US: Sunbasket becomes 1st direct-to-consumer meal delivery service available on Instacart nationwide
Sunbasket announced a new partnership with Instacart, the leading online grocery platform in North America, to offer its extensive line of Fresh & Ready prepared meals, meal kits and grocery add-ons on the Instacart Marketplace across the U.S. Now, customers can order Sunbasket meal options a la carte, on the Sunbasket storefront on Instacart.
Source: prnewswire.com
US: Publix to hire 30,000 associates in fourth quarter of 2021
Publix plans to hire approximately 30,000 associates across the company’s seven-state operating area through the remainder of the year. The company will hire associates to work in stores, distribution centers and manufacturing facilities for nonseasonal positions.
Source: businesswire.com
US: Skogen’s Festival Foods buying 3 Trig’s Stores
Skogen’s Festival Foods has revealed plans to buy Trig’s stores in Wausau, Weston and Stevens Point, Wisconsin, from the T.A. Solberg Co., according to a blog post. With the acquisition, Skogen’s Festival Foods will operate 39 full-service supermarkets in Wisconsin.
Source: progressivegrocer.com
US: Sam’s Club adds better-for-you meal service
Sam’s Club has partnered with meal delivery service Fresh n’ Lean to enable members to receive a selection of healthy, quick-to-prepare meals at their doorsteps. This week, Bentonville, Arkansas-based Sam’s Club began offering three Fresh n’ Lean meal plans to club members. Each plan includes 5 heat-and-eat meals and costs $58.98 for standard members and $53.98 for Plus members.
Source: supermarketnews.com
UK: Morrisons chair promises 'good Christmas' for shoppers
The chairman of supermarket chain Morrisons has insisted the supermarket will be able to deliver a "good" Christmas for customers despite supply chain issues. Andy Higginson said he was "not worried" about logistical issues with supermarkets supplying products. He said the issues were "well publicised" and "slightly overblown". His comments come just 2 days after US private equity firm CD&R won an auction to buy Morrisons. The takeover will mark a return to the UK grocery sector for Terry Leahy, the former chief executive of Tesco, who is a senior adviser to CD&R.
Source: bbc.com
Hungary: SPAR upgrades Budapest store portfolio
SPAR Hungary has opened a new SPAR Supermarket in Budapest, bringing convenient shopping options to more residents and visitors of the city. The SPAR country operator has also refurbished 3 existing SPAR stores, making them more environmentally friendly. SPAR Hungary’s general expansion scheme focuses on customers’ changing needs, boosting product availability, convenience, and ease of navigation instore. Apart from well-stocked fresh produce and bakery departments, the store also features a large selection of items under the SPAR enjoy brand. This convenience range presents high-quality products that cater to different nutritional needs and preferences.
Source: spar-international.com
UK: Aldi hiring temporary store colleagues this Christmas
Aldi is hiring more than 1,500 people to work in its UK stores on a temporary basis over the Christmas period as it gears up for its biggest-ever Christmas. The supermarket is looking for people to support its permanent colleagues by working on the checkouts, replenishing stock, as well as picking and packing orders made through its click and collect service.
Source: aldipresscentre.co.uk
Spain: Eroski sees surge in operating profit in first half
Spanish retailer Eroski has reported a 63% increase in operating profit in the first half of its financial year, to €105.9mln. The retailer reported a turnover of €2.25mln in the period, which is down on the corresponding period last year, but roughly on a par with what it recorded in the same period in 2019.
Source: esmmagazine.com
Turkey to open 1,000 markets to counter high inflation: Erdoğan
Turkey has ordered agricultural cooperatives to open about 1,000 new markets across the country to provide “suitable” prices for consumer goods, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said. “Markets run by Agricultural Credit Cooperatives are convenient in terms of prices and quality,” Erdoğan told reporters after visiting an agricultural credit cooperative outlet in Istanbul.
Source: hurriyetdailynews.com
Grab to take majority stake in Indonesia e-wallet OVO
Southeast Asian ride-hailing and payments firm Grab will more than double its stake in Indonesian e-wallet OVO to 90%, the Indonesian firm said, pending approval from regulators.
Source: reuters.com
Discounter Lidl to open first stores in Latvia this week
Lidl has announced that it plans to open its first 15 stores in Latvia this week, as it formally commences operations in the country. The discounter will open stores in Rīga, Liepāja, Ventspils, Tukums, Jelgava, Ogre, Valmiera, Jēkabpils, Rēzekne and Daugavpils this Thursday (7 October).
Source: esmmagazine.com
UK: Sainsbury’s shares rise as it is tipped as next takeover target
Sainsbury’s was the top riser on the FTSE 100 as investors bet that the supermarket chain could be the next target for a takeover after the US firm Fortress, which narrowly missed out in an auction battle for Morrisons over the weekend, said it was still keen on buying a UK company. Shares in Sainsbury’s rose by almost 5% to 298p, while Tesco was also one of the best performers on the UK’s index of blue-chip stocks, up 2% at 253p, as traders speculated where Fortress and other private equity firms might focus their attention.
Source: theguardian.com
Delhaize Belgium sees sales of vegetarian products up 15%
Delhaize Belgium has seen a 15% increase in the sales of vegetarian products over the past 2 years, which it says was the 'strongest growth ever' for the category in its stores.
Source: esmmagazine.com
Latvija: Maxima invests €1.3mln in 10 new-concept stores
Retailer Maxima has invested €1.3mln to rollout its 'My Store' concept in 10 stores, which it says will bring significant changes for the convenience of customers and employees. Evija Grīnberga, director of Maxima Latvija, said: "We have started the transformation of Maxima stores according to a single concept, taking them one step further and adapting them to the needs of employees and customers." To date, Maxima has opened 10 stores under its 'My Store'concept - 4 in Riga, 2 in Liepaja and 1 each in Rezekne, Daugavpils, Ikšķile and Aluksne. The Maxima X format stores offer a wide range of Meistara Marka takeaway meals, fresh fruit and vegetable, as well as other popular, high-quality products at affordable prices.
Source: esmmagazine.com