Supermarket loyalty schemes helping UK grocery sales stabilise: NIQ
Supermarket loyalty schemes are helping to maintain grocery sales in the UK, despite persistent high prices, new data from NIQ has shown. Volume sales are improving in fruit, vegetables and salads, which saw a category increase of 3.6%. In particular, there was a boost to unit sales for raspberries (+35%), strawberries (+33%), and vine tomatoes (+20%), NIQ noted.
Source: esmmagazine.com
Australia: Aldi brings its Good Difference to North Queensland
Aldi has confirmed the grand opening of its much-anticipated Townsville store will take place on Wednesday, 22 November. The brand-new store in the Willows Shopping Centre will offer North Queenslanders a supermarket experience “like no other”, providing shoppers with “award-winning grocery products at unbeatable prices” and iconic Special Buys together with award winning fresh fruit, vegetables, and bread delivered daily.
Source: retailworldmagazine.com.au
Mercadona to buy more Spanish citrus fruit this season
Mercadona plans to buy 220,000 tonnes of citrus fruit grown in Spain for the 2023/24 season, reflecting an increase of 10% compared to the previous season. The season commences in October and ends in August and will see Mercadona buy mandarins, lemons and oranges from 24 suppliers who collaborate with more than 2,800 growers throughout Spain.
Source: esmmagazine.com
UK: Aldi reveals where it's opening new stores before ChristmasAldi is to open 12 new stores across the UK between now and the end of the year. The supermarket, which opened its 1,000th UK store in Woking last month, will be opening one new store a week on average between now and the end of the year. New stores in Taunton and Oldham will open this month, following the opening of three new stores - in Slough, Torquay and Cannock - last week.
Source: aldipresscentre.co.uk
Britain's M&S to hire 10,000 workers for Christmas season
British clothing and food retailer Marks & Spencer said it plans to recruit 10,000 temporary workers for the Christmas season, a more than 40% increase on last year.
Source: reuters.com
Aldi Nord board of directors convenes for inaugural meeting
As part of the modernisation process of Aldi Nord, its board of directors has convened for its inaugural meeting. The discounter's board of directors, which has been created to take on the running of the business, is led by chairman Lars Kolks and vice-chair Victoria Albrecht-Tschöll, while the previous chair Theo Albrecht also takes a position on the board, as does Olivia Eschengerd, née Albrecht.
Source: esmmagazine.com
Spanish grocery basket price up 31% since 2021, study finds
The basket price of groceries in Spain has increased by 30.8% in the past two years, the highest price rise in the 35 years since the Organización de Consumidores y Usuarios (Organisation of Consumers and Users - OCU) began conducting its supermarket study. Some vegetables, such as onions (+40%) and carrots (+56%), have also become dearer.
Source: esmmagazine.com
Malta: SPAR opens 9th store
SPAR Malta celebrated the opening of their 9th store, based in St. Paul's Bay. There is a large fresh food assortment found instore, including fresh fruit and vegetables, succulent meats, and baked goods.
Source: spar-international.com
Irish grocery sales increase 8.5% in latest four weeks: Kantar
Grocery sales in Ireland increased by 8.5% in the four weeks to 1 October 2023, with store visit up 5.9% and shoppers making an average of 20.5 trips, according to the latest data from Kantar.
Source: esmmagazine.com
Hull set to allow ‘right to grow’ on unused council land in UK first
Hull is set to become the first city in Britain to give people a “right to grow” on unused council land. Community groups, charities and even small groups of neighbours would be able to cultivate fruit and vegetables on suitable council land in what campaigners say will provide healthy local food, boost mental health and revive neglected spaces.
Source: theguardian.com
JD Logistics expands self-operated express delivery business in Hong Kong and Macau
JD Logistics, the logistics division of JD.com, announced an expansion of its self-operated express delivery business in Hong Kong and Macau via JD Express.
Source: jdcorporateblog.com
US: Whole Foods in New Jersey finally sets opening date after seven years
Whole Foods Market is set to open another New Jersey store this fall. The supermarket chain is opening a new 51,156-square-foot store in Jersey City on Thursday, November 9 - the company’s first store in Jersey City and its 24th in the state.
Source: supermarketnews.com
US: Kegel's Produce teams up with Pepper to elevate digital ordering for fresh produce consumers
Kegel's Produce, a trusted name in fresh produce distribution throughout Pennsylvania, has optimized its digital ordering platform for its dedicated customer base by partnering with Pepper, the leading e-commerce company specializing in solutions for independent food distributors.
Source: businesswire.com
US: Wegmans opening in-store food hall as supermarkets expand beyond groceries
Wegmans is pushing beyond the typical grocery format to open a hybrid supermarket/food hall in New York City. According to Time Out New York, the new Manhattan location, set to open Wednesday (October 18), will be set up to look like a market, with a range of different food areas including an area to purchase pre-made salads, a sushi bar, a bakery, a fish market with selections flown in from Japan and more.
Source: pymnts.com
US: 1st member-owned grocery co-op opens in Boston
Residents of the Dorchester neighborhood in Boston can now join a grocery co-op specializing in healthy foods. The Dorchester Food Co-op at 195 Bowdoin Street opened on October 14 and is the only community- and employee-owned business of its kind in that market.
Source: progressivegrocer.com
Canada: Alimentation Couche-Tard wants to nearly double EBITDA by 2028
Alimentation Couche-Tard has a new five-year strategic plan, and with it comes some lofty goals. The retailer wants to almost double its EBITDA to $10bln by fiscal year 2028. The EBITDA was $5.8bln in fiscal year 2023 thanks to net earnings of $3.1bln.
Source: supermarketnews.com
US: Bayer and Dollar General partner to increase access to fruit and veggies
Bayer and Dollar General have partnered on a campaign to help K-12 school districts around the country provide nutritional support for kids and their families outside of traditional school hours. Through this partnership, students receive a coupon for fresh produce, redeemable at local Dollar General stores that now offer fresh fruit and vegetables.
Source: vegetables.bayer.com
Walmart staffed up for holidays; US retailers cautious about economy
Walmart signaled it has enough staff for the holidays, in another sign that top U.S. retailers, fearing a seasonal shopping slowdown, are holding off on the typical hiring sprees for the peak period.
Source: reuters.com
Amazon opens 2 delivery stations in Connecticut ahead of busy holiday season
Amazon is expanding its operations and logistics networking by opening two new state-of-the-art delivery stations in Connecticut ahead of the busy holiday season. The 105,000-square-foot facility on National Drive in Glastonbury launched on August 30, and the 180,000-square-foot facility on Ellington Road in South Windsor launched on September 27.
Source: progressivegrocer.com