The Bureau of Labor Statistics has predicted that the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for all food will be up 1.5% to 2%. Farm-level prices for fruits and vegetables are both expected to be down in 2018, with fruit prices down 5% to 6% and vegetable prices down 7% to 8%. Retail prices for fruits and vegetables are expected to be up slightly in 2018: 0.5% to 1.5%. Please click here to read more at supermarketnews.com
US: Kroger’s 1,000th store receives ClickList
Kroger’s 1,000th location has been presented with its ClickList click-and-collect grocery shopping service. By doing so, Kroger has introduced a more integrated and seamless digital experience with the service. It focuses on providing Kroger customers with quicker, easier access to relevant products, recipes, digital coupons, shopping lists and weekly ads, all connected through an easy-to-use, fully integrated ClickList experience, according to progressivegrocer.com Amazon plans to open stores in Germany
Amazon is planning to open physical stores in Germany in the future. It will be identical to the stores it opened in the United States. Ralf Kleber, VP Germany at Amazon.com said that it’s not a question of whether, but when this will happen: “Customers love diversity online and in the traditional retail industry. That industry still accounts for 90 to 95 percent of sales in Germany and we will never forget what the customer wants”. Please click here to read the rest of the article at ecommercenews.eu
Poland: Bio Planet sales up by 5.8% in November
In November 2017, the sales revenue of Bio Planet, a Polish producer and distributor of organic food, has reached 11.4mlnn zloty (about 2.7mln Euro), which represents a 5.8% increase compared to November 2016, when it stood at 10.8mln zloty (about 2.56mln Euro), reports the company in a statement. In the same month, the company continued work on the implementation of another module of the warehouse program, the so-called "Box system" that will allow it to better control the packaging of goods. This system will optimise the use of boxes and allow tracking of their location. Moreover, the company has introduced about 50 new products to its range, while also increasing the number of regular suppliers. Source: portalspozywczy.pl
Aldi plans to accelerate investment in Polish market in 2018
Aldi wants to increase its presence in the Polish retail market next year. The number of newly opened stores will slowly grow, and the priority for the company will be the modernisation and improvement of existing stores. The Aldi network in Poland currently consists of 124 stores, located mainly in western and southern Poland. The company plans further expansion, but the current priority is to modernise and rebuild existing stores to provide customers with more intuitive shopping in a friendly environment. Over the last 10 years, Aldi has grown steadily in the Polish market with an average of 22 new stores opened each year. "We can certainly talk about investment acceleration in our plans for 2018. We will almost double the number of modernised stores, and the number of new openings will remain at a similar level, with a tendency to grow," stated Tomasz Gawlik, deputy director for the expansion of Aldi Sp. z o.o. An important element of Aldi's development strategy is the chain's focus on large cities, where the retailer is opening more and more stores. However, "we are not forgetting about the new openings and modernisation of stores in smaller towns. Both directions are equally important to us," emphasises Tomasz Gawlik.Source: wiadomoscihandlowe.pl
Ireland: €70mln investment in Irish stores by Tesco
Between this year and 2018, Tesco Ireland plans to invest €70mln in its store network. Tesco Ireland CEO Andrew Yaxley said: "You can only start to spend that investment when you've turned your core business around," he said. "It's pointless building new stores or refitting stores when you haven't fixed your core." Please click here to read more at esmmagazine.com