Australia: Supermarkets struggle to keep up with demand as COVID-19 spreads among workers
Rapidly climbing COVID case numbers are being blamed for increasingly bare shelves in New South Wales supermarkets. Customers across the state may have noticed shortages of produce, mostly fresh fruit, vegetables and meat at some major supermarkets. Woolworths said the ongoing health crisis had caused major logistical disruptions.
Source: abc.net.au
German retail sales outlook clouded despite surprise rise in November
German retail sales rose unexpectedly in November, data showed, lifting them to a record annual high despite renewed COVID-19 restrictions which held back a consumer-led recovery in Europe's largest economy. The Federal Statistics Office said retail sales were up 0.6% on the month in real terms. That beat a Reuters forecast of a fall of 0.5%. For 2021, retail sales rose 0.9% in real terms and 3.1% in nominal terms, reaching record highs despite curbs on non-essential visits to the shops.
Source: reuters.com
Jumbo announces partnership with rapid grocery delivery firm Gorillas; Jumbo revenue hits €9.9bln
Jumbo will collaborate with flash delivery service Gorillas in the Netherlands and the Flanders region of Belgium. The supermarket chain will supply a large part of its range to the start-up, including private label products and products from the La Place brand. Jumbo also announced an increase in sales, market share, and online grocery sales as part of its year-end report. Revenue rose by 2% to 9.9bln euros, though analysts expected 10bln euros in sales. Online sales rose by 30% to 650mln euros, but its home delivery service is still loss-making. Dutch market share rose by a half-percent to 22%.
Source: nltimes.nl
Polish anti-monopoly watchdog fines Kaufland
The German-owned supermarket chain Kaufland has been fined almost PLN140mln (EUR30.5mln) by Poland’s anti-monopoly office, UOKiK, for exploiting its suppliers and mislabelling vegetables. An UOKiK investigation found that Kaufland Polska Markety, the company operating the chain in Poland, had "exploited its contractual advantage" by demanding reductions in prices from its suppliers of food and agricultural products.
Source: thefirstnews.com
There was never a better time for retail technology
The past 2 years have been difficult for the retail sector. Yet, CBI research shows that the market has never looked any better for retail technology. Customer behaviour has changed dramatically, and retail technology is often both the cause and the solution. What is changing the sector? The pandemic has sped up most of the changes in the retail sector in the last 10 years. Some examples are: The move from in-store shopping to online; The increase in self-checkout options and frictionless checkout; Faster home deliveries; The use of robotics; and Virtual fitting rooms and other immersive experiences.
Source: cbi.eu
PLUS is now the 3rd supermarket chain in the Netherlands, name Coop away in 2024
With more than 550 stores after merging with Coop, PLUS has become the 3rd supermarket formula in the Netherlands, after Albert Heijn and Jumbo. The merger with Coop announced in September is now official, PLUS reported. The name Coop is still present in the streets for the time being. The last of the approximately 300 Coop branches will not have a PLUS look until 2024.
Source: nu.nl
UK shoppers 25% down on pre-pandemic level in post-Christmas week - Springboard
Footfall across all British retail destinations in the days after Christmas was 24.5% lower than the same week in 2019 as the Omicron variant of COVID-19 rapidly spread, Springboard analysts said.
Source: reuters.com
Holland: Albert Heijn begins the next steps of gradually introducing Nutri-Score
Albert Heijn is starting on the next steps towards the gradual introduction of the independent food choice logo, Nutri-Score. The supermarket believes it is important to help customers make healthier food choices. The Nutri-Score of 6,000 own-brand products is visible on electronic price tags in shops and the food choice logo can be found next to products in the app and on ah.nl. Each product is assigned a score based on a special algorithm. There are plus points for proteins, fibers, fruit, vegetables, legumes and nuts.
Source: aholddelhaize.com
US: Southeastern Grocers bolsters store base in 2021
Southeastern Grocers (SEG) made big strides in updating its store base during 2021, nearly doubling the number of store projects completed a year earlier. SEG said it totaled 78 store improvements across its 5-state footprint last year, compared with 41 store projects in 2020.
Source: supermarketnews.com
US: Udelv unveils autonomous cab-less Transporter, driven by Mobileye, virtually at CES 2022
Udelv, a Silicon Valley venture-backed company, unveiled the first cab-less autonomous electric delivery vehicle for multi-stop delivery, the Transporter, driven by Mobileye, at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES). The company released a new video showing the first look at the Transporter.
Source: prnewswire.com
US: Saker ShopRites acquires fellow Wakefern member Perlmart
Wakefern Food Corp. member Saker ShopRites Inc. has purchased fellow New Jersey ShopRite supermarket operator Perlmart Inc. Financial terms of the transaction, reported by Keasbey, New Jersey-based grocery cooperative Wakefern, weren’t disclosed. Under the deal, Saker purchased Perlmart’s 7 ShopRite locations in Ocean County.
Source: supermarketnews.com
Walmart temporarily shut nearly 60 U.S. stores for COVID cleaning in December
Walmart temporarily shut almost 60 U.S. stores in COVID-19 hotspots in December to sanitize them against the virus, in a sign the new Omicron variant is disrupting the retail industry.
Source: reuters.com
U.S. consumers expect higher grocery spending in 2022
U.S. shoppers anticipate spending 14% more on average per month for their groceries, according to the KPMG Consumer Pulse Survey 2022 Grocery Forecast. Based on a poll of more than 1,000 consumers, the average monthly grocery spend is pegged at $611 for 2022 versus $532 in 2021, KPMG’s report said. Most respondents estimate they will spend $101 to $500 per month on groceries, including 33% spending $101 to $300 (versus 36% in 2021) and 22% spending $301 to $500 (versus 24% in 2021).
Source: supermarketnews.com
US: Denver, Boulder area King Soopers union workers vote to strike
King Soopers union workers have voted to strike in the Denver and Boulder areas over what they’re calling unfair labor practices. According to the United Food and Commercial Workers Local 7, which represents approximately 17,000 grocery workers from Kroger/King Soopers, the employees voted to strike because the company is trying to “prevent workers from securing a new contract advancing wages, health and retirement benefits.”
Source: thedenverchannel.com