UK: Aldi creating more than 1,100 jobs
Aldi has revealed that it expects to create more than 1,100 new store roles across the UK this year as part of its previously announced plan to spend £370mln opening around 40 new sites.
Source: kamcity.com
Finland: Helsinki based Wolt Market doubles down on building a full supermarket experience
Online grocery specialist Wolt Market has announced a series of updates as it builds a full supermarket experience for its customers across the cities and neighbourhoods where it operates. A particular focus is fresh food, with a wider range of fruits and vegetables as well as fresh meat and fish options, making it easier for customers to complete their full weekly grocery shop in one place - delivered straight to their door.
Source: retailtechinnovationhub.com
Migros agrees to sell majority of German chain Tegut to Edeka
The Migros Zurich Cooperative (GMZ), a regional cooperative of Switzerland's Migros Group, has agreed to sell a large portion of the German supermarket chain Tegut to Edeka. The deal includes a substantial portion of the store portfolio of Tegut with sales staff, the logistics centre in Michelsrombach, the Herzberger bakery and Smart Retail Solutions, which operates the Teo locations in Germany, Migros announced in a statement. Without disclosing the value of the deal, Migros noted that transfer of the stores to Edeka and other participants is still subject to approval by Germany's national competition authority.
Source: esmmagazine.com
UK: John Lewis pays first annual staff bonus in four years as profits rise
The owner of John Lewis and Waitrose has paid an annual bonus to workers for the first time in four years after underlying profits rose by 6%. The retail group's 69,000 employees - which it calls partners - will share £35mln, the equivalent of 2% of salary, after it recorded an increase in sales and profits. The payout amounts to about one extra week of pay. Sales at the John Lewis Partnership rose 5% to £13.4bln and profits increased to £134mln in the year to 31 January, slightly behind expectations in what the chair, Jason Tarry, called "a subdued market".
Source: theguardian.com
Croatian retailer Studenac Market teams with Instaleap to power quick commerce in Europe
Studenac Market has partnered with Instaleap, which offers a suite of e-commerce, fulfillment and delivery software solutions. In a LinkedIn post, Instaleap said: "As Croatia's largest retail network with over 1,300 stores, this marks a major strategic partnership to power their quick commerce operations in Europe".
Source: retailtechinnovationhub.com
Woolworths, Aldi and Coles under fire for controversial pricing tactic costing Aussies up to 94%
Yahoo News reported: 'A routine supermarket shop could be quietly blowing out your grocery bills, depending on which fruit and vegetables shoppers pick up. The problem arises because some vegetables are priced per item rather than by weight. This means that two cauliflowers or cucumbers might cost the same at the checkout, even though one could be nearly twice as heavy as the other. "It's a bit of a lottery whether you're going to get good value or not", Ian Jarratt from the Queensland Consumers Association (QCA) told Yahoo News'.
Source: au.news.yahoo.com
Sainsbury's SmartShop scan and go solution turns ten following ten store launch in 2016
Sainsbury's SmartShop solution notched up a milestone this week. The in-store shopping handset and mobile app, which lets customers scan as they go, meaning they can skip checkout queues, turned ten.
Source: retailtechinnovationhub.com
South Africa: Woolworths CEO calls it a day
Woolworths Group CEO Roy Bagattini will retire from the group at the end of September 2026, following six years at the company. The group also announced that Sam Ngumeni will take over as the new Woolworths Holdings Limited (WHL) Group CEO, being promoted from his current role as CEO of Woolworths Food.
Source: businesstech.co.za
US: Tom Thumb continues to move into North Texas
Tom Thumb is expanding its presence in North Texas, opening the third of four new locations in the region within six months, according to a press release. The Albertsons banner opened a 63,000-square-foot store at 1046 Market Way in Argyle, marking the largest of the three new locations under the banner. The two locations that opened in December, in Sanger and Sunnyvale, Texas, are 50,000 square feet and 59,000 square feet, respectively, according to separate press releases.
Source: grocerydive.com
US: JOH expands North Central produce presence with acquisition of The Fresh Connection
JOH reported: "JOH is proud to announce the expansion of its North Central produce coverage in the upper Midwest through the acquisition of leading produce broker The Fresh Connection. This strategic move welcomes a highly respected team with decades of proven produce experience to JOH's already exceptional produce organization and further strengthens the company's growing presence across the region".
Source: joh.com
US: Grubhub and Dexa introduce New Jersey's first drone‑powered food delivery program
Grubhub reported: "Grubhub announced a test program integrating Dexa's drone delivery service for customers ordering from Wonder's Green Brook, New Jersey location. The initiative marks a historic milestone for highly automated delivery in New Jersey and represents the first time drone technology will be used for commercial food delivery in the state".
Source: about.grubhub.com
