US: H-E-B releases plans for increasing Texas presence
Aiming to better serve the needs of Central Texas residents, H-E-B has released plans for a second store in the city of Leander. Spanning more than 103,000 square feet, Leander’s newest H-E-B, which will be located at 19348 Ronald W. Reagan Boulevard in the new Bar W Marketplace, is slated to begin construction early next year, with a grand opening scheduled for November 17.
Source: progressivegrocer.com
US: Whole Foods Market reveals Top 10 food trends for 2022
Whole Foods Market global buyers and experts unveiled their top 10 anticipated food trends for 2022 in the retailer’s 7th-annual Trends predictions. Buzz-less spirits, yuzu, Reducetarianism and functional beverages made with prebiotics and botanicals are among the food influences expected to rise in popularity in the next year.
Source: businesswire.com
US: Amazon plans to hire 150,000 temporary workers for the holidays
Amazon plans to add 150,000 temporary workers in the United States for the holiday shopping rush, a 50% increase from the company's holiday hiring push a year ago.
Source: edition.cnn.com
US: Albertsons sees second-quarter rebound
Albertsons Cos. topped the high end of Wall Street’s earnings forecast for its fiscal 2021 second quarter as net and identical sales surpassed last year’s pandemic-driven gains. For the 12-week quarter ended September 11, net sales and other revenue rose 4.7% to nearly $16.51bln from $15.76bln in the comparable period a year earlier, Albertsons reported.
Source: supermarketnews.com
US: Wegmans readies for opening of first D.C. store
Wegmans Food Markets has begun hiring for its first store in Washington, D.C., due to open next summer. Rochester, New York-based Wegmans said that it plans to employ about 450 people at the 84,000 square-foot supermarket, including 150 full-time positions. Most of the workers will be hired locally, the regional grocer added.
Source: supermarketnews.com
Shares in Brazil's Lojas Americanas rise as retailer considers merger
Shares in Brazilian retailers Lojas Americanas SA and Americanas SA were up after the companies announced that they are considering a full merger and listing on Brazilian stock exchange B3’s Novo Mercado. Lojas Americanas shares soared 17% to 6.23 reais in morning trading, while those of Americanas SA were up 2% at 38.21 reais.
Source: reuters.com
Grocery sales down 2.2% in Ireland as shoppers return to socialising: Kantar
Grocery sales fell by 2.2% in Ireland in the 12 weeks to 3 October, Kantar has said, however spending is still up 9.4% on the same period in 2019. Online sales continue to gain ground, with the latest 4 week period seeing online grocery sales rise 7.1% year-on-year, with an additional €3mln spent through the channel.
Source: esmmagazine.com
UK: Amazon offers bonuses of up to £3,000 in run-up to ChristmasOnline retail giant Amazon is to offer one-off payments of up to £3,000 in order to attract staff in UK regions where there is high demand for labour. The online retailer is hiring for 20,000 positions across its UK network during the festive season.
Source: bbc.com
Hong Kong: Wellcome unveils new fresh store format
Hong Kong supermarket chain, Wellcome, has introduced a new store concept called ‘Wellcome Fresh’, housing a “mega-collection” of products and an in-store Food Street. Located inside The Westwood shopping centre, the Wellcome Fresh store spans more than 50,000sq ft, marking Hong Kong’s largest supermarket yet. The Fresh Produce zone stocks a collection of fruit and vegetables sourced from Southeast Asia, Australia, Europe and the US.
Source: rli.uk.com
German supermarket chain Lidl preparing to enter Ukraine
Germany's supermarket chain Lidl, owned by the largest European retailer Schwarz Group, is preparing to start operations in Ukraine, Ukrinform reports, citing the Lebensmittelzeitung news site. "The Schwarz Group is tackling the next big market: Ukraine. Lidl is supposed to compete there against the local discounter ATB, which already has a branch network of around 1,200 stores", the statement reads.
Source: ukrinform.net
JD Logistics spotlights air cargo and automated warehouses for global expansion
JD Logistics is planning an air freight cargo company which has been recently approved by Chinese authorities, and eyeing to expand its integrated supply chain services globally with solid logistics infrastructure, services and technologies, according to Yui Yu, CEO of Logistics in a recent interview with Bloomberg.
Source: jdcorporateblog.com
Gorillas secures close to 1blnUSD in Series C funding, raising the largest European round in its sector to date
Gorillas, the European market leader in instant on-demand grocery delivery, has successfully raised close to 1blnUSD in a Series C funding round. It is the largest funding of a non-listed business Europe's grocery delivery sector has seen to date.
Source: prnewswire.com
Christel Delberghe to lead EuroCommerce
EuroCommerce, the business federation of the European retail and wholesale sector, chose an internal candidate to succeed director-general Christian Verschueren: Christel Delberghe has worked for the organisation for 20 years.
Source: retaildetail.eu
UK: Tesco takes on Amazon Go with launch of ‘just walk out’ store
Tesco is fighting back against Amazon with its first “just walk out” store, where it is possible to buy groceries without having to scan items or visit a till. The supermarket’s GetGo store in Holborn, central London, follows a small trial of a similar store at Tesco head office in Welwyn Garden City, which has been selling goods to the retailer’s staff since 2019.
Source: theguardian.com
Chinese e-commerce giant JD.com embarks on physical conquest of Europe in Leiden
The Chinese e-commerce giant JD.com is coming to the Netherlands... with a brick-and-mortar store in Leiden. Under the name Ochama - to prevent any confusion with JD Sports - the world's third-largest e-tailer will open its doors on November 11th.
Source: retaildetail.eu
UK: Asda's deal to sell petrol forecourts to EG Group terminated
Asda, the British supermarket chain, and EG Group have terminated a deal that would have seen EG buy Asda's petrol forecourts for £750mln ($1.03bln), the 2 companies said. Both Asda and EG are owned by Zuber and Mohsin Issa and private equity group TDR Capital.
Source: esmmagazine.com
Russian discount store chain Mere to enter Bosnia - report
Russian discount store chain Mere plans to open 50 to 80 supermarkets in several cities in Bosnia and Herzegovina, local media reported. Mere's first supermarket in the Balkan country will open in the capital Sarajevo in January 2022, online magazine Avaz reported quoted Kemal Muratovic, director at Express Consulting.
Source: seenews.com
UK: Morrisons investors set to rubber stamp $10bln CD&R takeover
Shareholders in supermarket group Morrisons are expected to approve a 7bln pound ($9.6bln) offer by U.S. private equity firm Clayton, Dubilier & Rice (CD&R), bringing the curtain down on Britain’s most fiercely contested takeover this year.
Source: reuters.com
UK supermarket sales growth falls as shoppers rebalance spend ahead of Q4, Nielsen reports
Total Till grocery sales have slowed to -0.7% in the last 4 weeks ending 9th October 2021, as UK shoppers begin to rebalance their spending habits, and against high comparatives with growing concerns around rising energy and fuel costs reveals new data released by NielsenIQ.
Source: retailtimes.co.uk
Britain's Asda to hire 15,000 Christmas workersBritish supermarket group Asda said it plans to recruit 15,000 temporary workers for the Christmas trading period, joining a battle for staff in a tight labour market.
Source: reuters.com