UK: Britain's Sainsbury's to recruit 22,000 workers for Christmas season
British supermarket group Sainsbury's will recruit 22,000 temporary workers for Christmas, a 22% increase on last year, as it boosts its labor force earlier in the season than usual. The group, which is Britain's second-largest grocer after Tesco, said its supermarket chain would recruit 20,000, while its Argos general merchandise business will take on 2,000. Last year, it recruited 18,000. 'Sainsbury's will welcome temporary colleagues earlier than usual this year, starting as early as this week,' it said in a statement. 'This will ensure there are plenty of colleagues ready to help and serve customers, whether they like to plan ahead or leave their Christmas shopping to the last minute.'
Source: European Supermarket Magazine
Spain: Mercadona leverages Cimcorp automation to move fresh produce from field to store within 24 hours
Cimcorp has partnered with Mercadona, a grocery retailer in Spain and Portugal, to automate fresh food intralogistics at its distribution center in San Isidro, Spain. Equipped with Cimcorp's robotic solution, Mercadona delivers fresh produce from field to store within 24 hours, thereby increasing shelf life for products, minimizing food waste, and ensuring freshness for customers. Automation has also helped Mercadona improve workplace safety and satisfaction for its employees. This is the fifth automated system Cimcorp has implemented for Mercadona, following successful installations at several other new logistics facilities in Spain. "The grocery industry is extremely competitive, as shoppers change consuming habits fast and change stores even faster," said Kari Miikkulainen, Director of Warehouse & Distribution Industry Sales at Cimcorp. "Today, stores are offering the freshest, most seasonal produce win. Our job is to help industry players provide their shoppers with more high-quality, fresh produce in less time."
Source: DCVelocity
UK: Shoppers feel their weekly grocery bills are a third higher than last year
Despite food price inflation starting to fall, UK shoppers say price pressure is not letting up on their grocery shops, estimating their food bills remain a third higher than last year, the latest research from Pricer, the world's most trusted supplier of shelf-edge automation solutions, reveals. While data released by the BRC and NielsenIQ last week showed that food prices saw their first monthly drop in more than two years, down -0.1% in September on the previous month, UK shoppers are yet to feel pressure easing when it comes to grocery bills. While food inflation fell to 9.9% in September, down from a peak of 15.7% in April, shoppers say the cost of their food shops remains high, the latest research suggests.
Source: International Supermarket News
The Netherlands: Ahold Delhaize dominant in Dutch ecommerce
Bol holds a significant lead in the Twinkle100, the list of the largest online retailers in the Netherlands. The revenue of bol, as the company is now simply called, is more than twice as high as that of the runner-up, which shares the same owner. Behind the leader bol, listed with a Dutch online revenue of over 4 billion euros last year, Albert Heijn takes the second spot with 1.7 billion euros in revenue. The supermarket chain, like bol (formerly bol.com), is owned by Ahold Delhaize. Coolblue secures the third position on the list, followed by Zalando. Amazon follows, with an estimated Dutch annual revenue of 900 million euros in 2022. With its fifth position, Amazon plays a relatively modest role in Dutch ecommerce. While it is the clear leader in several larger European countries like Germany, France, and the United Kingdom, it faces a competitor over six times its size in the form of Ahold Delhaize in the Netherlands.
Source: Ecommerce News
Kuwait: LuLu Hypermarket organizes 'Taste of Spain' promotion
To mark Spain's National Day, LuLu Hypermarket, the prominent retail chain in the region, organized an enticing 'Taste of Spain' promotion, running from October 11 to October 17 across all its branches in Kuwait. The week-long promotion was inaugurated on October 11 at the LuLu Qurain outlet by the Spanish Ambassador, Miguel Moro Aguilar, along with LuLu Kuwait's top management. A major draw of the event was the amazing offers on all Spanish-branded products. The inauguration also witnessed a lively performance by a talented Spanish music band and an energetic display of traditional dances by a special dance troupe. Attractive displays and cutouts of traditional Spanish monuments and large creative displays of Spanish products, as well as a decor that reflected Spanish themes, added to the promotional atmosphere.
Source: Kuwait Times
US: Seattle Amazon Fresh store becomes 1st to achieve Zero Carbon Certification
An Amazon Fresh grocery store in Seattle has received Zero Carbon Certification status from the International Living Future Institute (ILFI), making it the first grocery store to achieve the designation, the retailer announced Thursday. The online retail giant said ILFI is also evaluating four other Amazon brick-and-mortar locations—three Amazon Go stores in metro Los Angeles and an Amazon Same-Day site in Sacramento—for possible certification. The 35,000-square-foot Seattle grocery store, built in 2022, features a natural-refrigerant-based refrigeration system, electric kitchen, and hot water heating systems, electric-vehicle charging stations, and low-carbon concrete floors. Amazon noted it has saved more than 100 tons of CO2e (carbon dioxide equivalent) since opening.
Source: Winsight Grocery Business
US: California AG says he may sue to stop Kroger from buying Albertsons
California Attorney General Rob Bonta said on Thursday that his office was concerned about Kroger's proposed deal to buy rival Albertsons for $24.5 billion and may sue to stop it. Bonta said the decision has not been made but added: "Right now, there's not a lot of reason not to sue." Bonta cited as concerns the prospect of higher prices for consumers, lower payments to California farmers, the potential for creating food deserts, and possible adverse impacts on workers. The deal, announced in October 2022, would create a grocery chain with nearly 5,000 stores. In September, the companies announced a plan to sell more than 400 grocery stores to C&S Wholesale Grocers in an effort to get regulatory approval for the deal. A Kroger spokesperson said only non-unionized retailers, like Walmart and Amazon, will benefit if the merger is blocked.
Source: Reuters
US: The Fresh Market comes to DoorDash
The Fresh Market's partnership with DoorDash coincides with the approaching holiday season, the specialty fresh food retailer's busiest time of the year. The Fresh Market's offerings are now available on the DoorDash Marketplace as part of the specialty retailer's omnichannel approach to enhance the customer experience. The launch coincides with the approaching holiday season, The Fresh Market's busiest time of the year. "It's exciting to bring our guests another way to shop our stores that fits their daily lifestyle needs," noted Kevin Miller, The Fresh Market's chief marketing officer. "Being able to find The Fresh Market on the DoorDash Marketplace and place an order for delivery will help our guests' holiday shopping needs, solve 'what's for dinner tonight' on a busy day, or every day if they prefer or need the convenience of delivery."
Source: Progressive Grocer
US: Meijer reduces plastic packaging in new partnership with Bolthouse Farms
Meijer announced today it is the first retailer nationwide to carry Earthbound Farm Organic Mini Peeled Carrots – packaged by Bolthouse Farms in compostable bags. The partnership with Bolthouse Farms reflects the company's preference for offering its customers more sustainable packaging options, said Ron Lovelace, Director of Produce for Meijer. "The decisions we make today impact the world we live in, which is why we're committed to continual improvement through smart partnerships and innovations that benefit our customers and communities," Lovelace said. "We've been clear and vocal with our suppliers that we want to offer more sustainable packaging options, and if they can develop the packaging, we will partner with them."
Source: Meijer