Malta: Welbee’s welcomes new CEO
Welbee’s Supermarket has appointed a new CEO, former Executive Chairman Jonathan Shaw. Effective immediately, Mr Shaw was voted into the role by the Board of Directors at Retail Marketing Ltd, which owns and operates the Welbee’s Supermarket chain.
Source: newsbook.com.mt
Belgium: Renewed OKay Zolder reopens on 10 June as a sustainable local supermarket
On Friday 10 June, OKay Zolder reopens its doors after undergoing a thorough facelift. The local supermarket with a surface of 455 m² has been renovated in the style of the latest generation of OKay stores, with a refurbished freshmart, additional cooling cabinets and a revamped bread corner, among other things. "In the new freshmart for instance, our broad offer of fresh fruit and vegetables can stand out completely", says store manager Menno Roelants.
Source: press.colruytgroup.com
Holland: Albert Heijn rolls out ‘Maaltijd Thuis’ service
Dutch retailer Albert Heijn has launched ‘Maaltijd Thuis’ (‘Meal at Home’) - a new service that will deliver fresh and healthy meals to customers’ doorsteps. Meals offered in the service will focus on freshly prepared food, taking into account the personal dietary requirements of consumers. The retailer described the service as ‘a new step’ in the growing market of foodservice and home delivery.
Source: esmmagazine.com
Report: Shaky e-Grocery dominates $9bln in European AgriFoodTech investment while climate tech lags
More than $9bln dollars was invested in agrifoodtech ventures in Europe in 2021, according to the latest European AgriFoodTech Investment report from AgFunder in collaboration with F&A Next.
Source: agfundernews.com
UK: Leading brands set to launch a major new platform to tackle food waste 
A major new platform to help reduce food waste is currently being trialled and set to be launched by some of the UK’s leading brands. Founding partners Co-op and Microsoft, supported by technology consultancy BJSS and Team ITG, have created Caboodle, a not-for-profit digital platform that enables supermarkets, cafés and restaurants to connect with community groups and volunteers to redistribute surplus food.
Source: co-operative.coop
Grab to be fully powered by its own mapping technology by Q3 2022
Grab Holdings Limited announced the launch of GrabMaps, a new enterprise service that will allow the company to tap into the US$1bln market opportunity in Southeast Asia per year for mapping and location-based services. First developed for in-house use, GrabMaps was created to address Grab’s need for a more hyperlocal solution to power its services.
Source: grab.com
China: JD's appetite for ready meals biz grows
Chinese e-commerce giant JD Inc is betting big on the fast-growing ready-to-cook, ready-to-heat and ready-to-eat meals segment, which has gained popularity among younger Chinese consumers since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. JD said in the next three years, it will support 20 semi-cooked food brands, whose sales revenue is expected to surpass 100mln yuan ($15mln), and five premade cuisine brands that are likely to see their turnover exceed 500mln yuan. JD's support will be extended in areas like data flow, retail channels, marketing and cold chain logistics.
Source: china.org.cn
Spryker research - Brits hungry for new online grocery experiences
New research from Spryker, which surveyed 2,500 UK consumers, finds that 60% buy at least some of their groceries online, with 16% now ordering all or most of their groceries via the internet. While the UK has a mature and robust online grocery market, there are still opportunities for expansion in a sector valued at £200bln.
Source: retailtechinnovationhub.com
Food industry supplier platform Fresho served £8mln funding
Food industry management software company Fresho has raised £8mln to continue expanding in the UK and the US. Fresho is an online B2B marketplace for businesses in the food industry. It lets purchasers see live prices and display orders for merchants on a dashboard. The firm wants to address wastage and make food supply chains more sustainable. Fresho recently worked with Apple & Pear Australia Ltd to provide data on the different varieties of fruit it grows and consumption levels. The data could then be used to modify what is grown going forward.
Source: uktech.news
UK: Zoom by Ocado delivers fresh urgency to online grocery shopping
Ocado is sating consumer appetite for speedy grocery deliveries with the launch of a new service for impatient Londoners. ‘Zoom by Ocado’ is a delivery service that promises ‘incredible speed’ in bringing over 10,000 products to doors. St Luke’s has been tasked with bringing the public up to speed on the offer with a 360° campaign featuring helmet-wearing fruits and veggies flying straight into your arms. A bunch of grapes jostles with a chili, a raspberry, an ear of corn and a pineapple for pole position while a narrator introduces the notion that “controversial pizza toppings” and “something to make your porridge less bland” are never more than 60 minutes away. She concludes with the strapline: “Zoom by Ocado - the speedy grocery app with mountains of choice.”
Source: thedrum.com
U.S. ports remain at near-record volume as demand continues and West Coast contract deadline approaches
Imports at the nation’s major retail container ports should see near-record volume again this month as retailers work to meet still-strong consumer demand and also protect themselves against potential disruptions at West Coast ports, according to the monthly Global Port Tracker report released by the National Retail Federation and Hackett Associates.
Source: nrf.com
US: Kroger Delivery now available in South Florida
Propelled by steady growth, The Kroger Co., America's largest grocery retailer, announced Kroger Delivery now serves customers in South Florida with the opening of a new spoke location in Miami. The 60,000-square-foot bespoke facility, in collaboration with the Fulfillment Center in Groveland, Florida, will serve as a last-mile cross-dock location that efficiently expands Kroger Delivery's ability to serve more customers. This expansion represents an extension of a partnership between Kroger and Ocado, a world leader in technology for grocery e-commerce.
Source: prnewswire.com
US: Associated Supermarket Group celebrates new Met Fresh store opening in Brooklyn
Associated Supermarket Group (ASG) welcomed the fifth Hamdan family-owned supermarket to its 250+ retail network. Met Fresh’s new location, in Bed-Stuy neighborhood in Brooklyn, arrives at a time when the population has increased, and the area lacked an extensive selection of high-quality food at competitive pricing, said ASG. It also features a large produce area, a juice bar, an in-store butcher, a bulk-buying section, and a café bar to enjoy an espresso while shopping.
Source: abasto.com
Canada: Dollarama beats sales estimates on strong demand for consumables
Dollarama Inc beat estimates for quarterly sales as surging inflation fueled demand for the discount store's groceries and household essentials. The company's total sales rose 12.4% to C$1.07bln ($853.20mln) in the first quarter, beating analysts' average estimate of C$1.05bln, according to IBES data from Refinitiv.
Source: reuters.com
Retailers launch ad campaign calling on administration to eliminate China tariffs to ease inflationThe National Retail Federation announced it is launching the second phase of a seven-figure advocacy campaign with broadcast, digital and out-of-home advertising, urging the Biden administration to repeal tariffs on goods from China to lower costs for businesses and consumers who are being severely impacted by inflation. The ad campaign includes a 30-second television spot called “Lower Inflation Now by Repealing Tariffs”.
Source: nrf.com