Holland: Crisp doubles losses
Profits are still a long way off in the world of online supermarkets. After competitor Picnic published huge losses, smaller competitor Crisp now also had to admit that its losses almost doubled to 15.2mln euros last year. However, that is still "exactly according to plan", CEO Tom Peeters told RetailTrends. "Start-up losses are part of building a big company that makes a lot of impact", he stated. Calling his own company a start-up is not wrong: 2021 was only the third year of its existence.
Source: retaildetail.eu
Emart24 opens its first store in Singapore
E-Mart’s convenience store chain Emart24 has opened its first store in Singapore, becoming the first Korean convenience store chain to operate in the city state amid the retailer’s push for overseas expansion. The first store is located in the Jurong Point shopping centre, west of Singapore.
Source: retailnews.asia
How this Malaysian turned his unknown family fruit stall into a popular chain in many malls
The grandfather of Adnan Lee [founder of MBG Fruit Shop (MBG)] noticed that fruit sellers were earning higher income from the higher cost per fruit sold. That led to his career switch to begin selling fruits at Petaling Street. Adnan himself gave selling fruits at the market a go at age 18, where he took over the business as well. With over 250 fruit varieties sold, 35% of them comprise local tropical fruits from Thailand and Malaysia, while 65% are imported fruits. MBG gets its supply direct from farms and other fruit sellers, with over 100 supplier relationships built over three generations of the Lee family fruit store.
Source: vulcanpost.com
UK: Aldi cuts food waste with Company Shop Group partnership
Discount grocer Aldi has extended its partnership with Company Shop Group in a bid to reduce more food waste in the UK. As a result of the partnership, the German discount grocer has revealed that all its Regional Distribution Centres will now help redistribute surplus food that cannot be sold in its stores.
Source: grocerygazette.co.uk
Billa Bulgaria to invest 40mln euro in 2023, start online sales in Q1
Supermarket chain operator Billa Bulgaria, part of Germany's REWE Group, will invest over 80mln levs ($43.4mln/40.9mln euro) in its store network and a second warehouse this year, its CEO Vygintas Sapokas told SeeNews. Billa Bulgaria, the retailer with the largest number of stores in the country, has allocated nearly 35mln levs to open 12 new supermarkets, Sapokas told SeeNews in an interview. It will for the first time establish a presence in six Bulgarian locations - Troyan, Vidin, Chirpan, Silistra and the Black Sea town of Sozopol. Furthermore, in the first quarter of the year, the company will launch online sales.
Source: seenews.com
Pret A Manger reaches initial agreement to open in Israel
Pret A Manger has reached an initial agreement with Fox Group and Yarzin Sella Group to introduce the Pret brand to Israel. The move is part of Pret A Manger’s plan to double the size of its business within the next five years, including launching into five new markets by the end of 2023.
Source: esmmagazine.com
Seven Spanish supermarket chains denounced by Facua for not applying the VAT reduction
The Facua-Consumers in Action association has denounced seven large Spanish supermarket chains for not passing on the VAT reduction to all affected foods. After a review carried out between December 30 and January 3, Facua discovered the evolution of 676 prices in Alcampo, Aldi, Carrefour, Dia, Eroski, Lidl, Hipercor and Mercadona. Of all the companies analysed, Mercadona was the only chain without any anomalies detected.
Source: euroweeklynews.com
German Government embraces plant-based food shift to fight climate crisis
Germany is embracing plant-based foods as part of its planned National Nutrition Strategy. Federal Minister Cem Özdemir recently presented “Towards the Federal Government’s Nutrition Strategy”, a paper that outlines the government’s proposed cornerstones of the national strategy.
Source: vegnews.com
Intermarché opens 86 Belgian stores in one go
French retailer Intermarché has opened 86 Belgian stores in one go after acquiring Carrefour‘s former master franchiser Groupe Mestdagh. The Carrefour Market all reopened with a new sign on the front: they are now called “Intermarché by Mestdagh”. What else will change?
Source: retaildetail.eu
Singapore food waste start-up UglyFood closes down
UglyFood, the local start-up with a stated mission to reduce food waste, is closing down close to seven years after its launch. The online grocer said it was winding up as it was "unable to raise the funds required to grow further", in an Instagram post.
Source: channelnewsasia.com
US: Hy-Vee drops plan to have two CEOs
Hy-Vee has abandoned the dual-CEO management structure it announced last year, according to a spokesperson for the Midwestern supermarket chain. Jeremy Gosch, whom the company said in August would serve as CEO of retail operations, is now Hy-Vee’s only chief executive. Meanwhile, Aaron Wiese - announced last July as the successor to former CEO Randy Edeker - now holds the title of president and reports to Gosch.
Source: grocerydive.com
US: Boxed eyes a potential sale
Online retailer Boxed Inc. announced that it is planning to explore strategic alternatives, including a possible sale of the company. In a parallel move, Boxed said it is actively exploring capital raising initiatives and is targeting the announcement of additional funding within the next 45 days. The operator has retained Cowen and Solomon Partners Securities LLC as its financial advisors and Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer (US) LLP as its legal advisor to assist with the strategic alternatives process.
Source: supermarketnews.com
US: SpartanNash acquires Great Lakes Foods
Retailer and wholesaler SpartanNash said it has acquired Great Lakes Foods, an independent grocery wholesaler that serves about 100 independent grocery retailers in the Midwest. Terms were not disclosed. Great Lakes Foods operates a 300,000-square-foot distribution center in Menominee, Michigan, from which it serves retailers throughout the state, as well as in Illinois and Wisconsin, according to its website.
Source: supermarketnews.com
Lidl US unveils its new private-label produce line: Peak Harvest
Lidl US now has a new private-label produce line called Peak Harvest, the hard discounter announced. Peak Harvest products, available in over 175 Lidl US stores, includes over 50 products, as well as ready-to-eat salads offered daily. “Peak Harvest is a produce line that supports healthy eating by making it affordable for our customers”, Stefan Schwarz, chief product officer for Lidl US, said in a statement.
Source: winsightgrocerybusiness.com
US: KeHe names new president and CEO: Deb Conklin
KeHe Distributors has named Deb Conklin president and CEO, as current CEO Brandon Barnholt downshifts into a different role. As part of an ongoing succession process, Barnholt will move into the executive chairman role. Barnholt, who turns 65 in April, has been KeHe’s president and CEO for fifteen years.
Source: supermarketnews.com
US: Ottonomy.IO unveils Ottobot Yeti for unattended deliveries, at CES
Ottonomy.IO unveiled Ottobot Yeti, the first fully autonomous unattended delivery robot on the market, ideal for curbside, first mile and last mile deliveries, locker integration and automating the return process for retailers.
Source: prnewswire.com
