Aeon announces Ocado Group powered CFC in Hachioji, Japan
Japanese retailer Aeon has taken the next step in its Ocado Group tie up with the roll-out of a customer fulfilment centre (CFC) in Hachioji. This will bolster its capacity in the Tokyo region as the online grocery market in Japan continues to grow.
Source: retailtechinnovationhub.com
UK: It's a-sprout to go down! Aldi slashes super 6 Christmas veg prices to just 9p 
Aldi reported: "Aldi’s cult favourite Christmas Super Six deals returned earlier this month much to the delight of shoppers. Now, prices at the Multiple Fruit and Vegetable Retailer of the Year (FPC Fresh Awards 2021) just got even better with the festive veg staples being slashed to just 9p from Christmas Eve, helping to reduce potential food waste. To help Christmas cooks avoid breaking the bank this season, Aldi has once again reduced the price of its 6 most popular Christmas veggies including Carrots (1kg), White Potatoes (2kg), Parsnips (500g), Red and White Cabbages (each), Swede (each) and Brussels Sprouts (500g)".
Source: aldipresscentre.co.uk
Holland: Albert Heijn introduces Christmas Menu from top chefs
Albert Heijn is rolling out a special Christmas menu prepared by top Dutch chefs in more than 30 cities. 5 chefs from the Bergpaviljoen, Daalder, Barrage, Ron Gastrobar and Kruidfabriek restaurants have put together a Christmas menu in collaboration with Thuis uit Eten, which shoppers can put together easily.
Source: esmmagazine.com
Russia: Mercury Retail announces new board of directors
Russian convenience store operator Mercury Retail has announced the appointment of a new board of directors. The board consists of 6 directors, including Mercury Retail’s 3 majority shareholders - Igor Kesaev, Sergei Studennikov and Sergei Katsiev - as well as 3 independent non-executive directors.
Source: esmmagazine.com
Amazon sues financial crime agency in latest twist of Indian battle
Amazon.com Inc is taking India's financial crime fighting agency to court, seeking to quash an investigation into one of its 2019 deals, a court filing seen by Reuters shows.
Source: reuters.com
Romania: Penny announces new sustainability initiative
REWE Group's Penny retail chain in Romania has pledged to make 300 stores greener by 2029 by adopting BREEAM - the sustainability assessment method for buildings. The initiative will see the retailer re-certify new stores across its network with BREEAM every 3 years.
Source: esmmagazine.com
Selfridges sold to Thai and Austrian alliance in $5bln deal
Luxury British store chain Selfridges is being sold to a Thai retailer and an Austrian property company in a deal that a source close to the matter said was worth around 4bln pounds ($5.37bln). Thailand's Central Group and Austrian real estate company Signa Group, which already jointly own major department stores across Europe, said they had struck a deal for the chain best known for its Oxford Street store in London.
Source: reuters.com
Waitrose and Alliance announce new partnership
Waitrose has announced a new partnership with Channel Island convenience store chain Alliance as it expands its presence in Jersey. More than a thousand Waitrose products will become available in Alliance's 4 Jersey shops in the new year. They will first be introduced at Alliance’s St Ouen shop in March, before launching in the St Helier stores in Sand Street, Walker House and Broad Street in the weeks that follow.
Source: waitrose.pressarea.com
India: Zomato-backed Blinkit sets up 300 partner stores to enable 10-minute grocery delivery
Online grocery delivery firm Blinkit, previously Grofers, has set up 300 partner stores across the country through which it is enabling grocery delivery in 10 minutes, founder and CEO Albinder Dhindsa said in a blog. The announcement comes soon after the company decided to pull the plugs in areas it wasn't able to deliver groceries in 10 minutes.
Source: moneycontrol.com
Poland: Biedronka announces pay increases for employees
Polish retailer Biedronka has announced an increase in the monthly salaries of employees working in its stores and distribution centres, effective 1 January. Monthly salaries will rise by 8% on average, depending on an employee's experience, individual role and position within the company, the retailer said. The move will see more than 60,000 employees get a pay increase, with the Jerónimo Martins-owned chain investing an additional PLN142mln (€30.7mln).
Source: esmmagazine.com
China: Dada Group participates in drafting CCFA's Retail Digitalization Terminology
Dada Group, China's leading local on-demand delivery and retail platform, participated in drafting "Terminology of Retail Digitalization" initiated by China Chain Store & Franchise Association's (CCFA). This terminology was the 1st comprehensive standards about digital transformation in the retail industry.
Source: prnewswire.com
Amazon workers stage pre-Christmas walkout at 2 Chicago-area delivery facilitiesDozens of Amazon warehouse employees staged a walkout at 2 Chicago-area delivery stations to demand higher pay and better working conditions, disrupting operations just days before Christmas. The work stoppages began at about 4:30 a.m. in west suburban Cicero and 8 a.m. at the Gage Park facility on Chicago's Southwest Side, according to Amazonians United Chicagoland, an organization representing local Amazon warehouse workers.
Source: techxplore.com
Charts: Online grocery sales in the U.S.
Ecommerce will account for over 20% of U.S. grocery sales by 2025. That’s according to a new report from Incisiv, a research firm, and Mercātus, digital-focused grocery consultants. The study “eGrocery’s New Reality: The Pandemic’s Lasting Impact on U.S. Grocery Shopper Behavior”, investigates U.S. online grocery shopper behavior and changes in shopping preferences in 2020 and beyond. It’s based in part on a 2021 survey of roughly 40,000 U.S. grocery customers with input from regional grocers.
Source: practicalecommerce.com
US Foods holiday drive campaign raises nearly 300,000 meals for Feeding America
US Foods Holding Corp. announced that the company will donate $30,000, the equivalent of nearly 300,000 meals, to Feeding America as part of its Giving Gratitude holiday campaign, a month-long effort dedicated to supporting communities struggling with food insecurity. The campaign supports the company’s ongoing commitment to fighting hunger through product donations, monetary contributions and volunteer activities. In 2021, US Foods donated more than $20mln in product and supplies to food banks across the country to help fight hunger in local communities, the equivalent of more than 12mln pounds of food and supplies.
Source: businesswire.com