SA: Woolworths reports lower H1 profit -
South African retailer Woolworths Holdings reported a 4.% drop in half-year profit on Thursday, citing difficult trading conditions in its home market and in Australia. The firm, which sells food and clothing to well-to-do consumers, mainly in South Africa and Australia, said its gross margin declined by 0.4% to 47%, as discounting by competitors gnawed away at profits. (Reuters) Lidl speeds up US plans
German grocery stores chain Lidl has said it will enter the US market earlier than previously envisaged. It's now planning to open its first stores there this summer. Its German archrival Aldi is already there. Lidl said the first 20 stores would be opening in North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia, where the company established its first US headquarters in 2015. The retailer added it was aiming to open as many as 100 stores on the East Coast within a year, creating some 4,000 jobs on the ground. (dw.com)UK retailer Tesco enters Pakistan market
Tesco PLC, the British transnational grocery and general merchandise retailer, has entered the Pakistani market with a bang after joining hands with Karachi-based Alpha Supermarket, a statement said on Wednesday. The company plans to open 50 Express Stores with Tesco products across Pakistan over the next three years, in addition to flagship stores in Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad. (thenews.com.pk) Germany's Metro plans to add 2,000 franchise stores in Russia by 2020
German retailer Metro, which currently has more than 200 franchise stores in Russia, plans to increase that number tenfold by 2020, Jere Calmes, the new CEO of Metro Cash&Carry Russia, said on Wednesday. (Reuters)Crai launches 'Crai Extra' supermarket format in Italy; focus on local produce
Italian grocery retailer Crai has announced the new 'Crai Extra' format for large supermarkets with areas from 800 to 2,500 square metres. These stores are characterised by a wide product range, with a strong presence of private label. The company said great attention has been paid to fresh and local products (such as the brand 'A due passi da qui'). (esmmagazine.com)US: WinCo Foods opens DC
WinCo Foods has opened a $135 million distribution center in Denton. WinCo says the center will be the biggest single economic development project in Denton’s history. The 800,000 square foot distribution center will serve nine stores in Texas initially, with three opening in Oklahoma next year. (wbap.com) Maxima Group sees turnover up marginally in 2016
Lithuania-based retailer Maxima Group has seen its consolidated retail turnover increase 0.2% in full year 2016 to €2.68bn, the company has announced. Most of the company’s regional operations saw growth: Latvia (+1.9%), Estonia (+1.2%), Bulgaria (+22.1%) and Poland (+6.1%), however, it fell back in the group’s home market of Lithuania (-2.1%). Maxima Lithuania remains the largest business within the group, posting retail turnover of €1.4bn. Its Latvia operation saw turnover of €689.3m. (esmmagazine.com)
Alibaba and CMA CGM ink in agreement.CMA CGM has joined Maersk Line in teaming up with Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba to provide online booking for shipments. (seatrade-maritime.com)
Botswana: Sefalana sees flat sales in home market in H1
Botswana-based Sefalana has announced H1 results noting the ‘challenging’ market conditions in the country. At its trading arm, the company generated revenue of BWP1.21 bn (US$114.1m) in H1 2016, versus BWP1.22 bn (US$115.0m) in the same timeframe in 2015 in Botswana. (igd.com) US grocery industry launches initiative to simplify product date labels
In a new industry-wide effort to reduce consumer confusion about product date labels, grocery manufacturers and retailers have joined together to adopt standard wording on packaging about the quality and safety of products. The new initiative for common phrasing is led by the Food Marketing Institute (FMI) and the Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA). (groceryheadquarters.com)Waitrose voted UK's best supermarket
Waitrose, Iceland and Marks & Spencer have bagged the top slots in a supermarket survey based on customers’ levels of satisfaction when shopping in store and online. The upmarket grocer topped the “bricks and mortar” table in the annual poll by consumer group Which? for the third year in a row, narrowly beating M&S. Waitrose and M&S won plaudits from shoppers for their store appearance and quality of own-label and fresh products. (theguardian.com) Food drink industry Ireland urges policy measures to aid sector
Ibec representative group Food Drink Industry Ireland has called for 'urgent new policy measures' to help the sector overcome the upcoming challenges of Brexit. “Ireland’s largest indigenous sector faces substantial challenges in the years ahead in a world that has changed radically in 12 months,” said Paul Kelly, the director of the group, at the launch of its first Business Monitor report on Wednesday. (esmmagazine.com)
Morrisons’ healthy eating range rebranded from NuMe to Eat Smart
Morrisons has renamed its healthy eating range, NuMe, as Eat Smart, with the aim of making it clearer for consumers to understand. The new branding has been completed by R Design. The new logo is contained within a leaf shape, drawing on Morrisons’ new branding, which rolled out last year. The logo includes a tree and leaf icon, made out of the “i” in Morrisons. (designweek.co.uk) 
Wal-mart snaps up another online retailer for $51mWal-Mart has snapped up another online retailer, its third in five months, as it works to close the gap with Amazon.com. The world's largest retailer said Wednesday that its online division spent roughly $51m to acquire Moosejaw, a web retailer that specializes in outdoor apparel and goods. (cnbc.com)
Albert Heijn's digital initiatives
Netherlands-based, Ahold Delhaize-owned Albert Heijn has launched a new app that will target shoppers who use the To Go convenience format. Separate from Appie, the To Go app will enable shoppers to receive time of day deals and messages. (irishtimes.com)Ireland: Tesco strike escalates
Tesco has risked an escalation of the industrial dispute at the company by halting deductions for union subscriptions from the wages of staff at stores where Mandate has placed pickets and failing to respond to a letter from the union seeking fresh talks. The retailer said: “We never collect trade union subs in stores on strike. This is a practical decision based on the fact that colleagues have voted not to be in work.” (irishtimes.com) 
