UK: Southern Co-op stores join food waste initiative
11 co-operative stores in Berkshire, Dorset, Somerset, and Wiltshire have been selected to take part in a trial selling selected products past their ‘best before’ date. An initial trial of the ‘Reducing our Foodprint’ took place at 2 Hampshire stores and proved a success with the majority of products being sold within a day of being reduced. Examples of products included in the reduction initiative include tinned fruit and veg, dried pasta and rice, confectionery, selected condiments, sugar and sweeteners, coffee, tea, and jams, as well as chilled products such as soft fruit and fruit juices.
Source: talkingretail.com
Africa's biggest supermarket chain is betting on solar power
Despite South Africa averaging more than 2,500 hours of sunshine a year, solar energy generates less than 1% of its electricity. By contrast, the UK produces 4% of its electricity from solar, with considerably less sunshine. South African supermarket Shoprite sees a missed opportunity. The chain is the continent's largest food retailer, with 140,000 employees and more than 2,000 stores across 14 countries. It wants renewable energy to fuel a quarter of its operations in the next 5 years.
Source: edition.cnn.com
UK: Amazon reveals new concept in London: a... hairdressing salon
For some time now, Amazon has been far more than just an e-commerce giant. The group continuously proves this by launching all kinds of physical store concepts. The latest innovation will soon open up in London: a hairdressing salon with a name that may sound familiar: Amazon Salon.
Source: retaildetail.eu
UK: Welcoming 4 innovative, new brands to the Tesco Incubator Programme
Tesco reported: "The Tesco Incubator Programme welcomes 4 new brands to the cohort as we continue to support the development and scale-up of innovative and unique products for our customers. As part of the Spring intake we’re welcoming plant-based or veg-focused brands: Mighty Pea - a plant-based milk; Lean and Greens - meat and veg rich, high protein burgers - helping customers who want to include more veg in their diets; Nimble - a plant-based steriliser for baby products; and Tenzing - a natural, all plant-based energy drink - the world’s first carbon negative energy drink".
Source: tescoplc.com
Spain: Mercadona posts sales growth of 5.5% in FY 2020
Supermarket chain Mercadona has posted a year-on-year consolidated sales growth of 5.5%, to €26.9bln, in its financial year 2020. Sales in the retail chain’s 20 stores in Portugal contributed €186mln to this total. The company’s net profit amounted to €727mln, up 17% year-on-year, after sharing €409mln in bonuses of employees and €364mln in taxes. It created approximately 5,000 new jobs to end 2020 with a workforce of 95,000 people with a permanent contract.
Source: esmmagazine.com
Australia: Coles signs 2 major new offtake deals with Neoen and Engie
Australian retail giant Coles Group has locked in 2 major new renewable energy deals, signing agreements with Engie and Neoen to buy large-scale generation certificates (LGCs) - but not the actual power - from a range of already operational wind and solar projects across 4 states.
Source: reneweconomy.com.au
UK: Poundland rolls out chilled & frozen offering to another 46 shops
Poundland has started rolling out its chilled and frozen food offer to another 46 stores as part of wider ambitions to bring the offering to a total of 250 stores by early autumn. Work on converting the 46 stores in question will kick off this week in phase III of the rollout of what is known internally as Project Diamond Ice.
Source: retailgazette.co.uk
Uber Eats launches in Germany
Uber Eats will launch in Germany over the next few weeks. It will be the US company’s biggest entry to a new country since 2018. By launching its food delivery service in Germany, Uber Eats wants to break the “monopolistic stranglehold” Just Eat Takeaway.com has on the German food delivery market. The US company told the Financial Times that Germany is a strategically important country for them, as they strive for profitability for the first time this year.
Source: ecommercenews.eu
US: Amazon is bringing palm-scanning payment system to Whole Foods stores
Amazon is bringing its palm-scanning payment system to a Whole Foods store in Seattle, the company announced, with rollout planned for other locations. Previously, the technology was available only at a dozen of Amazon’s physical stores. Amazon said it has signed up thousands of users of the system.
Source: cnbc.com
Canada: Metro reports Q2 profit and sales up from year ago
Metro Inc. reported a second-quarter profit of $188.1mln, up from $176.2mln a year ago, as its sales rose 5%. The grocery and drugstore retailer says the profit amounted to 75 cents per diluted share for the quarter ended March 13, up from 69 cents per share a year ago. Sales in the quarter totalled $4.19bln, up from $3.99bln in the second quarter of 2020. Food same-store sales were up 5.5%, while pharmacy same-store sales were down 0.8%.
Source: canadiangrocer.com
US: Stop & Shop’s Worcester Massachusetts-area stores pilot Flashfood program to reduce food waste & help local shoppers save
As part of its commitment to provide customers with fresh, healthy items at a great value, Stop & Shop has launched a pilot program for the Flashfood mobile app at 4 of its Worcester-area stores in Massachusetts. The free app gives shoppers access to exclusive deals on items including meat, produce, seafood, dairy, deli and bakery, which are nearing their best-by date. In addition to offering great deals for customers, the app also helps Stop & Shop in its goal to reduce food waste by 50% by 2030. Stop & Shop is the first retailer in Massachusetts to offer the program.
Source: globenewswire.com
US: 75+ Tops stores to get solar power
Tops Markets LLC and Convergent Energy + Power, a provider of energy storage solutions, have joined forces to deliver more renewable energy to more than 75 of the grocer’s stores, in the form of farms pairing community solar with battery storage. Convergent’s solar-plus-storage projects provide access to solar energy regardless of whether the sun is shining and reduce New York state’s reliance on power plants during peak demand hours.
Source: progressivegrocer.com