US: Costco Wholesale Corporation reports second quarter and year-to-date operating results for fiscal 2026 and February sales results
Costco Wholesale Corporation ("Costco" or the "Company") announced its operating results for the second quarter (twelve weeks) and the first 24 weeks of fiscal 2026, ended February 15, 2026. Net sales for the quarter increased 9.1%, to $68.24bln, from $62.53bln last year. Net sales for the first 24 weeks increased 8.7%, to $134.22bln, from $123.52bln last year.
Source: globenewswire.com
An impulsive plan for greater produce sales
High-quality displays, clear signage and the colorful promotion of seasonal produce can spur more purchasing of organic produce as well, said Matt Landi, vice president of industry relations for the Washington, D.C.-based Organic Trade Association (OTA).
Source: supermarketnews.com
US: New Kroger CEO wants to accelerate turnaround
Kroger will make improving its store experience a top priority as it looks to boost its performance, newly appointed CEO Greg Foran said during the company's earnings call. The grocer generated identical-store sales excluding fuel of 2.4% during the fourth quarter of 2025, led by digital, pharmacy and fresh sales. Sales came in at $34.7bln, up slightly from 2024. Kroger recorded positive share growth for the first time in fiscal year 2025 during Q4, reflecting the company's best share performance since 2021, Board Chairman Ron Sargent said.
Source: grocerydive.com
US: Target ramps up store investments to fuel new chapter of growth
Target Corporation announced plans to open more than 30 new stores in 2026, including its 2,000th location in Fuquay-Varina, North Carolina. The openings are part of a new chapter in the company's strategy to drive long-term, sustainable growth by investing in stores. This includes plans to add more than 300 new stores by 2035, with seven locations welcoming guests this March as part of the company's continued expansion.
Source: prnewswire.com
US: Walmart adds new Florida Supercenter
On March 4, the retailer cut the ribbon on its latest Florida Supercenter at 1115 Waxman Drive. One noteworthy element of Walmart's latest grand opening was a collaboration with Florida Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson, who also made an appearance at the event to announce the placement of "Fresh From Florida" products in physical and digital Walmart storefronts across the Sunshine State. The program, which also spotlights produce and goods from Florida farmers and growers, will also reach several Sam's Club locations later this month.
Source: progressivegrocer.com
Beyond Meat drops the 'Meat' from its name as it expands to plant-based drinks and snacks
Beyond Meat is dropping "meat" from its name as it moves beyond the struggling market for plant-based burgers, sausages and tenders and expands into new categories like protein drinks.
Source: apnews.com
Auchan Retail sees light at the end of the tunnel
Auchan Retail reports sales of €32.1bln for 2025, an increase of 1.5% compared to last year. EBITDA amounted to €1.025bln, an increase of 16.1%, while the gross margin rose by 1% to €7.374bln (22.9% of sales). Cost control is paying off. This is good news for the group after years of negative figures. However, sales did decline in the retailer's two largest markets. In France, sales fell by 0.5% to €16.4bln, due to price investments and the closure of 36 stores. In Spain, the decline was 1.4% to €4.5bln, also due to the closure of 15 unprofitable supermarkets. Progress was made in Portugal (+7.5%), Romania (+4.3%), and Poland (+1.1%).
Source: retaildetail.eu
It's crunch time! Gala apples and nashi pears among Australia's best-value fruit and veg for March
It's a core month for pome fruit, with apples, pears and quince all heralding the start of autumn. "The first cab off the rank is the Gala - a big sweet and juicy apple", says Graham Gee, senior buyer at the Happy Apple in Melbourne. Granny Smith, Jazz and Kanzi apples will come in during March too, and "Australia's most popular variety, the Pink Lady, generally starts in April", he says.
Source: theguardian.com
Annual General Meeting: METRO increases sales and EBITDA and continues on its growth path
METRO AG reported that it has grown profitably in 2024/25 and further improved both sales and operating profit. The company achieved a sales increase to €32.4bln and adjusted EBITDA of €1.2bln. Burdened by one-off transformation costs, the net profit for the period amounted to €-218mln.
Source: metroag.de
Aldi seeing growth in fresh produce sales in Scotland
Aldi has revealed that it saw a steady increase in the volume of fresh produce sold in Scotland in 2025 compared with 2024, with this positive trend continuing into 2026. Aldi's volume of Scottish-grown produce rose in various categories, including root and bulb vegetables (+9.79%), berries (+12.24%), vegetable-based snacks (+19.75%) and cherries (+64.83%) in 2025 versus 2024.
Source: kamcity.com
China: JD.com posts first quarterly loss in more than three years
JD.com Inc has reported its first quarterly loss since early 2022. The company posted a fourth quarter net loss of 2.71bln yuan (US$392.9mln), compared with net income of 9.85bln yuan a year earlier. Analysts had expected a smaller loss of 203.6mln yuan.
Source: proactiveinvestors.com
UAE shoppers report jump in fruit and vegetable prices across supermarkets
Some UAE residents say their grocery bills have risen in recent days, particularly for fruits and vegetables, with shoppers reporting noticeable price increases at supermarkets across the country. Several shoppers told Gulf News they had seen prices climb within the past two days, with certain produce items nearly doubling compared with last week. One shopper said the difference was immediately visible during routine grocery purchases. "Prices have gone up by 20 to 30%, especially vegetables and fruits. We felt a big difference in the past two days, especially onions, tomatoes, apple, pomegranate, bananas and spinach."
Source: gulfnews.com
