U.S. ports set new record for imports
Imports at the nation’s major retail container ports set a new record this spring and are expected to see near-record volume this month as retailers bring in merchandise ahead of rising costs and further supply chain issues, according to the monthly Global Port Tracker report released by the National Retail Federation and Hackett Associates.
Source: nrf.com
US: Costco Wholesale Corporation reports April sales results
Costco Wholesale Corporation (“Costco” or the “Company”) reported net sales of $17.33bln for the retail month of April, the 4 weeks ended May 1, 2022, an increase of 13.9% from $15.21bln last year. For the 35 weeks ended May 1, 2022, the Company reported net sales of $147.33bln, an increase of 16.4% from $126.58bl during the similar period last year.
Source: globenewswire.com
Canada: Walmart rolls out wearable tech
Walmart Canada workers who pick online orders are now hands-free. The retailer has equipped in-store employees with wearable technology called ring scanners. The scanners, which are worn like a ring on a finger, are meant to make it easier and more comfortable for workers to pick orders. Walmart says they’re lightweight and easier to use than handheld units, and having both hands free makes for an easier and faster picking experience.
Source: canadiangrocer.com
US: Uber CEO tells staff company will cut down on costs, treat hiring as a “privilege”
Uber will slash spending on marketing and incentives and treat hiring as a “privilege”, CEO Dara Khosrowshahi said in an email to staff. “It’s clear that the market is experiencing a seismic shift and we need to react accordingly,” Khosrowshahi said. Uber will now focus on achieving profitability on a free cash flow basis rather than adjusted EBITDA, he added.
Source: cnbc.com
Chile's Cencosud buys Brazilian supermarket chain for $100mln
Chilean retailer Cencosud said it had signed a deal worth around $100mln to acquire Brazilian supermarket chain GIGA. GIGA, founded in 2009, has 10 shops in Sao Paulo's metropolitan area and a distribution center. "The acquisition price is 500mln reais (approximately $100mln), and may be adjusted based on GIGA's existing working capital at the date the transaction becomes effective," the Chilean firm said in a statement.
Source: reuters.com
France: Carrefour celebrates 30 years since its first organic product
Carrefour reported: "Carrefour is France’s leading organic retailer and is also one of the first brands to have started selling organic products 30 years ago. Carrefour’s organic adventure actually started back in 1992. Since then, the Group has made it one of the pillars underpinning its strategy. Organic may have started in the bakery section, but it quickly went on to win over other counters: the first fruit and vegetable lines were introduced in 1997, made by French onion and carrot producers".
Source: carrefour.com
UK: Amazon Fresh checkout-free store destined for former Baby Gap in Sevenoaks
A town in Kent looks set to host the county's first Amazon grocery shop. Amazon Fresh is set to open in Sevenoaks in the near future, making it one of the first till-free stores outside of London.
Source: kentonline.co.uk
UK: Morrisons triumphs after weekend shootout for control of McColl’s
Morrisons has won a two-way battle with petrol retailer EG Group for control of a chain employing 16,000 people and operating from 1,100 stores across Britain, Sky News learns. Morrisons has triumphed in the battle to gain control of McColl’s Retail Group, one of Britain’s biggest convenience store chains, after a last-gasp offer to buy out its syndicate of bank lenders. Sky News can reveal that the supermarket giant saw off eleventh-hour competition from EG Group, the petrol station operator, with an offer that will see McColl's stores and workforce preserved in their entirety.
Source: news.sky.com
Spain: Caprabo holds strategy meeting with 350 suppliers
Barcelona-based retailer Caprabo brought together directors and owners of approximately 350 companies that supply the retailer to share details of its new strategies. From Caprabo, the event was attended by group CEO Edorta Juaristi and the chairman of the board of directors of Supratuc, the company that owns Caprabo, Javier Amezaga. Edorta Juaristi stated that the company will invest €100mln over the next 5 years to give impetus to its new strategic plan.
Source: esmmagazine.com
France: Carrefour to start selling its NFBees in the Sandbox marketplaceCarrefour unveiled the first 7 NFBees - a special NFT collection dedicated to saving bees - on the Sandbox platform. These NFBees are a new type of NFT - a cross between a fruit and the bee that pollinates it. They represent the fruit and vegetables that are pollinated by bees, which may one day disappear from supermarket shelves.
Source: carrefour.com