Sri Lanka: Green supermarket opens in Nugegoda
Sri Lanka's first green supermarket with large live trees inside it was opened at Stanley Tilakaratna Mawatha, Nugegoda, by Laugfs Supermarkets. Asked if they would have their own farms and fruit and vegetable plantation, Laugfs Supermarkets Chief Executive Officer Pravin David answered in the negative. He said that they are now focusing on sourcing most of their merchandise sold at the supermarket, including vegetables and rice, direct from farmers, thus eliminating the middleman and giving a better price to the farmers.
Source: sundayobserver.lk
Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba expands number of physical grocery stores ahead of the unit's IPO
Alibaba's grocery unit Freshippo expanded its number of physical stores in China, the company said. Groceries have become a battleground between China's two biggest e-commerce firms: Alibaba and JD.com. Freshippo is a separate, independent business under Alibaba. Last month, Alibaba greenlit an initial public offering for Freshippo but did not give a timeline.
Source: cnbc.com
UK: Tesco cuts the price of more than 500 key products, including fruit & veg, tuna, and rice
Tesco has slashed the price of more than 500 household essentials as it helps customers reduce the price of their weekly shop. Hundreds of products are included in the huge new price drop, which focuses on products that are bought week-in, week-out, as well as summer favorites and healthy choices like fruit and veg.
Source: tescoplc.com
UK: Aldi set to welcome over a thousand suppliers to the conference
Aldi is set to welcome more than a thousand attendees to its UK supplier conference, where the supermarket will update on its current trading performance and future growth plans. It is the first face-to-face event Aldi has held for suppliers since 2018, a period in which it has overtaken Morrisons to become the UK's fourth largest supermarket and now accounts for more than 10% of UK grocery sales (Kantar: Till Roll data 12we June 11, 2023). The event will take place on Tuesday, July 4, at the ICC Birmingham and will be hosted by IGD. Full details of the event, program, and tickets are available at igd.com/Events/Aldi-Supplier-Conference.
Source: retailtimes.co.uk
Luxembourg grocers put plastic ban into force
"We believe that the products for which we had kept plastic packaging [now] risk seeing their shelf-life reduced and therefore food waste increase," Cédric Gonnet, Luxembourg country director for the Belgian-based grocery chain Delhaize, told the Luxembourg Times. "There is no material that can hold moisture, protect them, guarantee quality and maximize lifespan like plastic," he said. His company's stores have been unable to find appropriate alternative packaging as the law requires, meaning customers will see few to no white pearl onions, butter beans, and some types of endives on Delhaize shelves, Gonnet said. "We will still have endives for sale, but no longer such a wide assortment," he wrote in an email.
Source: luxtimes.lu
France: Partnership proposal between Casino group and Prosol
Casino group and Prosol announced that they have entered into a memorandum of understanding relating to a major strategic partnership under which Prosol would implement its "Fresh" concept, which it has developed with success, in Casino's hypermarkets and supermarkets and certain stores under the Monoprix brand. This partnership will leverage the Prosol Group's unrivaled expertise in fresh produce (fruit and vegetable, dairy and creamery products, fish, and meat) to apply it in the ideal locations in which the Casino group operates.
Source: globenewswire.com
Britain's Tesco to appoint Gerry Murphy as next chairBritain's largest supermarket operator Tesco has appointed Gerry Murphy, current chair at Burberry and Tate & Lyle, as its new chairperson, it said. The Irish businessman, who will take up the position on September 1, replaces John Allan, after he resigned in June, saying claims of inappropriate behavior leveled against him risked becoming a distraction to the business.
Source: reuters.com
India: BigBasket loss widens to Rs1,535 crore in 2022-23
Online grocery delivery firm Innovative Retail Concepts, which operates as BigBasket, has posted widening of loss to Rs1,535 crore for 2022-23, according to details shared by Tofler. Tofler said the loss of BigBasket increased by 89%, implying the company had posted a loss of around Rs812 crore in 2021-22. The company's revenue increased by 5% to Rs7,462 crore.
Source: zeebiz.com
Brazil offers tax advantages via e-commerce compliance program
Brazil's Finance Ministry will exempt companies participating in a new tax compliance program from paying federal taxes on e-commerce purchases up to $50, it announced. Finance Minister Fernando Haddad told reporters the new program aims to "balance competition" between marketplaces, addressing worries from local retailers.
Source: reuters.com
US: Dollar General expands board of directors
Dollar General Corp. has appointed David Rowland, former executive chairman of professional services company Accenture plc, to its board of directors, effective August 5.
Source: progressivegrocer.com
US: Lidl unveils 2 East Coast stores
It's a two-fer for Lidl as the German-based grocer lifted the lid on a pair of stores in Greensboro, North Carolina, and Washington, D.C. Both locations welcomed customers on June 28. The Greensboro store at 3005 Martinsville Road is the 27th Lidl in the state of North Carolina. As with other locations, the latest market features an assortment of grocery essentials, frozen foods, fresh baked pastries, fresh produce, and a rotating selection of non-food "surprises," according to Lidl. The new 27,000-square-foot store in the nation's capital is located at 3100 14th Street NW in the Columbia Heights neighborhood.
Source: progressivegrocer.com
Hawaii branch to be latest link in PH chain Potato Corner's US expansion
Potato Corner, which claims to have some of "the best flavored French Fries in the world," which already has franchises in ten US cities, will open a branch in Waipahu, Hawaii. Potato Corner started in the Philippines in 1992 and expanded to the US in 2010, with its first location in California.
Source: usa.inquirer.net
US: Home Chef® celebrates 10th birthday
The Kroger Co. shared that Home Chef, the leading meal solutions brand with both a retail and online presence, is celebrating its 10th birthday. Over the last 10 years, Home Chef has crafted more than 350mln meals served to 48 states.
Source: prnewswire.com