AU: Woolworths offers free fruits for children at all stores

A survey conducted by the National Agency for Financial Studies (NAFI) in September 2015 revealed retail to be the most attractive sector for start-up businesses, reports retail-loyalty.org. The survey conducted on entrepreneurs found that if current business owners were offered the chance to start their businesses again in the current conditions, one in ten would not be able to, but one in five would have started a business in the retail sector. 18% of business owners considered wholesale and retail trade the most attractive sector for starting a business. No more than 3% would choose to start an agricultural business.

KIDS are to be offered free pieces of fruit at all 961 Woolworths stores. The supermarket chain will place baskets of complimentary seasonal fruit in its fresh produce sections, inviting children to pick a piece. The scheme will be rolled out nationwide from early next month, and the free fruit is the same quality as the priced produce. Woolies expects to give away one million pieces of fruit a year, including bananas, apples, mandarins and pears, and it says the cost of priced fruit will not rise to compensate. (heraldsun.com.au)

Walmart reported Q3 earnings that beat Wall Street's lowered expectations Tuesday. Walmart warned investors last month that its profit in fiscal year 2017 could drop 6% to 12%. Off Tuesday's news, Walmart shares rose. The retailer reported earnings of $3.3bn, or $1.03 a share, above analyst estimates of 98 cents a share, according to S&P Capital IQ. That was down from $3.7bn, or $1.15 a share, in the same period a year ago. Revenue fell 1.3% to $117.4bn, which was about on par with estimates from S&P Capital IQ. Sales at Walmart U.S. stores increased 1.5%. This was the retailer's fifth consecutive quarter of positive same-store sales, and fourth consecutive quarter of positive same-store traffic. While Walmart reported a 11.4% decline in international sales, on a constant currency basis, sales increased by 3.2%. Walmart’s ecommerce sales increased by around 10% in the quarter, significantly lower than the 16% growth recorded in the Q2. (usatoday.com/igd.com)

Woolworths Holdings, South Africa’s biggest retailer by market value, said sales gained 18% in the first 20 weeks of its financial year boosted by clothing, food and Australian chain David Jones. Excluding David Jones, which Woolworths bought for about $2bn last year, revenue advanced 12% in the period ending 15 November, the Cape Town-based company said in a statement on Tuesday after the market close. That was in line with the same period last year. (esmmagzine.com)

Canadians are spending more of their weekly food budgets at Walmart Canada stores, the company said Tuesday, as the world’s largest retailer moves to make grocery items a “core” offering at Canadian locations. Sales across Walmart’s network of about 400 Canadian stores jumped a strong 5.7%, the Arkansas-based retailer said, “driven by [a] strong performance in our core grocery business, as well as [a] stronger performance in our general merchandise business.” (globalnews.ca)