Australians have been slow to embrace online grocery shopping, with the vast majority still preferring their weekly trip to the supermarket, according to newly published research. New research from Roy Morgan shows that in the 12 months of the 2014-15 financial year, Aussies made more than 2.5 trips per week to supermarkets – or 1.95bn trips for the year. According to Roy Morgan it seems that buying groceries via the Internet is an “appealing idea rather than a reality for most consumers”. However, the survey did also reveal that 26% of grocery buyers agreed that “I’d consider doing some of my grocery shopping on the Internet in the next 12 months”. (itwire.com)Blue Yonder develops system for replenishment of fresh produce
Retail software specialist Blue Yonder has debuted a new system that helps grocery retailers to optimise replenishment decisions and processes for fresh produce. The new software manages the fresh assortiment, by automating replenishment decisions at the lowest level of the business, meaning that retailers can align category plans to daily trading decisions and close the gap between trading and the supply chain. The software simultaneously optimises demand and KPIs, ensuring that individual ordering decisions align with the retailer’s strategic goals and results. For instance, it can adapt to prioritise margins over revenues as the retailer requires. (foodbev.com)Jerónimo Martins won't suffer from Polish Sunday trade ban
Chinese investment bank Haitong believes that the Sunday trading ban, imposed by the Polish government, will not impact Portuguese retail group Jerónimo Martins, Economia Online has reported. The Polish retail sector will be most affected by the government's intention to ban Sunday trading, with a negative impact of €2.1bn on retail sales expected (1.4% of the total), according to PwC. In addition, the sector is expected to lose 36,000 jobs in the face of a business downturn. However, in its market analysis, Haitong believes that Jerónimo Martins Polish supermarket chain Biedronka should pass relatively unscathed from this decision. (esmmagazine.com)China: Auchan's hypermarket operator to lose market penetration
Hypermarket operator Sun Art Retail Group is losing penetration in the Chinese market, the most recent figures from data firm, Kantar Worldpanel, suggest. Owned by French retailer Auchan, Sun Art stayed on par with modern trade, growing by 1.1%. In comparison, of the five top Chinese retailers, Yonghui alone has expanded ahead of total modern trade by 32%. Sun Art's penetration has continued to slide since September 2016. The company posted a revenue increase of 4.4% in the third quarter of this year. (esmmagazine.com) Thomas Cook to buy out UK retail partners
The Thomas Cook Group has announced that it intends to take 100% control of its UK retail network, following the conclusion of its joint venture, established in 2011, with retailer The Co-operative Group and Central England Co-operative (formerly The Midlands Co-operative). In line with the joint venture agreement, Thomas Cook will purchase The Co-operative Group's 30% stake and Central England Co-operative's 3.5% stake for £50m and £5.8m, respectively - in cash.The transactions are expected to be completed around November 2017. (esmmagazine.com)Costco says it was 20 years ahead of the idea behind Amazon Go
Costco apparently kicked around something like the technology behind Amazon Go, the new automated convenience store concept from Amazon that everyone’s 
talking about, 20 years ago. Costco’s CFO said: ''In terms of scan-and-go, honestly we did a version of scan-and-go literally 20 years ago. The customer, I remember, would walk in and get an RF gun, a radio frequency device, walk around scan their own items, come up to the front, hand that thing to the cashier with the scanner and they print out a receipt. Needless to say, there’s a lot more efficient things today. We continue to look at scan-and-go type things. We are not testing it currently but we are looking at it.'' (geekwire.com) Moody's labels EU retail market 'stable' for 2017
Credit rating agency Moody's 2017 Outlook for the European retail sector has labelled it 'stable' in the new year, with expected moderate sales and earnings growth. For Germany, France, and the Benelux region, Moody's forecast a sales growth slightly larger than GDP, at 1.5-2%. In Southern Europe, the Italian economy will stay at a low ebb. Spain's sales will stay strong, with a 3% growth rate. As for the UK, margin pressures will result from a rising national wage and the fall in sterling. Economic concerns will diminish consumer confidence, as they have less access to disposable income due to more expensive essentials such as food. Lurking in the background is the constant threat of a food retail price war, although Tesco's and Morrisons have maintained profitability while decreasing prices. (esmmagazine.com)Study: almost 50% in the UK plan to buy Christmas groceries at Aldi/Lidl
Nearly half of consumers (49.1%) are planning to buy their Christmas groceries this year from either Aldi or Lidl, despite competition from the ‘Big Four’ supermarkets. Research from leading online reward programmes provider, Webloyalty, suggests that the two discounters, along with Marks & Spencer, will post the highest growth in market share this Christmas. Lidl is predicted to enjoy the biggest gains with a 3.9% year-on-year increase to 22.4% of consumers planning to use the retailer for festive grocery shopping. Please, click here to read more at retailtimes.co.uk. 
Revamped Dunnes market in cornelscourt offers 'food journey'Please, click here to read the article.
Costco feels deflation impact IGD reviews Costco’s first quarter performance, including its latest ecommerce and market entry initiatives.Click here to read the review.