Tesco Ireland: All stores to open today, despite strike action -
Tesco has affirmed that all its Irish stores will remain open today, 14 February, despite strike action being called at eight of its outlets over a pay dispute involving a some 250 workers on contracts dating back more than 20 years. In a statement, Tesco said that it was ‘shocked’ that the Mandate Trade Union was going ahead with what it describes as an “unjustified” strike. (esmmagazine.com) Greek supermarkets suffer biggest sales decline in recent years
Greek supermarkets endured their biggest annual turnover drop of recent years in 2016, according to market researchers IRI, while the first signs for this year are far from encouraging. Turnover at Greek supermarkets shrank 6.5% year-on-year in 2016, while sales volume declined by 8.9%. At the same time prices posted an annual growth of 2.4 %, owing to the impact of last summer’s value-added tax increase, along with fewer special offers by retailers. (ekathimerini.com)Dunnes stores retakes top spot in Irish grocery rankings
Local retailer, Dunnes Stores, has retaken number one position in the Irish grocery market, according to the latest market share results from Kantar Worldpanel, for the 12 weeks to 29 January. Dunnes stands on 22.7% market share, having posted a 3.6% increase in sales since the same period last year. Musgrave Group-owned retailer SuperValu is second on 22.5% market share, while Tesco is third on 22.4% share. (esmmagazine.com)Amazon and Wegmans 1st and 2nd in national reputation survey
The online giant came out on top in Harris Poll’s annual corporate reputation rankings report. The poll measures the reputations of the 100 most visible companies in the United States as perceived by the general public. With a corporate reputation quotient (RQ) or rating of 86.27, Amazon had the highest RQ in the poll’s 18 years of study. It was followed by Wegmans (85.41), and Publix Super Markets (82.78). The three companies were the only retailers to crack the top 10. (chainstoreage.com)Asda to aim at local sourcing in South West of England
Asda is strengthening its commitment to selling locally sourced products, with the appointment of a dedicated Buying Manager for the South West of England. Working alongside the stores in the South West, Alan – who grew in Somerset – will be using his local knowledge to help bring fresh and tasty locally produced or grown products to local Asda supermarkets, supporting local communities in the process, the company says in a press release. US: Regional grocer launches online shopping across five states
Ridley’s Family Markets has deployed an online shopping platform designed to provide personalized experiences for customers across five states in the Mountain West region. By partnering with Digital Foodie, the chain is creating branded websites and mobile applications, as well as taking advantage of the third party’s picking and fulfillment tools to optimize the store pick-up and home delivery processes. (chainstoreage.com) Bigbasket touches 25,000 in new area within one year
Bigbasket, India's largest online supermarket, has successfully catered to 25,000 customers in Coimbatore in a short span of 1 year. Bigbasket has about 4 million customers nationally and currently receives approximately 50,000 orders each day. (outlookindia.com)New CEO named at Maxima Group
Lithuania's Maxima Group has appointed a new chief executive, Robertas Čipkus, following the departure of former CEO Alvydas Šustikas. Čipkus previously held the position of chief financial officer at the company. In addition, board member Petras Jašinskas has been named chairman of the retailer's board, and legal director, Eugenijus Filonovas, has been appointed to the board. (esmmagazine.com) Finland's S Group sees retail sales rise 2% in full year 2016
Finland's S Group, which operates more than 1,600 retail outlets in Finland, as well as a number of regional cooperatives, saw retail sales rise 2.0% last year, according to financial results just published. The group posted retail sales of €11.02bn, up from €10.8 billion the previous year. Profit before taxes and other deductions was €292m, slightly down on the €299m it recorded in 2015. (esmmagazine.com)