German discounter Lidl has broken ground for a new regional headquarters and distribution center in Fredericksburg, Va. Officials of Arlington, Va.-based Lidl US — the newly established division of the Necksalem, Germany-based retailer Schwarz Group — participated in a groundbreaking ceremony along with state and local officials Tuesday. Plans for the facility, which will employ 200 and serve a wave of stores expected to open no later than 2018, were announced in June. (supermarketnews.com)Sobeys' commits to local produce with Jamie Oliver
Reinforcing its long established commitment to Atlantic Canada growers and producers, Sobeys Inc. today showcased its support of the buy local movement at an event in Merigomish, Nova Scotia. The Cameron's Farm event was attended by local residents and featured food displays from nine local vendors and a cooking demonstration by special guest Jamie Oliver. Sobeys buys more local products than any other grocery retailer in Atlantic Canada. In fact, in 2014, Sobeys Atlantic purchased over $45m in produce from more than 200 growers in Atlantic Canada. (yahoo.com)Woolworths forecasts 35% slide in first-half profits
Australia's biggest supermarket chain, Woolworths, said that profits would fall by up to 35% for the six months to December. The profit warning is the third from the retailer this year as it struggles to compete with rivals Coles and Aldi. The news sent Woolworths shares down by almost 10%. The company said in latest quarterly results on Thursday that sales fell 2.5% to A$15.75bn. Woolworths expected net profit for the six months to December to be between A$900m and A$1bn, or 28% to 35% lower than the same period a year earlier. Analysts have said that customers perceived Woolworths to be more expensive than Coles. The supermarket said on Thursday it was investing more than $A500m into reversing falling sales. (BBC)Delhaize posts revenue growth of 2.3% in Q3
Delhaize Group has posted revenue growth of 2.3% (at identical exchange rates) and comparable store sales growth of 1.7% in its core US and Belgium markets for the third quarter of the year. According to results posted this morning (29 October), Delhaize posted group underlying operating profit of €218m, with an underlying operating margin of 3.5% for the period. Frans Muller, President and CEO of Delhaize Group, commented, “We continue to report robust sales in this third quarter. “Our return to positive comparable store sales growth in Belgium is just a first step, as we are putting our operations back onto a path of sustainable growth. During the third quarter, our stores were impacted by significant changes as a result of the agreed departure of many employees.” In the US, Delhaize recently relaunched 162 Food Lion stores relaunched under the “Easy, Fresh & Affordable” strategy, with which the group has made “significant progress”, Muller noted. (esmmagazine.com)Inside Target's turnaround strategy with CEO Cornell (video)
Walmart's top woman abroad heads to Chico'sShelley Broader, CEO of Walmart’s EMEA region is leaving the big box retailer to take the top job at Chico’s FAS, the women’s apparel company behind brands like Chico’s and White House Black Market. (fortune.com)
First new Market 32 opens
Golub Corp. on Wednesday opened its first ground-up Market 32 store in Sutton, Mass. The store is the fourth Market 32 to open since Golub, operator of the Price Chopper chain, announced plans a year ago to rebrand the majority of the chain under the new banner, which sports a modern look and emphasizes convenience. The first three stores were Price Chopper conversions. Several other conversions are underway across the chain’s six-state footprint and ground will be broken on another new store in Oxford, Conn., next month. (supermarketnews.com)Brazil: Záffari returns to expansion
Záffari opened a new store this week in Porto Alegre, capital of Rio Grande do Sul, and intends to open two more in that state in January 2016. They will be followed by a second hypermarket in São Paulo in the second quarter of 2016. (igd)US: Winn-Dixie plans permanent price cut
The chain announced that it has steeply and permanently lowered prices on more than 1,500 of the products that its customers purchase the most. (montgomeryadvertiser.com)
US: A&P notifies state of layoffs Bankrupt supermarket chain A&P has notified the state of another round of layoffs at its corporate headquarters in Montvale as it winds down its operations. (northjersey.com)
US: Russo’s partners with grocery delivery service CartFresh
CartFresh partnered with Russo’s, the family-run market known for its fresh fruits and vegetables and cheese selection, to expand Russo’s customer base beyond Watertown. CartFresh, a white-label grocery delivery service, launched Wednesday for customers in the Boston area, including Brookline, Cambridge, and Belmont. (betaboston.com)Italy's Auchan-Sma joins C3 purchasing consortium
Italian retail group Auchan-Sma has announced it will join the C3 purchasing consortium from 1 November. The alliance, whose goal is to jointly negotiate purchases, will cover all national delivery contracts starting from 2016, leading to joint purchases of nearly €9bn. The existing purchasing body of Auchan-Sma, on the basis of the purchasing mandate already in place with retail chains Crai, Sisa and their partners, through this alliance with C3 will strengthen its position, establishing itself as a major purchasing power in Italy. (esmmagazine.com)Portugal's Sonae MC joins Spanish purchasing group
Portuguese food retailer Sonae MC has signed an agreement with the Spanish central purchasing body IFA Group. The agreement, which enters into force on 1 January 2016, will help Sonae leverage negotiating and purchasing opportunities. IFA Group incorporates more than 30 different affiliates among the major retailers in Spain. At the end of 2014, IFA Group affiliates represented more than 6,000 points-of-sale, with a turnover of over €10bn. (esmmagazine.com)
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