US: Whole Foods Market opens Wednesday in Madison Yards as first phase of construction ends
A new Whole Foods Market is opening Wednesday, anchoring the Madison Yards mixed-use development near Hilldale Shopping Center on the West Side. The grocery store is part of the three-phase construction project that is Madison Yards, with the second phase beginning next year, the project's developers say.
Source: madison.com
US: Import cargo peak came later than expected as volume kept growing
Inbound cargo volume at the nation's major container ports should continue to slow in the final weeks of 2023 after reaching its peak later than expected this fall, according to the Global Port Tracker report by the National Retail Federation and Hackett Associates.
Source: nrf.com
Brazil's GPA mulls €190mln share offering to reduce debt
Reuters reported: "Brazilian food retailer GPA has hired banks to evaluate a potential offering of primary shares worth 1bln reais (€190mln) as part of a broader plan to reduce financial leverage".
Source: esmmagazine.com
McDonald's wants to rival Starbucks with convenience formula CosMc's
McDonald's is to open the first branch of its new CosMc's concept. With that compact concept, which will serve mainly hot and cold drinks and snacks, McDonald's wants to find out if it can compete with Starbucks in that highly lucrative market.
Source: retaildetail.eu
Qatar: Lulu Hypermarket launches International Fruit Festival - 'Fruit Exotica'
Lulu Hypermarket, a renowned retail giant, has announced the kick-off of its highly anticipated International Fruit Festival, featuring the exquisite "Fruit Exotica" promotion. The promotion unfolds across all Lulu stores in Qatar, inviting customers to embark on a flavourful journey and explore the richness and diversity of Exotic fruits sourced globally. This vibrant promotion is set to captivate audiences until December 13, 2023.
Source: thepeninsulaqatar.com
UK: Asda opens 200th Express store
Asda opened its 200th Express store as it continues with the rapid rollout of the convenience format across stand-alone sites and the nearly 500 petrol forecourts it has acquired from the Co-op and EG Group. Eight stores were opened in locations including Norwich, Eastleigh, Bournemouth, Wakefield, Halifax, Durham, Staffordshire, and Wimborne. The group expects to open another 26 before Christmas in areas around the UK.
Source: kamcity.com
UK: Sales of Brussels sprouting early this year
Sales of Waitrose Brussels sprouts have increased by 150% compared to the same time last year. Searches for 'Brussels sprouts' are up +87% month on month, and recipe searches for 'shredded sprouts' are up +607% month on month and +65% compared to the same time last year. Waitrose is predicting that this will be a huge year for Brussels sprouts.
Source: johnlewispartnership.media
Hungary agricultural output value grows by 6.5%
The total value of output of agriculture exceeded HUF4.3tln in 2023, which was 6.5% more than a year earlier, the Central Statistical Office (KSH) reports. The volume of fruits lessened by 0.3%, within which the production of apples grew by 39% and that of apricot, peach, and nectarine decreased by 40%. The volume of other crop products and grapes remained unchanged.
Source: bbj.hu
Australia: Why there's a new push to scrap best-before dates on fresh produce
Experts are calling for the best before and use-by dates on fresh fruit and vegetables to be scrapped to reduce food waste. "The issue with best before dates is that as soon as someone sees a date … they just see a date and they say, 'Well, it's past that date, or it's near that, we throw it out,'" End Food Waste chief executive Steven Lapidge said.
Source: 9news.com.au
Keir Starmer tells Alan Titchmarsh he'll back farmers with strict 'buy British' rules
Keir Starmer is pledging to back farmers by introducing strict "buy British" spending rules for the public sector. Meanwhile, the Government's free fruit and vegetable program for primary schools is estimated to use just 13% of UK-sourced apples and 5% of UK-sourced pears, even when in season.
Source: mirror.co.uk
Greece: Grand Masoutis opens in Glyfada
Five years after its arrival in Athens, the Masoutis supermarket chain has been operating its first "Grand Store" in the capital since last week. The goal is to have its second one in Attica, at Treis Gefyres, operating within a year, with the investment plan providing for two more large stores in Athens in the next phase.
Source: ekathimerini.com
78% of Dutch consumers shop online in 2023
In the first quarter of this year, almost eight out of ten Dutch consumers bought something online. This is a small increase compared to the same period in 2022 (74%). The current rate of online shoppers is close to the rate in 2021 when it was 77%. These data come from new research by Statistics Netherlands.
Source: ecommercenews.eu
Retail trade slows in Hungary by last quarterThe latest macroeconomic data from the Central Statistical Office shows that retail turnover fell by 6.5% since last year and was also down 0.3% m-o-m, in October 2023, reports TradeMagazin.hu.
Source: agroberichtenbuitenland.nl