hypermarkets registered a more modest increase (+6.4%), to €1.7bln, it said. Like-for-like sales were up 9.2% for supermarkets and 6.4% higher for hypermarkets, equating to a total LFL growth of 6.6%.
Source: esmmagazine.com
Foreign grocery retail chains invest EUR900mln in Romania in 2020
7 of the modern grocery retail chains in Romania have opened new stores in 2020, despite the COVID-19 pandemic. In all, 421 new hypermarkets, supermarkets, modern convenience and discount stores were inaugurated, making 2020 the second best year for expansion after 2019. Profi opened most stores, 237 for a total of 1,404, Mega Image 90 for a total of more than 850, Lidl 33 (289), Carrefour 24 (368), Penny Market 20 (276), Kaufland 10 (138), Auchan 7 (69). Metro Cash & Carry, Selgros Cash & Carry and Cora did not open and new stores, so they operate with 30, 23 and 11 stores.
Source: agroberichtenbuitenland.nl
Russia: McDonald’s and Pyaterochka set up the first in-store fast food restaurant
X5 Retail Group, a leading Russian food retailer, and McDonald's announce an update on their pilot project to open fast food outlets in the Group's stores and the launch of the first McDonald's in a Pyaterochka store in Moscow at 9 Volotskoy Lane. The restaurant can be accessed both from the street and from inside the store. It also has a drive-thru option for customers in motor vehicles and offers a delivery service.
Source: x5.ru
UK: London starts using Getir, Turkish delivery app
Getir, a major online delivery service in Turkey, has begun operating in London, its co-founder proclaimed. Nazim Salur, the co-founder and CEO of the fast-delivery startup Getir tweeted that “Getir is now in London. We will endear this two-syllable Turkish word there, too”.
Source: menafn.com