An in-depth industry study from Market Force Information among almost 7000 customers reveals the UK’s best loved supermarket chain. Waitrose tops the poll for the second year in a row, followed by Aldi and Marks & Spencer. Sainsbury’s and Morrisons are claiming the fourth and fifth spots respectively. According to the research, Tesco is the only supermarket to improve on its 2015 score, increasing by two percentage points. (retailtimes.co.uk)Carrefour reports higher quarterly sales, buoyed by Brazil
Carrefour SA, reported stronger first-quarter revenue, boosted by growth in southern Europe and Latin America, and improving sales in China. Revenue reached €20.1bn. Quarterly growth was strongest in Latin America, where sales in Brazil rose 9.9% on a like-for-like basis, beating estimates, as all formats expanded in the country, Carrefour said. Spain and Italy, meanwhile, buoyed European sales, with both markets also exceeding estimates. French hypermarket sales fell 0.6% and China declined 8.4%. (Bloomberg)
AU: Meijer eyeing major expansion in Cleveland
Michigan-based superstore operator Meijer Inc. has eyes on expansion in greater Cleveland, CEO Hank Meijer said this week. "We see Cleveland as the next city to go to," Meijer said during an address at Western Michigan University's Food Marketing Conference Tuesday, according to an account on Mlive. Meijer told reporters afterward that the chain anticipated building eight to 10 stores in the Akron, Ohio, and Cleveland area over the next four to five years. (supermarketnews.com)AU: Aldi has increased its market share again.
Aldi, the German discount chain taking on the Australian market, has increased its dollar value market share to 12.1%, up from 11.6% about a year ago. At the same time, Woolworths’ share of the $89.5bn market is falling, according to analysis by Roy Morgan Research. “With its South Australian expansion now underway, and WA to follow soon, it’s no wonder Aldi’s dollar share of the Australian supermarket market is rising,” says Michele Levine, CEO at Roy Morgan Research. (businessinsider.com.au)Please, click here to enlarge the chart
Source: Roy Morgan Research
AU: Harris Farm starts same day online delivery
Harris Farm has promised same day delivery, as long as you order before 5pm to beat Coles and Woolworths. “Lots of people have become really time poor, and because of this, there’s lots of demand for short turnaround deliveries,” James Kerridge, head of marketing and ecommerce at Harris Farm told Business Insider. (businessinsider.com.au)Americans are paying less for groceries, except for fresh fruit/veg
Last year falling energy prices kept U.S. inflation in check. This year it could be the lower cost of groceries. Over the last 12 months, grocery prices have fallen 0.5% based on a component of the federal government’s consumer price index known as “food at home.” It’s only the fourth time in the past 25 years that the cost of food prepared at home has turned negative. Prices of fresh fruits and fresh vegetables however, have risen the past year. (marketwatch.com) Germany: Metro announces changes at Real's top-level management
Metro Group’s hypermarket chain, Real has announced a change of top level management, with CFO Henning Gieseke and CMO Patrick Müller-Sarmiento taking over joint leadership of the 
Management Board with immediate effect. Real will now have four leaders instead of five: Gieseke and Müller-Sarmiento will continue to operate in their respective current roles alongside their new roles as Chairmen of the Management Board. (esmmagazine.com) UK: Nisa reports strong trading performance for Q4
Nisa Retail Limited has reported a strong Q4 trading performance for the 14 weeks ending 3 April, 2016, in which sales grew by 4.9% year on year, to be worth £327.5m and volume grew by 5.8%. It says that performance was boosted by an improving offer, as well as an increasing number of new store openings during Q4. (igd.com)US: Marsh lowers 1,800 prices
Marsh Supermarkets said Wednesday it has reduced prices on more than 1,800 of the items customers purchase most often as part of a new campaign called, “Better Food Now Has a Better Price.” The 1,800 items include fresh products. (supermarketnews.com)
India: BigBasket to deliver products in 60 minutesBangalore-based online grocer BigBasket’s latest ‘Express Delivery’ service will allow users to select a wide range of products and get them delivered within 60 minutes. Vipul Parekh, co-founder of bigbasket.com said, "The biggest feedback we had from our customers was for faster deliveries". (inc42.com)
Lidl’s Irish sales ‘significantly’ greater than €1bn
Lidl’s sales in Ireland are “significantly more” than €1bn, according to John Paul Scally, the company’s managing director. Lidl does not file accounts and has never previously detailed its revenues here. Mr Scally declined, however, to reveal the chain’s profitability. Mr Scally also said the chain expects to open another “40 or 50” stores in Ireland in coming years. (irishtimes.com) 
