Amazon must ‘do a better job’ for its workers, says Jeff Bezos
Amazon needs to “do a better job” for its employees, Jeff Bezos told shareholders in his final letter as chief executive of the online giant, but he also pushed back against criticism of the company’s work practices. Bezos, who reclaimed his title as the world’s richest person this year, said that Amazon’s recent defeat of an attempt by some workers to form the company’s first union in Alabama did not bring him “comfort”.
Source: theguardian.com
US: Food is Gen Z's top spending priority, survey finds
Gen Z has shown a preference for healthy eating, including more organic and natural foods that are free of additives. This is largely because they are growing up during an age of health and wellness where consumers are paying more attention to the ingredients list compared to prior generations. However, while more than half of teens in the spring 2021 Piper Sandler survey reported preferring healthy snacks, only 3% listed fruits, vegetables or nuts as a favorite snack item.
Source: fooddive.com
US: Kiwibot launches next-generation robot 4.0 in partnership with Knight Foundation, Chick-Fil-A, and announces manufacturing cooperation with Segway
Kiwibot, a robotic delivery service that has completed over 150,000 food deliveries with semi-autonomous robots, is announcing the launch of their next-generation Kiwibot 4.0. The robots are already cruising the streets of Santa Monica, and by the beginning of May 2021, for those who order through local Shopify-powered portals, the service will extend across Los Angeles, San Jose, Miami, Pittsburg, and Detroit.
Source: prnewswire.com
US Foods releases 2020 Corporate Social Responsibility Report
US Foods Holding Corp. announced the launch of the company’s 2020 Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Report. The report highlights progress against the company’s ongoing commitment to caring for people, protecting the environment, and providing responsibly sourced and sustainable products.
Source: businesswire.com
US: Target is testing a new approach to get packages to customers’ doors even faster
Target is testing a new way to deliver online orders in the Minneapolis area with a special facility that sorts packages and contract workers from Shipt that help drop them off at customers’ homes. Chief Operating Officer John Mulligan said the retailer plans to expand the model as it opens 5 more sortation centers by the end of the fiscal year. The retailer’s strategy could make e-commerce sales more profitable and fend off larger and sometimes speedier rivals like Amazon and Walmart.
Source: cnbc.com
US: Walmart invests in self-driving car company
Walmart Inc. has made an investment in Cruise, a San Francisco-based company with an all-electric fleet of self-driving cars powered by 100% renewable energy. “The investment will aid our work toward developing a last-mile delivery ecosystem that’s fast, low-cost and scalable,” noted John Furner, president and CEO, Walmart U.S., in a blog post.
Source: progressivegrocer.com
SPAR multi-format strategy driving rapid expansion in Poland
SPAR Poland is rapidly expanding thanks to its multi-format strategy encompassing company-owned and independent retailer operated stores. Focusing on local entrepreneurship and suppliers, the new SPAR stores offer customers a great range of fresh products and locally sourced products delivered with high levels of customer service.
Source: spar-international.com
UK: London-based veg box company expands in Wales and southwest England
A fruit and vegetable delivery service based in London is expanding its operations to South Wales and southwest England. Oddbox, which used ‘too odd’ or ‘too many’ fruit and vegetables directly from growers, has announced an expansion west, and includes Bristol, Cardiff and Gloucester.
Source: business-live.co.uk
Two-thirds of urban Indians plan to increase online shopping
YouGov's latest research reveals that two-thirds of urban Indians (67%) plan to increase the use of online shopping or delivery services once the pandemic is over. YouGov's new report offers an overview of changing consumer attitudes and behaviours in 17 global markets. 4 out of 5 urban Indian consumers claim their regular shopping habits have changed during the pandemic. Consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables increased among urban Indians but intake of junk food decreased during this time.
Source: menafn.com
Amazon opens its third UK grocery store
Just 6 weeks after Amazon debuted its new ‘just walk out’ grocery store format in the UK, the online giant has opened a third outlet in London. The Amazon Fresh store in White City, one of London’s busiest shopping areas, is similar in size to the first 2 sites in Ealing and Wembley Park. It features the same cutting-edge sensor and camera technology that allows shoppers to simply place items in their bag and then be automatically billed when they leave.
Source: kamcity.com
First Belgian online supermarket starts on Monday
Hopr, Belgium's first online supermarket, will start its activities next Monday, 19 April. Trialling in Hasselt, the goal is to expand to the whole of Belgium by 2026. Hopr will start with its first small-scale deliveries in the capital of Limburg, the province in the North-East of Belgium. If they go as planned, all inhabitants of Hasselt will be able to order at the new company by the end of this month. Ambitions do not end there, though: a gradual expansion should lead to the Dutch-speaking part of Belgium, and perhaps even the country's entire territory, being covered in 5 years' time.
Source: retaildetail.eu
UK shopper confidence stable in March, IGD says
Shopper confidence remained stable in the UK in March at -4, which is also the highest since January 2020, latest data from IGD’s Shopper Confidence Index has revealed. It is also the highest level in over a year and results from the easing of lockdown restrictions, the rollout of the vaccine, and Easter.
Source: esmmagazine.com