US: Kroger Zero Hunger | Zero Waste Foundation funding food waste research
With an estimated one-third or more of U.S. food waste happening in households, The Kroger Co. Zero Hunger | Zero Waste Foundation has teamed up with the Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research (FFAR) to launch the Food Waste Challenge to develop an original methodology for quantitative measurement of food waste generated in U.S. households. Objective, quantitative measurements would provide an accurate picture of the sources of food waste and enhance efforts to reduce it across the food system, according to the foundations.
Source: progressivegrocer.com
US: PCC Community Markets issues 2022 organic producer grants
PCC Community Markets (PCC), the largest community-owned food market in the U.S. and one of Seattle’s original grocers announced it awarded $25,000 in Organic Producer Grants to 6 small-midsized area farms across Washington State. PCC’s 2022 Organic Producer Grants recipients are Clover Mountain Dairy (Chewelah), Alluvial Farms (Everson), Silva Family Farm (Oak Harbor), Royal Produce Farm (Royal City), Long Hearing Farm (Rockport), and Rent’s Due Ranch (Stanwood).
Source: pccmarkets.com
Stater Bros. Markets and FirstFruits Marketing donate 20,000 lbs. of apples to Feeding America Riverside | San Bernardino
Stater Bros. Markets recently donated 20,000 lbs. of fresh apples to Feeding America Riverside | San Bernardino (FARSB) as part of the Take a Bite Out of Hunger™ program sponsored by FirstFruits Marketing of Washington. The donation ensures that local food banks will be well-equipped to provide nutritious fresh fruit to the underserved in the local community.
Source: staterbros.com
US: Beyond Meat shares tumble after jerky launch leads to wider-than-expected loss
Beyond Meat reported a wider-than-expected loss for its first quarter as it offered steeper discounts and cheaper prices to international consumers. The launch of the company’s plant-based jerky weighed heavily on margins, the company said. The company’s gross margin was 0.2% of revenue during the quarter, tumbling sharply from its gross margin of 30.2% a year ago.
Source: cnbc.com
Eurocash Group reports 'significant improvement' in profitability in first quarter
Polish retailer and wholesaler Eurocash Group has reported a 12% increase in revenue in the first quarter of its financial year, as well as what it described as a 'significant improvement' in profitability. Operating profit in the period rose by more than 30% to stand at PLN151mln (€32.26mln). This compares to PLN115.9mln a year earlier.
Source: esmmagazine.com
India: This Sgr e-commerce marketplace aims to provide platform to small vendors
The 22-year-old Sharib Rafiq from Srinagar has developed an e-commerce platform where now customers can order Kashmiri wazwan, chicken, fresh vegetables, and fruits online and so far he has linked more than 100 ventures with his startup in the city. Sharib, a nano-science student from Islamia College recently developed a website and application ‘GetDayToday’, which offers essentials online including Wazwan, chicken, fresh vegetables, fruits, milk, bakery, and many more items.
Source: risingkashmir.com
Iceland supermarkets in Czechia file for bankruptcy
The Czech branch of the British supermarket chain Iceland has filed for bankruptcy. The chain was heavily impacted by the Covid pandemic and Brexit. The insolvency filing by the company ICL Czech, which operates the Czech branch, follows the news that the chain was closing its Czech stores. Much of the Czech branch's stock was imported from the United Kingdom, and the cost of importing the items increased dramatically due to the UK leaving European Union at the start of 2020.
Source: expats.cz
Germany: Edeka Minden-Hannover sees sales up 3.5% in FY 2021
Edeka Minden-Hannover has reported a 3.5% increase in group sales, to approximately €11bln, in its financial year 2021. The sales of organic items grew by 20%, to €607mln, from €498mln in the preceding year. The total number of organic products in Edeka Minden-Hannover stored added up to approximately 13,800.
Source: esmmagazine.com
UK: Social supermarkets offer choice and self-esteem to hard-up workers
In the crypt of a 283-year-old London church, you would not normally expect to see displays of fresh fruit, vegetables, meat and fish next to shelves of tinned food, toilet rolls and nappies, and customers with baskets doing their weekly shop. But from September, that will be the scene at the City of London’s first social supermarket, which is to open in the vaults of Christ Church Spitalfields, a Nicholas Hawksmoor-designed church close to the financial district.
Source: theguardian.com
LuLu promotes SR10, 15, 20 promotion across Saudi Arabia
LuLu shoppers across the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia will be able to splurge without breaking their wallets, thanks to LuLu Hypermarket’s amazing SR10 15 & 20 Promotion that has kicked off. A wide range of products - fruits and vegetables (fresh as well as chilled/frozen), grocery essentials, and assorted foods under the LuLu private label, as well as practically everything a family would need, is covered in the promotion. The promotion is the last this year and runs from May 15 to 21 at all LuLu Hypermarkets in Saudi Arabia.
Source: saudigazette.com.sa
India's Reliance to acquire dozens of brands in $6.5bln consumer goods play
India's biggest retailer Reliance will acquire dozens of small grocery and non-food brands as it targets building its own $6.5bln consumer goods business to challenge foreign giants like Unilever, two sources familiar with the plan told Reuters.
Source: reuters.com
France: Casino says it plans to sell renewable energy unit, shares up
French retailer Casino said in a statement it had launched a process to sell its renewable energy unit GreenYellow with a view to a potential transaction by the end of the year, sending its shares up 3.6%. French financial daily Les Echos reported that French energy giant TotalEnergies and power company Engie were eyeing the acquisition of GreenYellow, valued at around 1.5bln euros ($1.56bln).
Source: reuters.com
Kenya: Twiga starts commercial farming, looking to guarantee quality, sustain supply
Twiga, a B2B e-commerce food distribution platform, has announced the launch of its new subsidiary, Twiga Fresh, through which it will farm and distribute its own agricultural produce to traders. Twiga said it has begun producing horticultural produce like onions, tomatoes and watermelons on its 650-hectare (1,606 acres) land, with an estimated output of 150,000 tons of fresh produce annually. Twiga has so far invested $10mln in the new venture, which will be backed by debt from development finance institutions.
Source: techcrunch.com
Ireland: SuperValu announces ‘Taste of Local’ initiative
Irish retailer SuperValu has launched a new initiative - Taste of Local - to showcase small Irish food and drink producers in stores across the country. The ‘Taste of Local’ section in SuperValu stores will feature the products of 33 new Irish food and drink producers, who have completed this year’s Food Academy programme. This year’s new products include plant-based offerings, organic produce, healthy convenience, as well as innovative non-alcoholic drink.
Source: esmmagazine.com