Pakistan: Bahria Town signs accord with superstore chain
The Bahria Town Karachi and the Imtiaz Supermarket have signed a contract to open the flagship and one of a kind designer store in 2020, spread over an area exceeding over 100,000 sq ft. The store's layout and interiors have been designed by international consultants who have worked on the finest retail brands worldwide. The new supermarket will cater to the demands of the rapidly growing number of residents in the Bahria Town Karachi as well as surrounding communities. The supermarket will ensure that all daily groceries and other requirements of the residents are available within a walking distance from their house. The Imtiaz Super Market is the pioneer of the fastest-growing retail chain in Pakistan, providing ultimate and unique shopping experience to the Bahria Town Karachi residents. Showcasing hundreds of brands under one roof and determined to serve customers with the best quality products at the lowest prices and customer service that outshines retail industry standards. The range of products offered by the supermarket includes grocery, bakery, beverages, dairy products, school, and office stationery, toys, sports, crockery, and cosmetics. Moreover, a separate section for fresh vegetables, fruits, meat, and seafood would also be available at the store.
Source: thenews.com.pk
Holland: Jumbo supermarket group continues to grow, boosts market share
Family owned supermarket group Jumbo added two percentage points to its share of the Dutch market last year, but Albert Heijn remains far and away Dutch market leader, according to new figures from research group Nielsen. Jumbo, known by its yellow branding, now has just over one-fifth of the Dutch market. Albert Heijn remains just under 35%, news website Nu.nl reported. Supermarkets Plus, Nettorama and Coop also expanded their market share slightly. However, German budget supermarkets Lidl and Aldi lost market share over the year, Nielsen said. In total, Dutch supermarket sales rose 4% in 2019.
Source: dutchnews.nl
Germany's Kaufland surprises with no-expansion plans for Australia
German supermarket chain Kaufland has cancelled its plans to expand to Australia and will concentrate on its European core markets instead, local media reported, surprising analysts and sending shares of local peers sharply higher. “This was not an easy decision for us. We always felt welcome in Australia”, said Frank Schumann, acting CEO of Kaufland International, according to the Australian newspaper. “We would like to thank our employees and we apologise for the disruption this decision will cause”. Media representatives of Kaufland did not respond to Reuters’ request for comment.
Source: reuters.com
UK: Asda steps up the convenience factor
Asda is making shopping even easier for customers by introducing Express Click & Collect and extending Same Day Delivery to fit in with busy modern lives. Those who have ever forgotten an essential item after the big shop or needed last minute dinner ingredients will know that there are very few easy options available without compromising on value or time. But in a first for a UK supermarket, customers will now be able to shop Asda’s full range of products online, select their items and collect them within one hour of placing an order.
Source: corporate.asda.com
Is Chinese online retailer JD.com planning to conquer Europe via Zeebrugge?
JD.com, rival of Alibaba on the Chinese home market, has had plans to push through to Europe for some time, but now seems to be taking concrete action. The management of JD Logistics, the logistics arm of the group, is currently touring Europe to choose a good base on the continent. The delegation also visited the port of Zeebrugge, in the presence of Flemish prime minister Jan Jambon. Earlier, compatriot Lingang also invested 85mln euros in a logistics park in the port in order to attract other Chinese companies. The Chinese state-owned company Cosco also has its own container terminal there.
Source: retaildetail.eu
New Zealand: Kiwi automated checkout start-up IMAGR announces backing from global technology heavy-weight
Shoppers are one step closer to skipping checkout queues forever with New Zealand technology start-up IMAGR raising USD$9.5mln in its pre-series A funding round. IMAGR is the creator of the SmartCart intelligent shopping trolley. Harnessing computer vision technology and AI, this queue-busting solution automates checkouts and payments for a frictionless shopping experience. William Chomley, IMAGR CEO, says the funding was led by global industry giant Toshiba Tec Corporation.
Source: prnewswire.com
Russia: X5 Retail Group reports 13.3% net retail sales growth in 2019
X5 Retail Group N.V. (“X5” or the “Company”), a leading Russian food retailer, announced the Company’s preliminary consolidated net retail sales and operational results for the fourth quarter (Q4) and full year (FY) ended 31 December 2019. FY 2019 Highlights: Total net retail sales increased by 13.3% y-o-y (14.2% y-o-y, incl. VAT) in roubles (RUB), driven by: 4.0% increase in like-for-like (LFL) sales; and 9.3% sales growth contribution from a 12.0% rise in selling space. X5’s LFL sales growth remained strong at 4.0% y-o-y in 2019 with an equal contribution from LFL traffic and basket. Karusel experienced a decline in net retail sales following a 4.7% reduction in selling space as part of the Karusel transformation initiative. X5 added 1,866 net new stores in 2019. Q4 2019 Highlights: Total net retail sales increased by 11.0% y-o-y (11.8% y-o-y, incl. VAT) in roubles, driven by: 2.3% increase in LFL sales; and 8.7% sales growth contribution from a 12.0% rise in selling space. X5’s LFL sales growth remained strong at 2.3% y-o-y in Q4 2019, with an increased contribution from LFL traffic. Karusel experienced a decline in net retail sales driven by changing customer behaviour as well as the beginning of the Karusel transformation. X5 added 545 net new stores in Q4 2019.
Source: x5.ru
Holland: Albert Heijn made 'great strides' in 2019, says CEO
Dutch retailer Albert Heijn, which is part of Ahold Delhaize, achieved a market share of 34.9% last year, according to Nielsen data. Commenting on the business' performance, chief executive Marit von Egmond said that Albert Heijn made 'great strides' over the course of the year. “We want to make it easier for our customers every day", she said, "to eat better, to do their daily shopping wherever and whenever they want and, of course, to make shopping affordable".
Source: esmmagazine.com
Amazon India to use mom-and-pop shops as delivery points
Global online retailer Amazon has partnered with more than 20,000 local “kirana” stores in India to serve as delivery points. The move is part of the firm’s “I Have Space” programme to build relationships with such stores in 350 Tier 1, 2 and 3 cities within the territory. It reflects competitor Flipkart’s recent investment in its ShadowFax network of neighbourhood stores. “We believe the recent partnerships are expected to drive Amazon’s momentum across the country’s shoppers and mom-and-pop shops”, read a report by stock research firm Zacks. “Consequently, this will bolster the company’s presence in the retail space of India, which holds immense prospects”.
Source: insideretail.asia
François-Melchior de Polignac returns to Carrefour Belgium
Changes at the top at Carrefour: François-Melchior de Polignac replaces Guillaume de Colonges as Executive Director for Northern and Eastern Europe and is once again CEO of Carrefour Belgium. Since December 16th already, Carrefour Belgium has a new CEO: it is an old acquaintance, François-Melchior de Polignac, who was also CEO in Belgium between 2013 and 2017. This is what Trends-Tendances points out and this is what Carrefour's spokesperson, Marco Demerling, confirms. The new CEO is also executive director for Northern and Eastern Europe, replacing Guillaume de Colonges, who has become executive director for merchandise, supply and formats at group level and managing director of Carrefour Taiwan.
Source: retaildetail.eu
Suning released the report of consumption data for Chinese New Year Shopping Festival 2020
Suning, one of the leading commercial enterprises in China, released a report of consumption data for the Suning New Year Shopping Festival. Chinese consumers like to purchase home appliances and fruit during the New Year Shopping Festival. Sales of TVs are trending towards large screens and smarts, with 75-inch large-screen sales growing fast at an increase of over 300% year-on-year. In addition, Suning teamed with Midea to build a total of 12,156 units of the first C2M customized washing machines. Moreover, 300,000 kg of cherries was sold on the national pre-sale channel, which also breaks the previous sales record on Suning.com.
Source: prnewswire.com
US: New York grocer Fairway says no plans to file for Chapter 7 bankruptcy
New York-based grocery chain Fairway Market said it has no plans to file for Chapter 7 bankruptcy, following a report that said it was preparing to do so. “Despite reports, Fairway Market has no intention to file for chapter 7 or liquidate all of its stores,” a spokesman told CNBC in an emailed statement. “Such statements are categorically untrue and disappointing. Fairway has been engaged in a strategic process and expects to soon announce a value maximizing transaction that will provide for the ongoing operations of stores. Our lenders remain extremely supportive of our efforts. All 14 stores remain open for business, offering a complete range of high quality, specialty food products, and we look forward to seeing our customers and employees”.
Source: cnbc.com
US: Millennials are prime grocery pickup shoppers, report says
Most consumers use grocery pickup infrequently, but 50% of millennials are using the service at least once a week, according to a report by Acosta. Millennials also spend the highest percentage of their grocery budget (40%) online, followed by Gen Z (37%) and Gen X (32%). Almost half of all online grocery shoppers get their orders fulfilled via pickup and 26% get groceries delivered. The average shopper does 32.7% of their grocery spending online, the report found. 54% of all pickup shoppers still report going to a brick-and-mortar store weekly to purchase 10 products or more and 45% go to purchase less than 10 products.
Source: grocerydive.com