US: Publix readies 5 for-1 stock split
Publix Super Markets plans to enact a 5 for-1 stock split that will boost its number of authorized common shares from 1bln to 4bln. Publix said that its board of directors approved the stock split to be effective at of the close of business on April 14. For each share owned, stockholders will receive 4 additional shares.
Source: supermarketnews.com
US: eGrowcery, DoorDash partner to allow direct delivery for grocers
E-commerce platform eGrowcery and Door Dash have partnered to provide on-demand delivery for grocery retailers all while putting control and data ownership back in the hands of the retailer, Ann Arbor, Michigan-based eGrowcery said. Using DoorDash Drive - DoorDash's white-label fulfillment platform that powers direct delivery for businesses - grocers will gain access to DoorDash’s logistics network, eGrowcery said.
Source: winsightgrocerybusiness.com
US: BJ’s set to expand footprint in Pittsburgh with 2nd location
BJ's Wholesale Club will open its 2nd location in Pittsburgh on April 8 bringing the retailers total number of U.S. locations to 227. The Westborough, Massachusetts-based retailer said its newest location at 6270 Northway Drive in Ross Township is also its 19th club in Pennsylvania.
Source: winsightgrocerybusiness.com
US: Kroger’s Dallas division enters restaurant supply arena
Through its Dallas division, The Kroger Co. has rolled out a new service to supply local restaurants. Called Kroger Restaurant Supply, the offering connects restaurant operators with fresh food at wholesale prices, the Kroger Dallas Division said.
Source: supermarketnews.com
UK supermarket Morrisons warns of hit from Ukraine crisis, inflation
Morrisons, Britain's 4th-biggest grocer and a major food producer, warned its sales and core profit for the year could be hit by the crisis in Ukraine and rising inflation unless conditions improve. The supermarket group said the Russia-Ukraine conflict and rising inflation had impacted consumer spending, and in turn the group's sales and core profit, since the beginning of February. Morrisons reported adjusted core earnings of 941mln pounds ($1.23bln) for the year to January 30, 2022.
Source: reuters.com
Austria: Lidl sees growth in net sales and market share in FY 2021
Lidl Austria has reported net sales growth of 2% to around €1.5bln in its financial year 2021, with organic sales increasing by 20%. The company also reported slight growth in market share in this period, which saw the company investing €100mln in modernisation, new buildings and expansion projects.
Source: esmmagazine.com
Dubai's GMG to operate French supermarket chain Géant in UAE
Dubai retailer GMG said it had acquired the United Arab Emirates' operations of French supermarket chain Géant from a company owned by Dubai Holding, of Dubai's ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum. GMG said it also acquired the rights to expand Géant's operations in the Middle East as part of the deal from Urban Foods, a grocery and household retail supermarkets and hypermarkets company.
Source: reuters.com
Germany: REWE Group grows further by around 2bln euros
REWE Group successfully concluded the 2021 business year with a strong turnover increase of around 2bln euros, again delivering evidence of its performance strength in the challenging environment caused by the coronavirus pandemic. Total external turnover from continuing operations rose by 2.5% from 74.6bln euros to 76.5bln euros.
Source: rewe-group.com
UK: Aldi predicts fruit bouquets to be this summer's big trend
Aldi is championing the fruit bouquet trend as the dinner party sensation of the summer. Using an arrangement of whole and cut fruit to resemble a bunch of flowers - this trend is becoming a viral sensation, taking over TikTok with a whopping 30.4mln video views and counting. The supermarket has teamed up with fruit bouquet specialist Alice Ostan to create a step-by-step guide to help shoppers impress guests with their own fruit bouquet creation this summer.
Source: aldipresscentre.co.uk
Denmark's Dagrofa returns to profit after 8 years
Danish retailer Dagrofa has announced that the business has returned to profit in 2021 after 8 years of losses. The company attributed its performance to 3 years of efforts on its #StærkereSammen (StrongerTogether) strategy. Profit for the financial year 2021 amounted to DKK57mln (€7.66mln), up from a loss of DKK96mln (€12.9mln) in 2020.
Source: esmmagazine.com
Delek Israel proposes merger with retailer Shufersal
Delek Israel said it has proposed to merge with the country's largest supermarket chain, Shufersal and buy additional shares that could give it close to 20% ownership of Shufersal.
Source: reuters.com
Deliveroo and Waitrose expand nationwide partnership
Waitrose and Deliveroo have announced that they are expanding their partnership to meet strong customer demand for grocery delivery by adding more than 70 new Waitrose locations by the summer. Top-selling items include avocados, blueberries, sourdough bread and milk.
Source: waitrose.pressarea.com
Australia: Hundreds of new jobs created as Woolworths Group opens $184mln Heathwood Distribution Centre
Woolworths has unveiled its new state-of-the-art Heathwood Distribution Centre (DC), 20km south west of Brisbane’s CBD. The 42,000 sqm temperature controlled facility - equivalent in size to 3 Suncorp Stadium playing fields - will complement Woolworths Group’s current Queensland network, servicing 280 Queensland and northern NSW Woolworths stores with faster, fresher and more efficient deliveries of chilled and frozen goods.
Source: woolworthsgroup.com.au
FairPrice and Coles announce partnership and expand grocery range in Singapore
NTUC FairPrice (FairPrice) announced a new partnership with Coles Group (Coles), a leading Australian retailer. This is the Australian retailer’s 1st partnership in Singapore and would bring a host of products exclusive to FairPrice.
Source: fairpricegroup.com.sg
UK: “Grow with Aldi” supplier competition to become TV series
Aldi has revealed its “Grow with Aldi” supplier competition will be televised as a Channel 4 reality series, later this year. “Grow With Aldi” is set to become a 6-part series, each standing at an hour long. Each episode will feature a winner, who will be awarded a contract to supply the discount retailer’s stores.
Source: grocerygazette.co.uk
Australia's Wesfarmers sells minority stake in Coles Group
Australian retail conglomerate Wesfarmers Ltd said it sold 2.1% interest in supermarket chain Coles Group, but did not disclose the total worth of the divestment.
Source: reuters.com
Mercadona planning 10 store openings in Portugal for 2022
Spanish retailer Mercadona has opened the 1st of the 10 new supermarkets that it has planned for Portugal this year. The store, in Guimarães, is Mercadona’s 30th in Portugal and the 2nd in the northern city, with the Spanish retailer having opened its 1st store there in June 2021.
Source: esmmagazine.com
German retailer Lidl sets up its own shipping line
Lidl, part of Schwarz Group and one of the largest retailers in the world, has set up its own container shipping company aiming to face the supply chain challenges, reduce delays in the delivery of its products and avoid high freight rates. According to registration information at the European Trademark Office, the name of Lidl's new shipping company is Tailwind Shipping Lines.
Source: container-news.com
New Zealand: Super growth for Supie
Online supermarket Supie has gone from strength to strength in the 9 months since it was launched, and has even bigger plans for the future. Sarah Balle, who founded the company, grew up on a Pukekohe vegetable growing property and saw for herself the amount of wastage caused by the long supply chain between supplier and end customer. Not only does the produce of many fruit and vegetable growers not meet supermarket standards, even if it did, they achieve small margins.
Source: hortnz.co.nz