National insurance hike and energy bills behind food price rise, say UK retailers
Retailers have blamed rising energy bills and the chancellor Rachel Reeves's hike in employers' national insurance contributions for a jump in food prices, as suppliers and supermarkets struggle to absorb higher costs. The British Retail Consortium (BRC), the trade body for retailers, said prices across all goods in shops rose by 1.5% in January compared with the same month last year, up from a 0.7% rise in December and higher than the 0.7% increase economists had been expecting. It is also above the three-month average of 0.9%. Food prices increased at a rate of 3.9% year on year in January, up from 3.3% in December, the BRC's monthly price monitor showed. Fresh food inflation rose to 4.4% over the same period.
Source: theguardian.com
Germany: Schwarz Group secures SBTi validation for net-zero targets
Schwarz Group has announced that the Science Based Target initiative (SBTi) has validated the group's target to reach net zero by 2050. The retail group has pledged to reduce its Scope 1 and 2 operational emissions by 90% until 2050, compared with 2019 levels.
Source: esmmagazine.com
Australia: Foster's Supermarket acquired by Drakes
Drakes Supermarkets has announced the acquisition of the Foster's family supermarket in Millicent, marking the company's 70th store and a significant step in its regional growth.
Source: supermarketnews.co.nz
Dutch competition regulator approves acquisition of Hema by Jumbo family van Eerd
ACM, the Dutch competition authority, has approved the acquisition of the remaining shares in Hema by the Van Eerd family. However, the deal is not yet complete: the Belgian competition authority and Hema's works council still have to give their approval.
Source: retaildetail.eu
DESPAR Italia's store network grew significantly in 2025
DESPAR Italia and the six companies making up the consortium are committed to the growth of the DESPAR brand nationwide, with the opening of 102 new stores and renovation of 30 stores throughout 2025.
Source: spar-international.com
Aldi Süd to eliminate hundreds of jobs at its German headquarters: Reports
German discounter Aldi Süd is planning to eliminate hundreds of jobs at its headquarters in Mülheim, according to media reports. Aldi Süd has reportedly confirmed the news to the German Press Agency (DPA) without providing the specific number of jobs at risk.
Source: esmmagazine.com
Just Eat Takeaway.com launches rapid delivery AI voice assistant with UK first to go live
Just Eat Takeaway.com has unveiled an AI voice assistant for iOS and Android. Launching first in the UK, this allows customers to bypass menus and have a conversation to discover not only new cuisines, restaurants, and dishes, but also retail, pharmacy and beauty offerings. It then speeds up the process of placing an order.
Source: retailtechinnovationhub.com
HOT OFF THE PRESS - winter veg just 37p at Morrisons!
Chief Executive Officer at Morrisons Rami Baitiéh reported on 26 January: "Today at Morrisons, we've cut the price of our winter vegetables to an incredible 37p! To help our customers make their money go further this January, we've reduced the price of British White Potatoes (1.5kg), British Sliced Curly Kale (150g), British Savoy Cabbage and Fine Green Beans (170g) to 37p".
Source: linkedin.com
Aldi has largest number of stores in Belgium, Albert Heijn leader in the Netherlands
Aldi, Leonidas, and Carrefour Market are the retail chains with the largest number of stores in Belgium. The top three in the Netherlands are Albert Heijn, Kruidvat, and Jumbo. With 444 branches, Aldi is the retail chain with the largest number of outlets in Belgium. This is according to the new Top 50 retail formulas in Belgium and the Netherlands, which Locatus has just published.
Source: retaildetail.eu
US: ShopRite expands Locked-In Price program for 2026
To help customers better manage their budgets, ShopRite's price locks will now last four to six weeks, or even more. Items featured in the Locked‑In Price program will be highlighted with bright blue tags across departments, including produce, bakery, seafood, meat, dairy, frozen and more.
Source: progressivegrocer.com
US: National Grocers Association calls on FTC and DOJ to act against abusive buyer power driving higher food prices
NGA reported: "The National Grocers Association (NGA) announced it sent a letter to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the Department of Justice (DOJ) urging both agencies to promptly use their existing antitrust authorities to address market manipulation by dominant national grocery retail power buyers, especially Walmart. NGA warned that unchecked buyer power is raising rivals' costs, accelerating consolidation, and directly contributing to higher food prices for American consumers".
Source: nationalgrocers.org
US: Trader Joe's unveils product picks for 17th annual Customer Choice Awards
Trader Joe's has announced the winners of its 17th annual Customer Choice Awards. Hall-of-Famer Teeny Tiny Avocados won produce yet again - the six-count package of single-serving avocados has become a repeat winner in Trader Joe's produce section.
Source: progressivegrocer.com
