Coop's Änglamark voted Sweden's favourite green brand: survey
Coop's eco-friendly brand Änglamark has emerged as Sweden's favourite green brand, according to a new survey. Grumme occupied the second position, while Coop ranked third. Maria Billow Bergendahl, brand manager of own brands at Coop, said: "We are happy and proud that Änglamark for the eighth time is named the greenest brand of the year. It also shows that the effort we made during the autumn on a new design has been received positively by our members and customers."
Source: esmmagazine.com
Retailer Carrefour eyes job cuts in likely Italian restructuring
Carrefour, Europe’s largest food retailer, could cut around 4% of its Italian workforce - or up to 590 staff - and downsize five of its 51 hypermarkets in the country to cope with falling sales, according to its 2019-2022 business plan. The plan, unveiled to local unions this month, also entails investing some 400mln euros ($454mln) to boost the Italian convenience store network, with 300 new outlets planned, and boost E-commerce at the arm, added the French group. The planned overhaul comes as a draft bill being championed by Italy’s ruling coalition looks set to force shopping malls, outlets and supermarkets outside city centres to shut 26 Sundays a year. Italy, which makes 6% of group sales, is a key market in Europe for Carrefour, after France and Spain.
Source: reuters.com
South Korea: Shinsegae to launch online shopping platform
Shinsegae South Korea, the operator of the nation’s largest discount store chain Emart, will integrate its online shopping mall operations into SSG.com from Friday (March 1) to boost sales. SSG.com is an integration of two online shopping stores - the Shinsegae mall and the Emart mall - Shinsegae Group said in a statement. “The integration of online shopping operations is to effectively absorb a rapidly growing demand for e-commerce deals under the single brand of SSG.com”, a company spokesman said by phone. Shinsegae aims to earn 3.1tln won (US$2.8bln) in sales from the online shopping business in 2019, jumping 29% from 2.4tln won a year earlier, the statement said.
Source: insideretail.asia
Belgium: Delhaize to leave Brussels
Belgian supermarket chain Delhaize is to leave its headquarters in Brussels next year, after a 149 year presence in the Belgian capital. The company will move to Asse, just outside of the Brussels Region. As local media empire De Persgroep leaves Asse (close to Brussels) for Antwerp, a huge opportunity arose for Ahold Delhaize's Belgian flagship chain: the chain already has its logistical headquarters in Asse. In a building nearby, Delhaize will now house services like IT, HR and marketing. Moreover, two more segments will move to Asse: the IT department currently working for Ahold Delhaize Europe in Anderlecht, and the wine bottling plant. A thousand employees will move from Molenbeek to the new site in Asse.
Source: retaildetail.eu
Ireland: SuperValu to create 210 jobs in €30mln investment
Grocery retailer SuperValu is planning a new €30mln investment programme which will see it open up three new stores this year and create 210 new jobs. News of the expansion comes as SuperValu said it recorded a new sales milestone of €2.724bln in 2018. It said its online shopping service saw 25% year-on-year growth with an additional 26,000 new customers using the service. It noted that its Signature Taste premium range was a standout line for the retailer, with sales up by over 10% on the previous year. The range currently features over 330 products with another 40 expected to hit the shelves in 2019.
Source: rte.ie
Australia: Woolworths starts expansion of Adelaide distribution centre
Australian supermarket chain Woolworths has commenced the construction of a $57mln expansion project at its Adelaide Regional Distribution Centre (ARDC). The retailer has partnered with privately-owned construction firm Hutchinson Builders and local businesses to work on the project. Around 140 local jobs are likely to be created in the region throughout the construction. The project will expand the ARDC facility to 94,000m², as well as increase capacity temperature control and ambient warehouse sections of the Gepps Cross site. Woolworths will also invest $2.5mln to install 3,500 solar panels across the rooftop to power the expanded distribution centre. As part of the project, the facility will also feature an expanded recycling facility for pallets to complement the retailer’s efforts to reduce plastics and cardboard within its supply chain.
Source: retail-insight-network.com
Russia: Lenta publishes audited IFRS financial results for the year ended 31 December 2018
Lenta Ltd (“Lenta” or the “Company”), one of the largest retail chains in Russia, announced its audited consolidated IFRS results for the year ending 31 December 2018. 2018 Financial Highlights: Total sales grew 13.2% to Rub 413.6bln (2017: Rub 365.2bln), including retail sales growth of 13.6% to Rub 392.1bln (2017: Rub 345.0bln) and wholesales growth of 6.0%. Adjusted EBITDA of Rub 36.2bln, up 2.0% (2017: Rub 35.5bln) with a margin of 8.8% (2017: 9.7%). FY2018 EBITDA growth was impacted by relatively weak results in the third quarter, with a return to positive EBITDA growth in the fourth quarter.
Source: lentainvestor.com
Holland: When is an online food retailer not a supermarket? Picnic and FNV fight it out
Social affairs minister Wouter Koolmees is being urged to intervene in the dispute between the FNV trade union federation and Picnic, an online supermarket. The FNV said it would take Picnic to court for refusing to pay staff according to the nationwide supermarket pay and conditions agreement (cao). It says this means workers are paid €2 a hour less than they should be - a move which has saved Picnic almost €10mln. ‘Picnic is refusing to pay workers their dues’, the union said in a statement. ‘The bill for Picnic’s “free delivery” service is being paid by the workforce. In addition, this is unfair competition toward other supermarkets.’ Picnic, however, says it is a webshop and that its distribution centres are not supermarkets. Classifying the company as a supermarket would have an ‘unjust’ impact on different types of workers, Picnic says.
Source: dutchnews.nl
US: Massachusetts Stop & Shop associates vote to authorize strike
Stop & Shop employees in Massachusetts voted unanimously in favor of a strike after their three-year contract expired at midnight on February 23. Almost 10,000 Stop & Shop employees are represented by Randolph, Massachusetts-based Local 1445 of the United Food and Commercial Workers International (UFCW). Four other UFCW locals have not yet voted to authorize a strike. Talks are slated to resume Tuesday, February 26, according to national UFCW spokeswoman Amy Ritter. Meanwhile, all five UFCW locals have asked their members to continue working as negotiations continue.
Source: progressivegrocer.com
US: FTC OKs Giant Food Stores’ acquisition of 5 Shop ‘n Save locations
The Federal Trade Commission has approved Giant Food Stores LLC’s proposed purchase of five corporately owned Shop ‘n Save locations from Supervalu, a newly acquired subsidiary of United Natural Foods (UNFI). The approval follows the purchase agreement revealed by Giant Food Stores last November. The stores to be acquired are in Smithburg, Maryland; Greencastle, Pennsylvania; Berryville, Virginia; and Hedgesville and Martinsburg, West Virginia. They will temporarily close on March 27 at 6 p.m. to begin their conversion to Martin’s Food Markets, reopening for business on April 5 at 8 a.m. “Our team is really excited to bring Martin’s Food Markets to these vibrant communities”, noted Giant Food Stores President Nicholas Bertram. “We put our customers at the heart of everything we do, and with the addition of these locations, our new neighbors can count on farm-fresh produce and quality products their families will love.”
Source: progressivegrocer.com
US: Target launches online marketplace
Target has launched an online marketplace, Target+, enabling it to significantly expand its online range. The launch of Target+ enables the retailer to offer products from third-party sellers. It will curate the range to align with the needs of its shoppers, enhancing its existing product offer. Initially, it will focus on key categories including home, toys, electronics and sporting goods. Target is also using search queries into its website to identify additional opportunities.
Source: retailanalysis.igd.com