UK: Morrisons to close 145 sites in major shake-up
Morrisons has confirmed that 145 sites across the UK will close in 2025 as part of a sweeping operational overhaul. The closures include 17 Morrisons Daily convenience stores, over 50 cafés, 13 florists, four pharmacies, and all 18 Market Kitchens.
The restructuring marks one of the retailer's most extensive shake-ups in recent years. Sites in Gorleston, Peebles, Shenfield, Poole, and Leeds are among those already shuttered, with further closures to follow in Birmingham, Solihull, and Stirchley. Chief Executive Rami Baitiéh described the move as a 'necessary realignment' to ensure the business remains sustainable amid shifting consumer habits and rising costs.
Source: International Business Times
UK: Supermarket Income REIT acquires £40.9m of food store acquisitions
Supermarket Income REIT has acquired a Tesco supermarket and 10 Sainsbury's convenience stores for a total of £40.9m. The Tesco store, located in Craigavon, Northern Ireland, has been acquired at a purchase price of £25.6m, reflecting a net initial yield of 6.5%. The 8.6-acre site comprises a 130,000 sq ft supermarket and petrol filling station, and also serves as an online fulfilment hub.
The real estate investment trust has also completed the acquisition of 10 Sainsbury's convenience stores for a total of £15.3 million, reflecting a net initial yield of 6.1%. The acquisition of these strong trading stores represents the group's first investment in the convenience grocery sector.
Source: Completely Retail
Malta: SPAR Malta opens 13th store nationwide in the heart of Mellieħa
A brand-new SPAR store has officially opened its doors in the heart of Mellieħa. The opening marks SPAR Malta's 13th store on the island, further strengthening the brand's presence and commitment to communities across Malta. Located in Triq l-Għoljiet, the 300m² store offers a full one-stop shopping experience, designed to meet the everyday needs of local residents. Open 24/7, the modern SPAR Mellieħa store features an extensive assortment of 4,591 products.
Source: Spar
UK: Asda expands rapid delivery tie-up with Uber Direct
Asda has signed a new multi-year preferred partner agreement with Uber Direct to increase the number of locations offering delivery in as little as one hour. The extended partnership will increase the availability of Asda's express delivery service powered by Uber Direct's courier network.
Additionally, this enables Asda to fulfil large basket orders nationwide, allowing customers to use the on-demand offering for their weekly grocery shop. The service originally enabled orders to be delivered from approximately 300 superstores across the UK, and was expanded to 10 new superstore locations in H2 2025.
Source: Retail Gazette
US: Grocery Outlet details fresh-focused store remodels
As Grocery Outlet works to improve its business under new President and CEO Jason Potter, sprucing up the in-store experience — from store layout to value messaging — has become one of the discounter's key areas of focus.
Grocery Outlet plans to update most of its store fleet after seeing successful results with an initial group of pilot stores, company executives said during its third-quarter earnings call on Tuesday. The refresh includes a new store layout that moves produce toward the entrance and features a standardized core assortment.
Source: Grocery Dive
Canada: Loblaw and partners launch hydrogen-powered grocery delivery truck
Loblaw Companies Ltd., FortisBC Energy Inc. and partners have launched the first sustained commercial demonstration of a hydrogen-powered Class 8 truck in British Columbia. The milestone was celebrated at Loblaw's Marine Drive distribution centre with project contributors, industry stakeholders and government officials.
The project launched earlier this fall to demonstrate the real-world performance of zero-emission heavy-duty trucks in daily retail operations. The hydrogen pilot in B.C. marks the next step in the company's strategy to explore lower carbon, scalable technologies that can help transform how goods move across Canada.
Source: Grocery Business
US: Grocery delivery growth buoys Instacart's earnings
Instacart topped earnings estimates for its fiscal third quarter and delivered an upbeat outlook on growing demand for grocery and restaurant delivery services. Instacart posted adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization of $278 million for the quarter. Orders were up 14% to 834 million.
The company also reported gains in extending its enterprise technology solutions to retail businesses. Instacart in recent weeks has introduced several tools for grocers, including an artificial intelligence-powered assistant capable of making product recommendations.
"Our strategy to accelerate online grocery adoption is working. We're deepening customer and retailer relationships, expanding our ads ecosystem and launching innovative AI-powered tools across all aspects of our business, all while driving profitable growth," Chris Rogers, Instacart's new CEO, said in his first letter to shareholders.
Source: Mass Market Retailers
Canada: Empire Co. appoints one of its own as CEO
Empire Co. Ltd.'s board of directors has appointed Pierre St-Laurent president and CEO of Empire and its wholly owned subsidiary, Sobeys Inc. St-Laurent will also serve on the board of directors for the Canadian company.
This appointment follows the company's announcement earlier this year of President and CEO Michael Medline's intention to retire from Empire. St-Laurent's appointment is effective immediately, with Medline remaining into December to support a thorough transition.
Source: Progressive Grocer
Australia: Consumer mood turns optimistic for first time in almost four years
Australia's consumer sentiment turned optimistic in November for the first time in almost four years thanks to a much better outlook for family finances and the economy, a survey showed on Tuesday, even as the central bank held interest rates steady.
A Westpac-Melbourne Institute survey showed its main index of consumer sentiment surged 12.8% to 103.8 in November, a seven-year high, excluding the COVID-19 pandemic period. The reading above 100 suggested optimists outnumbered pessimists for the first time since February 2022.
Source: Reuters
South Korea: SSG.com strengthens 'Online E-Mart' identity with service enhancements
SSG.com announced that it will strengthen its online grocery competitiveness by integrating procurement with E-Mart, jointly pushing large-scale promotions, and enhancing delivery services. This is interpreted as an intention to solidify its identity as the 'Online E-Mart.'
SSG.com is also launching a branding campaign with the slogan 'SSG.COM Freshness from E-Mart.' Through dialogues of the comic characters Young-simi and Kyung-tae, it expressed that E-Mart's product procurement and operational expertise have been implemented in SSG.com's online grocery service.
Source: Chosun
UAE: Lulu retail Q3 profit up 2.4% to $36 million on steady sales, revenue hits $1.89 billion
Lulu Retail, has announced its financial results for the nine-month period ended September 30. Lulu Retail has reported a net profit of $36 million for the third quarter of 2025, marking a 2.4 per cent year-on-year increase as revenue climbed 2 per cent to $1.89 billion.
The Abu Dhabi-headquartered retail giant said the growth was underpinned by steady consumer demand, the expansion of its store network, and a strong performance in its fast-growing online segment. Profit growth was supported by a 3.1 per cent rise in gross profit to $449 million, aided by higher sales in the fresh food.
Source: Gulf News
