Albert Heijn’s ‘superfood’ dried cranberries containing 68% added sugar syrup have been voted food con of the year by visitors to the Foodwatch website. The supermarket giant has already told the food campaign group it plans to double the percentage of cranberries in the product this year to 60%. (dutchnews.nl) Aldi to open 80 new UK stores in 2016
Aldi has revealed to British newspaper the Mail On Sunday that it will open 80 new branches in the UK this year, 23% more than last year and its fastest ever rate of growth in the country. The plan would bring the number of Aldi stores in the UK to over 700, and according to the newspaper, debunks the suggestion that the pace of the discounter’s growth may slow in Britain. (esmmagazine.com)US: Wegmans sales totaled $7.9B in 2015
Gates-based grocer Wegmans Food Markets continues to be ranked among the largest in North America for annual sales, according to a trade publication. Supermarket News' annual list of the top 75 retailers and wholesalers ranked Wegmans at No. 33 with estimated annual sales of $7.9bn for the year ending Dec. 26, 2015. Wegmans had annual sales of $7.4bn in 2014, according to the local grocer. The grocer came in at No. 32 on Supermarket News' list a year ago. (democratandchronicle.com)Francae: Carrefour completes acquisition of Rue Du Commerce
Carrefour has completed the purchase of one of France's largest web-only retail sites, Rue du Commerce. The French supermarket chain announced the takeover of the site in August, and this week confirmed the acquisition of 100% of the share capital from Altarea Cogedim. The deal received the green light from the European Commission in November. "This acquisition is another step in the roll-out of Carrefour's omni-channel strategy in France, for the benefit of its clients both in stores and on-line," the company said in a statement. (esmmagazine.com)Mobile devices help grow Swiss LeShop.ch sales
Swiss online supermarket and Migros subsidiary LeShop.ch grew its sales by 6.6% in 2015 to CHF 176m, with 40% of all orders placed via mobile device. LeShop.ch’s sales have grown for the third consecutive year despite the challenges posed by a strong Franc, which has seen many consumers look abroad for groceries, and according to estimates by Credit Suisse, may have seen CHF 11bn flow out of the country. According to the retailer, a key sales driver for it has been the increased use of smartphones and tablets amongst all age groups, as well as the expansion of its delivery service and the introduction of more precise delivery times. (esmmagazine.com)Aldi's revenue growth in Germany slowed down
The combined group (Aldi Sud and Aldi Nord) is expected to see sales grow to €27.9bn in 2015. Aldi Süd revenue grew by 1.3% year-on-year to €15.7 bn and Aldi Nord sales was up 1.7% to €12.2bn. The figures were reported by German media and confirmed by Aldi spokespersons. The combined group revenue growth is estimated around 1.5% in comparison to estimated 1.9% in 2014. Aldi Nord said that its average sales per store has grown by 4% in 2015, despite seeing its network reduce by around 50 outlets. It also said it plans to continue revamping its network, which is expected to result in a “significant increase in sales”.Dutch Supermarket group Jumbo cuts 20% of HQ jobs
Supermarket group Jumbo is reducing its head office workforce by around 20% now the integration of the C1000 supermarket chain has been completed. In total 190 out of 925 full time jobs will go, the company said, and compulsory redundancies have not been ruled out. (dutchnews.nl) Dutch Coop sees consumer sales rise in 2015
Supermarket chain Coop has seen an increase in turnover in 2015 of 7,5% from a year earlier. The increase was due in large part to the opening of 13 additional stores in 2015. The total turnover of Coop increased by 76 million in 2015, from €1,007bn to €1,083bn. (retaildetail.nl)
Aldi and Lidl: graduate recruitment schemes key part of successThe rise of Aldi and Lidl in the UK has been driven by low prices, but there is another secret to the success of the German discounters: their graduate recruitment schemes. Please, click here to read the article.
Costco Australia reveals new store locations
Costco Australia’s boss has revealed where some of its future stores will be built as the popular bulk discount retailer expands. Currently, the retailer has eight stories across Australia, but in the year ahead, they plan to open three new buildings. One will be opened in Marsden Park in Sydney, NSW, another will be in Brisbane, Queensland, and another will be opened in Victoria in the suburb of Epping. (news.com.au)NGA launches enhanced website
The National Grocers Association said Monday it has launched a new, redeveloped website (www.nationalgrocers.org) designed to serve members better and also to educate consumers about the independent supermarket industry. (supermarketnews.com)Slovakia halves VAT on staple foods, but not on fruit/veg
Slovakia has reduced VAT on a specified list of staple foods, such as bread, meat, milk, and butter, from 20% to 10% as of January 1. Last year, following a similar initiative by an opposition MP, the Slovak parliament rejected the proposal to reduce VAT to 10% on fresh produce. (esmmagazine.com)
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