Canada: Galleria Supermarket CEO steps down, successor named
Jeffrey Min has stepped down as CEO of Galleria Supermarket - the Toronto-based Korean specialty grocery chain he founded in 2003 - and its wholesale division Korea Food Trading. Joseph Kim, who has been with both companies since 2005, most recently serving as vice-president, was named Min’s successor.
Source: canadiangrocer.com
US: Food Rocket, a rapid grocery delivery startup, launches in Chicago
Food Rocket, a rapid grocery delivery startup, has announced the expansion of its business to Chicago and plans to invest in the opening of a new office there and to launch around 160 darkstores by the end of 2022, covering more than 600,000 households in the areas of West Loop, Gold Coast, Wicker Park, Lincoln Park, South Loop, and River North.
Source: prnewswire.com
US: GrubMarket acquires Daylight Foods, one of the biggest food service companies in California
GrubMarket announced it has completed the acquisition of Union City-based Daylight Foods, one of California's largest food service companies, which provides produce, dairy, specialty items, dry goods and more to a wide range of business customers, including restaurants, large grocery and retail chains, corporate offices and cafeterias, hotels and universities.
Source: prnewswire.com
US: EG Group announces rebrand of Tom Thumb stores
EG Group, one of the leading convenience store retailers in the United States, announced it will rebrand its Tom Thumb store locations to the Cumberland Farms brand starting in May 2022. The $50mln project will span 2 years and include 113 Tom Thumb locations and new locations across Florida and Alabama.
Source: prnewswire.com
Union says Amazon continues to interfere with election at Alabama warehouse
A U.S. retail workers' union accused Amazon.com Inc of unlawfully interfering with a union election at an Alabama warehouse where the company had already been found to have engaged in unlawful conduct to deter labor organizing.
Source: reuters.com
US: Midwest grocery giant Hy-Vee bringing 1st store to Kentucky
Grocery store chain Hy-Vee announced it plans to bring its brand to Kentucky and is opening its 1st store in Louisville. Hy-Vee has 12 acres at the SouthPointe Commons site just off of Bardstown Road and the Gene Snyder Freeway. The company has submitted its initial plans to Metro Louisville. It calls for an approximately 150,000-square-foot store with tentative plans to open in 2023.
Source: spectrumnews1.com
Canada: Fresh City Farms acquires Mama Earth Organics
2 independent players in Ontario's organic grocery space have come together, with Toronto-based Fresh City Farms announcing it has acquired subscription e-grocer Mama Earth Organics. Terms of the deal were not disclosed, but the acquisition was funded by existing Fresh City investors, including Bennett Church Hill Capital, Good & Well, the Telus Pollinator Fund for Good and Dragonfly Ventures.
Source: canadiangrocer.com
US: Subway® record-setting 2021 sales results to fuel 2022 positive momentum
Subway, one of the world's largest quick service restaurant brands, announced that 2021 was a record-setting year for the brand, driven by the launch of Eat Fresh® Refresh, the largest menu update in the brand's history, and the kick-off of its ongoing multi-year transformation journey.
Source: prnewswire.com
Spain: Carrefour opens 3 new low-cost Supeco stores in Andalucía, creating 132 jobs
Carrefour has recently opened 3 new Supeco shops in Andalucía, bringing the total in the region to 24. The new supermarkets are in El Puerto de Santa María, San Pedro Alcántara and Malaga city, and these new additions have created 132 jobs. Supeco stores are known for offering competitive prices on fresh produce and packaged food and there are 10 in Malaga province, the highest number in Andalucía, while in Cadiz province there are 8.
Source: surinenglish.com
Russia: X5 Group, Sber discuss potential expansion of partnership
Retailer X5 Group and Sber are discussing a potential expansion of their ongoing partnership in e-commerce, data architecture management, cloud technologies and artificial intelligence, as well as the creation of virtual assistants.
Source: esmmagazine.com
China: Alibaba halts talks to raise $1bln before Lazada IPO
Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. discussed raising at least $1bln for Lazada before calling off negotiations with potential investors when talks bogged down over the Southeast Asian online mall’s valuation. The Chinese e-commerce giant had aimed to secure financing for Lazada as a precursor to a spinoff of the Singapore-based company and a potential initial public offering, people familiar with the matter said. Alibaba had hoped to snag at least $1bln but backed off after failing to secure its envisioned valuation, the people said, asking not to be identified discussing confidential deliberations.
Source: bnnbloomberg.ca
COVID costs hit profit for Australia's Woolworths as sales soar
Woolworths Group Ltd reported a slump in 1st half profit as COVID-19 lockdowns and mandatory staff isolation blew out costs, but the No. 1 Australian grocer's shares rose as investors focused on robust sales growth. The country's biggest employer said net profit from continuing operations and excluding one-off costs fell 6.5% to A$795mln ($575mln) in the 6 months to January 2. Profit from its supermarket chain, a closely watched measure, dipped 7.6%.
Source: reuters.com
UK: Iceland extends deal for Uber deliveries
Iceland is expanding its rapid grocery delivery trial with Uber Eats so that another 200 stores will offer the service. More than 140 Iceland stores already offer Uber deliveries and from April another 200 will be added.
Source: talkingretail.com
New Zealand's Foodstuffs: We only make 4c profit in the dollar
Foodstuffs North Island says it is taking action to tackle problems the Commerce Commission has already identified in the supermarket sector, but consumer advocates say more is needed. The Commerce Commission will deliver its final report in its market study into the grocery sector on March 8.
Source: stuff.co.nz
Loyalty pays off for Tesco as Britons feel the pinch
As Britons face the worst hit to their disposable income in 30 years, Tesco is outstripping rival retailers by tempting more of them through its checkouts with a money-saving loyalty scheme. Tesco's Clubcards are held by more than 20mln British households, 8.5mln of them via an app, boosting sales and helping Britain's biggest retailer strike better deals with suppliers in one of the world's most cut-throat grocery markets.
Source: reuters.com
Grocery delivery firm Gorillas sets up Dutch holding company
Gorillas, a German on-demand grocery delivery service, has set up a holding company in the Netherlands, papers filed at the Dutch Chamber of Commerce show. The Dutch filing said that Gorillas Technologies GmbH has been moved to the Netherlands, where it is now re-registered as Gorillas Technologies Holding BV. Gorillas CEO Kagan Sumer is listed as director.
Source: reuters.com
Omnichannel Congress 2022: "More e-commerce means less pollution"
Contrary to what some might suggest, e-commerce enriches physical commerce and the effect goes both ways, Gino Van Ossel claims. The marketing professor at Vlerick explains: "E-commerce has become much more sophisticated". The Omnichannel Congress, which takes place on 24 March, demonstrates this with interesting cases such as Exki, C&A, De Gele Flamingo and Ochama.
Source: retaildetail.eu
Holland: Albert Heijn introduces deposit on plastic juice bottles
Dutch supermarket group Albert Heijn, a retail subsidiary of Ahold Delhaize, plans to introduce a voluntary deposit on all plastic juice bottles. The initiative aims to clarify deposit options for customers and ensure more plastic bottles are collected and recycled correctly.
Source: esmmagazine.com
