Germany: Netto Marken-Discount adds PayPal as a mode of payment
German supermarket chain Netto Marken-Discount has announced that customers can now pay for their purchases through PayPal across all its 4,200 outlets. Netto app users can avail the free service by connecting their PayPal accounts to the personal user account in the app. Customers can also pay for their online purchases in the retailer's website through PayPal. The addition of PayPal as a payment method expands the mobile payment functionality of the app, and provides customers a convenient payment mode.
Source: esmmagazine.com
UK: Clipper Logistics strengthens partnership with Asda
Clipper Logistics has extended its partnership agreement with leading supermarket retailer, Asda, for both one-man and two-man fulfilment for Asda’s General Merchandise and George product ranges. Clipper is currently responsible for receipt, storage, returns processing and online order fulfilment, with the one-man range located and fulfilled from Clipper’s site in Ollerton, whilst the two-man range is fulfilled by Clipper from Doncaster. The original agreement began in 2008, demonstrating the value and continued success driven by the 10 year collaboration. The new agreement will see Clipper continue to provide warehousing and fulfilment services for Asda/George.
Source: retailtimes.co.uk
France: Leclerc partners with Shopopop
France-based Leclerc has partnered with local start-up Shopopop to expand the range of delivery options for shoppers. Through the partnership, Leclerc customers can have their online orders delivered to them at home. Customers buy through Leclerc’s website and then fill out their order’s shipping information on Shopopop.com. They can then choose their preferred day and time for a member of the retail-delivery community, called Shoppers, to deliver. Shopopop relies on collaboration within the community to provide a fast delivery service.
Source: retailanalysis.igd.com
Australia: Foodland edges out Aldi for customer satisfaction
New research from Roy Morgan shows that customer satisfaction with Foodland in the six months to October was 91% giving the South Australian based supermarket a third straight monthly win ahead of Aldi on 89%. Coles, recently de-merged from Wesfarmers, is on 85% is just ahead of great rival Woolworths on 84% with IGA taking fifth position on 80%. The overall supermarket customer satisfaction across the industry was 85% representing an overall decline of 6% in customer satisfaction compared to this time a year ago. These are the latest results from Roy Morgan’s ‘Retail Satisfaction Report-Supermarkets’ which is based on in-depth personal interviews conducted face-to-face with over 50,000 Australians per annum in their own home, including over 11,000 main supermarket shoppers.
Source: roymorgan.com
France: Carrefour launches new ‘La Halle de…’ store concept
Carrefour has launched a trial of its new store concept, ‘La Halle de…’, for its Carrefour City format. The pilot is in Paris, on Avenue de Clichy, and takes the name, ‘La Halle de Clichy’. The concept focuses on fresh produce and comprises a butchers, delicatessen and fish counter. There is also a cheese counter, Bio (organic) corner and bakery in the store with a seating area. The pilot Carrefour City ‘La Halle de Clichy’ has a pedestrian drive withdrawal point too.
Source: retailanalysis.igd.com
Research Institute: Supermarket prices significantly lower in Greece
The price of a typical basket of goods from supermarkets in Greece is significantly lower compared with the equivalent baskets in the UK, France, Spain and Portugal, the Research Institute of Retail Consumer Goods (IELKA) announced in its six-month report, according to ANA. The report made price comparisons with and without VAT, since this varies in each country. It compared prices in 20 sub-categories of products composing a typical supermarket basket. These sub-categories were examined from a significant sample of more then 2,000 product prices in 20 different supermarket chains in five countries. The figures also include offer prices and private label product prices.
Source: tornosnews.gr
Chile: Cencosud Q3: highlights challenging macro-economic environment
Currency volatility and reduced consumer spend have proved challenging for Chile-based Cencosud, who appointed a new CEO and new regional business leaders during Q3. The currency depreciation of the Argentine peso and Brazilian real against the Chilean peso have been the biggest contributing factor to an -8.1% supermarket revenue decline in Q3.
Source: retailanalysis.igd.com
Brazil's GPA plans to raise capex next year by 12.5%
Brazilian retailer GPA SA plans to raise capital expenditures by 12.5% next year to 1.8bln reais ($466mln), Chief Executive Officer Peter Esterman told reporters. The retailer controlled by France’s Casino Guichard Perrachon SA will concentrate on expanding its wholesale brand Assai and resume growth of its premium brand Pao de Acucar. Estermann expects the Brazilian economy to pick up growth if the newly elected government is able to approve key macroeconomic reforms.
Source: reuters.com
Costa Rica competition regulator blocks Walmex acquisition
Wal-Mart de Mexico said Costa Rica’s competition regulator had notified the company that it opposes its plan to buy 52 local supermarkets, which would grow its store tally in the Central American nation to more than 300. The retailer known as Walmex, a unit of U.S.-based Walmart, already has 252 stores in Costa Rica, which is one of its worst-performing Central American markets. Walmex said in a statement that the acquisition would be positive for competition and for consumers. It was considering how to respond to the regulator, the Commission for the Promotion of Competition (COPROCOM), the company added.
Source: reuters.com
Canada: Dollarama’s Q4 profit inches up
Dollarama Inc. will focus more of its attention on its lowest priced products in a bid to keep its comparable store sales growth from slowing. Chief executive officer Neil Rossy said the Montreal-based dollar store chain saw its third-quarter comparable store sales grow 3.1% compared with 4.6% in the same quarter a year ago. The comparable store sales growth for the period ended October 28 was due to a 4.0% increase in average transaction size, but was partially offset by a 0.9% drop in the number of transactions and was impacted by a decision to strategically limit price increases in recent quarters.
Source: canadiangrocer.com
US: Costco Wholesale Corporation reports November sales results
Costco Wholesale Corporation (“Costco” or the “Company”) reported net sales of $12.77bln for the retail month of November, the four weeks ended December 2, 2018, an increase of 9.8% from $11.63bln last year. For the twelve-week first quarter ended November 25, 2018, the Company reported net sales of $34.31bln, an increase of 10.3% from $31.12bln during the similar period last year. For the thirteen weeks ended December 2, 2018, the Company reported net sales of $37.57bln, an increase of 10.2% from $34.09bln during the similar period last year.
Source: globenewswire.com
E-mart US buys supermarket operator
South Korean discount retail chain E-mart is acquiring US food retailer Good Food Holdings for US$270mln. A subsidiary of retail conglomerate Shinsegae, the E-mart US acquisition intends to stabilise and expand its operations in North America. It is the company’s first acquisition of an overseas firm. Good Food operates 24 stores across the American West under three brands: Bristol Farms, Lazy Acres and Metropolitan Market. Its original executive board will be retained by E-mart.
Source: insideretail.asia