US: Costco Wholesale Corporation reports second quarter and year-to-date operating results for fiscal 2021 and February sales results
Costco Wholesale Corporation (“Costco” or the “Company”) announced its operating results for the second quarter (12 weeks) and the first 24 weeks of fiscal 2021, ended February 14, 2021. Net sales for the quarter increased 14.7%, to $43.89bln, from $38.26bln last year. Net sales for the first 24 weeks increased 15.8%, to $86.23bln, from $74.49bln last year.
Source: globenewswire.com
US: BJ’s CEO Lee Delaney cites ‘transformational progress’ in fiscal 2020
Robust grocery and digital sales helped propel BJ’s Wholesale Club to double-digit net and comparable-club sales growth for its 2020 fourth quarter and fiscal year. BJ’s said that net sales rose 13.7% to $3.86bln from $3.39bln in the quarter ended January 30. Membership fee income climbed 11% to $86.1mln. Comparable-club sales were up 13% year over year and, excluding fuel, advanced 15.9%, the Westborough, Massachusetts-based warehouse club chain reported.
Source: supermarketnews.com
US: Albertsons Companies launches pilot of remote-controlled delivery cart in Northern California
Albertsons Companies announced that it has partnered with Tortoise, an automated logistics company focused on last-mile solutions, to pilot its remote-controlled zero-emission delivery cart in Northern California. The Safeway cart, powered by Tortoise, is equipped with a camera and a speaker and is guided through the neighborhood by a remote operator. The cart can hold up to 120 pounds of groceries in 4 lockable containers for a contactless delivery experience. When the cart arrives at a home, the customer receives a text to come outside and pick up their groceries. The carts are specifically designed to deliver groceries and parcels in a safe manner - at an average speed of 3 mph and powered 100% by an electric battery.
Source: businesswire.com
US: Sprouts Farmers Market to open 20 stores in 2021
Sprouts Farmers Market has revealed its intention to open about 20 new stores in 2021, including 4 with a new smaller format in accordance with a previously unveiled strategy, and 1 store relocation. The openings also include 10 stores in Florida, where the grocer has been growing its presence rapidly since 2018 and now operates 23 locations. Further, Sprouts will open 2 new local produce distribution centers this year, 1 in Aurora, Colorado, this month and the other in Orlando, Florida, later in the year. The new DCs will enable supply chain efficiencies by situating stores within 250 miles of them.
Source: progressivegrocer.com
French retailer Auchan raises cost-saving goal as profitability rises
France’s Auchan raised its cost savings goal under its so-called Renaissance revival plan, which boosted 2020 profitability at its retail arm despite the COVID-19 pandemic. Auchan, which reduced debt sharply last year with the sale of its Chinese subsidiary Sun Art Retail Group to Alibaba Group Holdings, posted a 27% jump in core profit in 2020 and said it would continue to sell some non-core assets in the first half of this year. “Spurred on by its ongoing recovery, Auchan Retail is seeking to sustain this momentum in 2021”, the group said in a statement.
Source: reuters.com
Belgium: Living in Brussels? Deliveroo will offer Carrefour groceries
The supermarket chain Carrefour has partnered with Deliveroo to deliver groceries to residents of Brussels. For now the service is only available in the Belgian capital, but Carrefour intends to extend coverage to Antwerp, Ghent, and Liège at the end of March.
Source: brusselstimes.com
Andrius Jurgelevičius to head Barbora in the Baltic states
Lithuanian retailer Maxima Grupė has announced the appointment of Andrius Jurgelevičius as the manager of its online grocery business Barbora in the Baltic States. He has served as the head of commerce at Barbora for the past 6 years and has worked in the company since its establishment.
Source: esmmagazine.com
Russia: X5 continues to see growth from digital channels
Russian retailer X5 Retail Group achieved solid growth across its digital delivery services in February, boosting its market share in the country's capital. Sales generated by express delivery from Pyaterochka and Perekrestok stores as well as the Okolo delivery aggregator in February 2021 totalled RUB2.1bln, while the number of orders exceeded 1.3mln (not including Vprok.ru).
Source: esmmagazine.com
Iraq: TipTop apps launch ceremony in Erbil 
TipTop, an Iraqi food & grocery delivery company, held a launch event for its mobile applications in Erbil at Rotana Hotel - Erbil. Founder & CEO, Mr. Hasan A., stated: "TipTop will be a friend to all people & it will solve people's problems at home too!" and that the idea of establishing the company was based on a shortage in the local market, according to which customers wanted to deliver more different foods to their places of residence at maximum speed and in safe ways. TipTop product delivery apps rely mainly on modern technology to fill those gaps in the target market.
Source: prnewswire.com
UK: Morrisons leads green farming revolution with pledge to have first net zero British farms by 2030
Morrisons has pledged to be the first supermarket to be completely supplied by ‘net zero’ carbon British farms by 2030, 5 years ahead of the market. Over the next 9 years, Morrisons will work with its 3,000 farmers and growers to produce affordable net zero carbon meat, poultry, fruit and vegetables. Morrisons expects that the first products to reach net zero carbon status will be eggs as early as 2022, followed by lamb, fruit, vegetables, pork and beef in the years to follow.
Source: morrisons-corporate.com
Thailand: Central Retail's food department declines by -7%
Central Food Retail under Central Retail operates across many different banners and formats, including Central Food Hall, Tops market, Tops Superstore, Tops daily and FamilyMart convenience stores. Overall sales has declined by -7% to THB74,683mln (US$2,463mln), with Thailand decreasing -14%, while Vietnam growing by 5%.
Source: retailanalysis.igd.com
Denmark: Irma introduces vertically grown salads in Copenhagen
Coop Denmark has announced that it has introduced vertically grown salads in 35 large-format Irma stores in Copenhagen. The retailer has teamed up with vertical farming company Infarm for its latest offering - Crystal Salat (Crystal Salad) and Salat Trio (Salad Trio). The latest rollout follows the success of store-grown herbs, introduced last year in all 69 Irma stores.
Source: esmmagazine.com
UK: Dija launches 10-minute deliveries as online grocery space heats up again
As grocery delivery continues its rapid growth, Dija, a fresh-faced London start-up, has launched its 10-minute services in areas of the city. Founded by former senior Deliveroo employees, Dija swiftly raised $20mln from Blossom Capital, Index Ventures and others at the end of last year. Now the start-up is preparing for launch and to ramp up operations in London’s South Kensington, Fulham and Hackney with 2 more locations to follow.
Source: forbes.com