Mediobanca: leading grocery retailers see 8.3% growth in 2015 sales
The 12 largest global grocery retailers closed 2015 with revenues of €1.04 trillion, an 8.3% growth over 2014, according to a study by Italy’s Mediobanca Research. Wal-Mart Group was by far the largest in revenue terms with €439.6bn, roughly the GDP of Sweden. Another US company, Kroger, was second with €100.9bn, followed by France’s Carrefour (€76.9bn). UK-based Tesco is fourth with €74.2bn. It is worth noting that last year’s merger between Ahold and Delhaize created a group with an aggregate turnover of €62.6bn, placing it sixth in the ranking ahead of Japan’s Aeon (€55.2bn). (esmmagazine.com)
Seven large Belgian supermarket chains will launch a pilot project this year, using reusable bags for fruit and vegetables. This was indicated Friday by the federation for commerce and services, Comeos, confirming information received from the publications De Morgen and Het Laatste Nieuws. The results of the pilot project will be sent to the government. (brusselstimes.com)
Walmart to invest $50mn in grocery delivery in China
Walmart announced a $50mn strategic investment in New Dada, China’s largest local, on-demand, logistics and grocery O2O ecommerce platform. The investment is an extension of Walmart’s broader agreement with JD.com and cooperation with New Dada, which includes using New Dada’s network to offer customers two-hour delivery on groceries ordered from Walmart stores through the JD Daojia Dada app. (satprnews.com)
Aldi prepares Italian launch
The 12 largest global grocery retailers closed 2015 with revenues of €1.04 trillion, an 8.3% growth over 2014, according to a study by Italy’s Mediobanca Research. Wal-Mart Group was by far the largest in revenue terms with €439.6bn, roughly the GDP of Sweden. Another US company, Kroger, was second with €100.9bn, followed by France’s Carrefour (€76.9bn). UK-based Tesco is fourth with €74.2bn. It is worth noting that last year’s merger between Ahold and Delhaize created a group with an aggregate turnover of €62.6bn, placing it sixth in the ranking ahead of Japan’s Aeon (€55.2bn). (esmmagazine.com) Major grocers testing fresh fruit & veg in reusable bags
Seven large Belgian supermarket chains will launch a pilot project this year, using reusable bags for fruit and vegetables. This was indicated Friday by the federation for commerce and services, Comeos, confirming information received from the publications De Morgen and Het Laatste Nieuws. The results of the pilot project will be sent to the government. (brusselstimes.com) Walmart to invest $50mn in grocery delivery in China
Walmart announced a $50mn strategic investment in New Dada, China’s largest local, on-demand, logistics and grocery O2O ecommerce platform. The investment is an extension of Walmart’s broader agreement with JD.com and cooperation with New Dada, which includes using New Dada’s network to offer customers two-hour delivery on groceries ordered from Walmart stores through the JD Daojia Dada app. (satprnews.com)Aldi prepares Italian launch
German discounter Aldi has created a real estate company to prepare for its Italian conquest, starting with its first store in Trento. The company has put aside €200m to open new stores and to operate its distribution center in Verona. (retaildetail.eu) Woolworths appoints Tesco veteran as supermarkets boss
Investors are calling on Woolworths to give customers reasons to shop there again, as Australia's number one supermarket chain surprises investors with news it has appointed a Tesco veteran from the UK as its managing director of supermarkets. In a long-awaited appointment, Claire Peters, who started as a graduate at Tesco and currently serves as its chief operating officer in Thailand, will step into the key role in July. (smh.com.au) 
Price rises are making a comeback at Australia's major supermarkets ahead of Amazon's arrivalPlease, click here to read the article.
Whole Foods Market seeks local suppliers in Prince George’s County
Whole Foods Market is looking for unique products from local growers and producers to feature in the new Riverdale Park Station, scheduled to open in late spring 2017, the company said. Whole Foods Market defines local products as grown or produced within 100 miles of a store or within the same state as a store. (internationalsupermarketnews.com) 
Wawa has big plans for the Sunshine State. The privately-owned, Pennsylvania-based convenience store chain plans to open 25 to 30 stores every year, throughout Florida, during the next several years. In 2017, Wawa will start its push into the southeast part of the state, with a first wave of stores opening in Palm Beach and Broward Counties. (chainstoreage.com) Wal-Mart on Friday announced a management shuffle that integrates the running of its physical outlets and online operations, and extends broader authority to the former head of online retailer Jet.com, which Wal-Mart bought for $3.3bn last year. It was the second time Wal-Mart has shuffled its e-commerce decks after it acquired Jet.com in August and appointed Marc Lore to run its e-commerce business. (Reuters)Online grocery delivery players BigBasket, Grofers explore merger
Online grocers BigBasket and Grofers have held merger talks, though these discussions are preliminary and have moved slowly so far, multiple people familiar with the matter told TOI, on the condition of anonymity. (economictimes.indiatimes.com) EuroCommerce calls for regulations to boost organic sector
EuroCommerce the group that represents retailers in Europe, has called for ‘risk-based, proportionate and pragmatic rules’ that will facilitate the continued sustainable growth of the organic sector. The call comes as demand for organic products now exceeds the capacity that farmers can produce. EuroCommerce says that this is due to the regulations relating to ‘organic’ being too stringent. (esmmagazine.com) 
Leclerc has said total sales rose 2.7% in 2016, excluding the deflationary effects of petrol, with food sales increasing by 3.4%. Leclerc gained share in 2016, with its sales growth seeing it strongly outperform the 0.2% growth stated for the market as a whole. The beginning of 2017 has been positive for Leclerc already, with 12 new stores joining the company. (igd.com)US: Kroger receives EPA food recovery award
The Kroger Co. announced that it had been recognized by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for its efforts around sustainable food management. Kroger participated in the EPA’s 2016 Food Recovery Challenge and was named Region 5 Winner in the Grocers category. (internationalsupermarketnews.com) US: Supermarket giant upgrades wireless network
Ahold USA can now boast it has “smarter stores” for its increasingly connected consumers. The supermarket giant has rolled out a new wireless platform from Verizon Enterprise Solutions across its divisions, which include Stop & Shop New England, Stop & Shop New York Metro, Giant Landover, and Giant Carlisle, The platform has resulted in a digitally rich in-store experience for the grocer’s smartphone-using shoppers. (chainstoreage.com) Lidl to open group service centre in Slovenia
German retailer Lidl plans to test launch an international service centre in Slovenia's second largest city, Maribor, later this year. The centre will provide administrative support to all purchasing departments in the group. In view of expansion activities at the international level in the next two years, it would create about 100 jobs. (esmmagazine.com) Russian Dixy announces refurbishment of Sedmoy Kontinent outlets
Russian retailer Dixy Group has announced the refurbishment of the twelve Sedmoy Kontinent outlets it acquired - in the Kaliningrad region - in December 2016. The refurbished stores are to re-open at the end of January, as Victoria supermarkets. (esmmagazine.com) 
