SPAR Croatia opens state-of-the-art SPAR Supermarket
SPAR Croatia has expanded its store network by opening a modern SPAR Supermarket in Jastrebarsko, southwest of the capital Zagreb. In addition to a wide selection of fresh fruit and vegetables, bakery products and other food products, the non-food assortment includes an extensive range of household, garden, pet, and home products.
Source: spar-international.com
Holland: PLUS and Coop report 'strong first year' post merger
PLUS and Coop Netherlands have reported 'strong performance' in its first year following a merger to form a new cooperative, PLUS UA. In 2022, it reported 'stable' figures compared to the year before with a consumer turnover of €4.7bln and market share of more than 10%.
Source: esmmagazine.com
Bananas, chocolate eggs and alcohol-free drinks: Sainsbury's 2022 in review
Using data from 17.6mln Nectar customers, Sainsbury’s has revealed which products were the most popular with shoppers over the past year. With over a billion bananas being sold throughout the year and alcohol-free beverages flying off shelves like never before, there was a bigger focus on healthy eating than previous years. As the school holidays started, Nectar also kickstarted The Great Fruit & Veg Challenge, running for 7 weeks. The digital challenge was popular with 88mln portions of fruit purchased, up 59% compared to the 2021 challenge. Customers purchased over a billion bananas, beating the number of portions purchased for apples and oranges combined.
Source: grocerygazette.co.uk
BA Pension sells UK supermarket portfolio stake to JV partner SUPR
Supermarket Income REIT (SUPR) has bought British Airways Pension Trustees Limited’s (BAPTL) stake in the pair’s partnership that holds half of a UK portfolio of supermarket properties. SUPR said it has acquired the British Airways pension fund trustee company’s 25.5% beneficial interest in the Sainsbury’s Reversion Portfolio (SRP Portfolio) for £196mln (€221mln).
Source: realassets.ipe.com
Belgium: Mestdagh branches move to independent Intermarché model
What employees and unions feared, will come true: the Mestdagh group’s integrated stores will be transferred to independent operators of Intermarché, which aims to become number one in Wallonia and Brussels and also grow in Flanders.
Source: retaildetail.eu
UK: iSqueeze offers freshly squeezed juice in seconds with new machine
For 2023, iSqueeze is aiming to provide ‘whole fruit health for the nation’ with its new juice machine the Citrocasa Fantastic eXpress launching around the UK. iSqueeze supplies self-serve juicing machines that provide consumers with freshly squeezed juice in seconds. The equipment squeezes whole fruits - such as oranges, pomegranates and grapefruits - into pre-labelled, self-sealing bottles, serving up 100% fruit juice that can be enjoyed on-the-go.
Source: talkingretail.com
Aldi opened more than 40 stores in Spain in 2022
German discounter Aldi closed 2022 with 394 stores in Spain and around 440,000 square metres of floor space. During the past year, the company opened more than 40 new stores, adding nearly 44,000 square metres of sales area to its network. Notably, Aldi increased its retail area in Spain by 11% compared with 2021.
Source: esmmagazine.com
China: Alibaba sells Paytm stake worth $125mln via block deal - source
China's Alibaba Group sold a 3.1% stake in Indian digital payments firm Paytm for a total of $125mln through a block deal, a source with direct knowledge of the matter told Reuters.
Source: reuters.com
Norway: NorgesGruppen urges government to control price increases in the value chain
Norwegian retail conglomerate NorgesGruppen has emphasised that controlling exponential cost increases in the value chain is essential to keep food prices down. The observation was part of a meeting between the management of NorgesGruppen and minister of industry, Jan Christian Vestre and minister of agriculture and food, Sandra Borch.
Source: esmmagazine.com
US: Walmart provides its GoLocal services to Salesforce clients
Walmart Inc said it has entered into a partnership with software giant Salesforce to provide its retail customers with store pickup and delivery services using Walmart's vast transportation network.
Source: reuters.com
US: Afresh Technologies and Albertsons Companies implement AI-powered platform to help improve fresh produce inventory and reduce waste going to landfill
Afresh Technologies, the world's leading fresh food technology company, and Albertsons Companies announced the completion of an enterprise rollout of the Afresh predictive ordering and inventory management platform. The system was implemented in more than 2,200 Albertsons Cos. banner stores including Safeway, Jewel-Osco, Shaw’s, Vons and ACME. The new platform allows store teams to better order and plan fresh produce inventory, reducing food waste and achieving superior freshness in their stores.
Source: prnewswire.com
Mercatus unveils next generation mobile grocery shopping app providing greater customer convenience
Mercatus, a leading provider of grocery eCommerce solutions, announced the evolution of Mercatus Mobile - an entirely new mobile commerce experience for grocery retailers and their customers. Built from the ground up with the latest mobile innovations in mind and using a completely new architecture, Mercatus Mobile delivers a seamless shopping experience to help grocers increase mobile conversions, improve order frequency and retain online customers.
Source: businesswire.com
US: The Fresh Market expands its partnership with retail tech company Invafresh
The Fresh Market has expanded its partnership with retail tech company Invafresh and will now use the company’s Fresh Retail Platform for its retail grocery operations.
Source: winsightgrocerybusiness.com