Sun Art Retail Group Ltd, China's No.2 hypermarket operator, on Thursday said it was betting on a new online delivery strategy to take on e-commerce players as competition hots up in the country's $700-billion grocery market. Sun Art is looking to bridge the gap with its new online delivery service, Feiniu Fresh, that was launched in June and promises to bring grocery to the customer's doorstep within an hour from when the order is placed. (Reuters) Ahold Delhaize merger blocked at Belgium level
Ahold and Delhaize Group were told at the beginning of last year that they had to sell a number of stores in Belgium to get green light for their merger. In total, both retailers had to sell 13 supermarkets from the Belgian Competition Authority: 5 Delhaize and 8 Albert Heijn stores. One and a half years later, Ahold and Delhaize have not yet managed to offload the stores. Although Carrefour, Lidl and Tanger bought several stores, one shop remains unsold: the Albert Heijn at the Groenplaats in Antwerp. Once all of the stores have been sold, Ahold Delhaize can finally start working on collaboration and synergy benefits at the Belgian level. (gondola.be) UK: Thousands of Asda workers face redundancy
Thousands of Asda workers are facing redundancy or a dramatic cut in their working hours as Britain’s third-largest supermarket chain looks to cut costs. Asda has begun a consultation with 3,257 employees in 18 underperforming stores, singled out as overstaffed relative to their current sales performance. The Guardian has learned Asda is also looking at staffing levels in a further 59 of its supermarkets, though at present this is an informal process. The retailer is not looking to cut jobs in these stores but wants staff to agree to work in different departments when required. (theguardian)Amazon paid just €16.5m in tax on European revenues of €21.6bn
Amazon paid just €16.5m (£15m) in tax on European revenues of €21.6bn (£19.5bn) reported through Luxembourg in 2016. The figures, published in Amazon’s latest annual accounts for its European online retail business, are likely to reignite the debate about US tech companies using complex crossborder arrangements to minimise the tax they pay across the continent. (theguardian.com) Ahold Delhaize: We're eyeing acquisitions in East Coast
CEO Dick Boer of Ahold Delhaize is not worried about Aldi and Lidl's advances in the United States. "We have been competing for years with Walmart, the biggest discounter in the world," says Boer according to De Financiële Telegraaf. According to Boer, Ahold Delhaize is now the strongest in the East-Coast and is becoming stronger and stronger in this region, the CEO said. "We will open our eyes to opportunities for acquisitions to strengthen our position on the East Coast," replies CIO Frans Muller. (retailtrends.nl)Musgrave MarketPlace invests £1.1m in Duncrue Cash & Carry
Irish wholesale retailer Musgrave MarketPlace has announced that it is investing £1.1 million to upgrade its Belfast-based Duncrue Cash & Carry. The revamped 52,000 square foot store will be reopened in October, featuring hundreds of new products, an equipment area showing an extended range, and specialist meat, cheese, fruit and vegetable counters. The outlet currently employs 179 staff, but the retailer plans to hire a range of experts that can advise customers in-store. (esmmagazine.com) US: Fiesta Mart names CEO
Houston-based Fiesta Mart operates 60-plus stores in the Houston, Austin and Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas, markets. Fiesta Mart LLC has appointed Target veteran Sid Keswani as its CEO, replacing Mike Byars in the role. Keswani has an extensive retail background, coming most recently from Austin, Texas-based real estate developer Aspen Heights, where he was COO for three years. (progressivegrocer.com) US: Winn-Dixie parent names new CEO
Anthony Hucker is now the official president and CEO at Southeastern Grocers, the parent company of Winn-Dixie and several other grocery store chains. Hucker, 51, has served as interim president and CEO since July when the company's former chief, Ian McLeod, resigned to take a job with an Asian grocery chain. (progressivegrocer.com) US: Blue Apron reports loss
Blue Apron Holdings reported a loss in its first quarterly report as a public company, as the meal kit delivery service spent heavily on developing its technology to attract more customers. The company on Thursday reported a net loss of $31.6 million in the second quarter ended June 30, compared with a net income of $5.5 million a year earlier. (fortune.com) 
