Coles spokeswoman Martine Alpins told A Current Affair the supermarket giant wanted to prove their fresh fruit and vegetables credentials and said the supply chain had been streamlined to reduce prices and improve quality, 9news.com.au reports. "We're investing in our fresh produce more than we ever have before, it’s all about understanding the journey our fresh food makes from the farm right to the supermarket shelf," Ms Alpins said. The latest move in the supermarkets war comes as Aldi prepares to roll out more of its refurbished stores that have already proved a success in the western Sydney suburb of McGraths Hill.UK: Watchdog demands explanation from Morrisons over payments
Britain’s grocery regulator is demanding that Morrisons explain why it is seeking impromptu payments from its suppliers, as the supermarket approaches the close of a key accounting period, theguardian.com reports. The GCA has written to the retailer seeking an explanation for an email, seen by the Guardian, in the supermarket asks suppliers to fund recent investments it has made. The watchdog’s government-backed code states that supermarkets must not “vary any supply agreement retrospectively”.US: A&P's future up in the air
The fate of North Jersey's A&P, Pathmark and related supermarkets remains in limbo as employees, vendors and landlords wait to hear if Montvale-based The Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Co. has managed to find a buyer or an option that would prevent a bankruptcy, northjersey.com reports. Leaders of the two main North Jersey unions representing workers at A&P and Pathmark stores said Tuesday they are still waiting to see what will happen, after being told last month by company representatives that it was able to meet its obligations, and that no crisis was imminent. But despite company assertions that everything remains business as usual while it explores strategic options, reports continue to surface of vendors refusing to extend credit to the company, and of landlords not receiving rent checks. Most industry observers say they don't see any buyers on the horizon who are likely to continue the A&P or Pathmark chains, and they expect the company's real estate assets to be divided up.Big C Thailand reports steady half
Big C Thailand has reported half year sales of THB 60.4bn, representing 0.1% sales growth, despite LFL sales declining 1.1%, igd.com reports. In Q2, Big C Thailand saw sales hit THB 30.7bn, a decline of -1.5% compared to the year before, or -1.8% on a LFL basis. Although the food business remained strong, with positive LFL sales growth and customer numbers increasing, general merchandise sales suffered. CA: Couche-Tard Q4 profit falls
The year ended strongly for Couche-Tard, with the retailer’s merchandise and service revenues increasing by 12.4% to $2.0bn in the fourth quarter, igd.com reports. This was supported by the acquisition of The Pantry, which was completed in March. Same-store sales were up 5.2% in the US, 3.8% in Canada and 3.0% in Europe, while net earnings, excluding recurring items, increased 15.4% to $142.0m. This provided the retailer with a solid foundation for the new financial year, where the focus once again will be on integrating major acquisitions. This year the retailer will expand its fresh food offer in the US to a further 300 sites.Spain: Lidl sets out strategy to further growth
Speaking at an event, Lidl Spain’s finance director, Ferran Figueras, has said that the retailer is aiming to build on its performance in 2014, when it grew net sales by about 7% to €2.71bn, by improving its image and to evolve shoppers’ perception that it ‘only’ offers low prices and is a German company, igd.com reports. Targeting net sales growth of 5% in 2015 Figueras said that Lidl would invest €200m in the opening of 40 stores, the launch of a new logistics platform in Alcalá de Henares in Madrid, while also focusing on promoting its fresh produce offer and private label ranges. In the long term, he noted that Lidl believes it has space for between 800 and 1,000 stores in Spain, up from 535 presently. US: Haggen will cut staff hours across Southwest
Haggan announced this week that it will cut staff hours “temporarily” across southern California, Arizona and Nevada, citing overwhelming competition from other brands, desertsun.com reports. “The competitive activity launched in response to our entry into the marketplace — while expected — has been unprecedented,” said Haggen Southwest CEO Bill Shaner in a statement. “To ensure we’re operating as efficiently as possible, we have made the very difficult decision to temporarily cut back on staff hours at our stores.”US: Food Lion is lowering prices on ‘everyday items’
Grocery store chain Food Lion announced Monday that the company is lowering prices on some of the everyday items people buy, wtvr.com reports. The announcement comes just weeks after the company said it’s merging with Martin’s. Prices will be reduced on things like apple juice, peanut butter, frozen vegetables and canned beans. The products were chosen for price reduction after “extensive research of frequently purchased items,” according to a press release.Ireland: Tesco top choice for the big weekly shop
A survey of the grocery shopping habit of Irish consumers has found that one third of them choose Tesco for their big weekly shop, more than twice as many as those who choose Dunnes Stores and well ahead of the German discounters, irishtimes.com reports. The “Where We Shop 2015” report, by retail trade magazine Checkout in conjunction with Ignite Research, found that Dunnes is the preferred location for the main shopping trip of just 15% of the 1,000 shoppers surveyed. This was well behind Aldi at 23% and 16% for Lidl. SuperValu, whose network includes smaller-format franchise stores, is the main shopping destination of 11% of those surveyed.Russian retailer X5 says sales growth picks up in Q2
Russia's second-biggest food retailer X5 said on Monday its sales growth accelerated in the second quarter due to expansion and higher like-for-like sales at its low-price Pyaterochka stores, Reuters reports. Sales at X5 jumped 28.1% in April-June, year-on-year, to $3.51bn, after a rise of 26.5% in the first quarter, it said in a statement. That was the highest rate since the third quarter of 2011 and was boosted by a 23.9% rise in net selling space and a 15.6% increase in like-for-like sales, it said.Netherlands: Coop set to breach 250 store mark in 2015
Coop has announced that it is aiming to open five more stores, adding to its portfolio, expansion that will see it expand beyond the 250 store mark in the second half of the year, igd.com reports. Meanwhile, to drive loyalty at its stores, Coop is trialling a loyalty solution that enables shoppers to collect points when they buy online at a third party retailer, like MediaMarkt. Netherlands: Spar expands online ordering to 110 stores
Spar has announced that following the addition of eight new stores to its online service, 100 of its stores enable shoppers to order online, igd.com reports. Due the retailer’s structure in the Netherlands, each store has its own website so that shoppers can buy from the individual offer connected with that outlet, Dutch Jumbo extends online offer
Jumbo has announced that it is extending the range it offers online, with the addition of a number of the products that have so far only been available at its Foodmarkt banner, igd.com reports. UK: Chop'd operates 12 central London stores
With its 12 stores across London, Chop'd is just one of the emerging salad-focused food-to-go chains in the UK capital, igd.com reports. Alongside Tossed and Vital Ingredient, as well as the likes of Crussh and Abokado, Chop'd is putting fresh produce at the centre of the food-to-go offer, meeting the London consumer's growing focus on healthy and low-carbohydrate lunchtime alternatives.Spain: Condis and Unide discuss expansion
Condis and Unide have announced how both have expanded during the first half of 2015, underlining how the country’s leading retailers continue to add new stores, despite growing competition, igd.com reports. First, Condis said that it had opened 16 supermarkets in the first half of 
2015, a major part of its aim to open 20 during the whole year. The 16 stores were across three banners: Condis Express, which account for nine of the new stores; Condis, a further six; and one Condis Life. The expansion means that Condis operated 441 supermarkets in Spain at the end of the first half. Unide, meanwhile, said that it had opened 29 new stores in the first half of the year. Unide said that it had opened 12 Udaco Unide stores and five additional Unide Markets.French Intermarché’s ugly vegetables compaign
Intermarché, the third largest supermarket chain in France decided to sell (more cheaply) the imperfect fruits and vegetables that are typically barred from the produce aisle, theguardian.com reports. It launched a brilliant campaign to glorify these rejects through print, billboards, TV, radio and social media Intermarche also designed and distributed inglorious vegetable soups and fruit juices. Spain: Auchan to expand Simply banner through franchising
In an interview with infoRETAIL Javier Samperiz, the franchise director for the Simply Market banner in Spain, has said that the retailer is ‘interested in opening franchises throughout’ the country, igd.com reports. Samperiz said that the retailer was strongest in the centre and north of the country and was looking on building its presence in the country by adding to the 38 franchised stores it launched in 2014 and the 20 it has opened so far in 2015. CA: Loblaws introduces online shopping
Loblaws wants customers to leave the shopping to them with its new online grocery program, thewhig.com reports. Click-and-Collect online shopping is a new program Loblaws is rolling out in Kingston on Monday, allowing Kingstonians to place their grocery order online and then just pick up the order. The online shoppers will have access to the same full range of products and promotions that are available in the stores.CA: Loblaw testing new ethnic-focused format
In Mississauga, Ontario, Loblaw has launched a new format Real Canadian Superstore, thestar.com reports. The re-modelled store has been developed to build strong appeal with ethnic shoppers and features a number of new elements based around the themes of fresh, value and global flavours. These include over 700 new fresh food products, an extended fresh food counter and tanks, a Teppenyaki grill and a roasted nut and dried fruit counter.
CA: Overwaitea tracks east to hit 200 store target
Building from a strong base in British Columbia, and more recently Alberta, Overwaitea Foods has announced plans to open stores in Manitoba and Saskatchewan, igd.com reports. The stores will trade mainly under its core Save-On-Foods format, although one of the first stores to open will be an international destination store, similar to its current Price Smart International format. US: Walmart counters Amazon with online deals
Walmart Stores Inc. is cutting prices on thousands of products this week in a counterattack to Prime Day, an event Amazon.com Inc. is using to promote its subscription service, Bloomberg reports. Walmart will begin the sale on July 15, the same day as Amazon’s much-publicized promotion. During Prime Day, Amazon will offer special discounts to members of its service, which costs $99 a year. The move marks an escalating battle between Walmart’s e-commerce site and Amazon, the world’s largest online retailer.US: Weis names Hatchell to board
Weis Markets said Tuesday that former Lowes Foods executive Dennis G. Hatchell has been appointed to its board of directors, replacing Dr. Glenn D. Steele Jr., who resigned, supermarketnews.com reports. Hatchell was CEO of the Pantry, a North Carolina-based convenience store chain which was acquired by Alimentation Couche-Tard earlier this year. Interesting links about retail:
Carrefour and Casino: trading places on BrazilPlease, click here to read the article
UK: Supermarkets may have to up prices thanks to Living Wage - but Aldi and Lidl could be better offPlease, click here to read the article
AU: Here's why consumers are choosing Aldi over Woolworths and Coles Please, click here to read the article
The billion dollar food delivery warsPlease, click here to read the article.