Carrefour Brazil has launched the ‘Sabor & Qualidade’ private label range. The collection of 13 SKUs - across key fresh categories - from 17 locally-based producers replaces the Guarantee of Origin brand it used to operate in the country. New products will be added before the end of 2018. According to the retailer the range is ‘an exclusive line of natural, authentic, high-quality and tasty products… produced to a high social and environmental responsibility standard and traceable at any stage of production’.Source: retailanalysis.igd.com
UK: Asda proposes closure of London distribution center, 261 jobs at risk
Asda, the British supermarket arm of Walmart that has agreed to be taken over by rival Sainsbury’s, has proposed the closure of an online grocery distribution center in London, putting 261 jobs at risk. The group said it has entered into a consultation with staff at the facility in Enfield, north London. Asda said the Enfield site was restricted, preventing its further development. It will instead expand capacity at its other London centers.Source: reuters.com
UK: Ocado rolls out new robotics technology in Erith
Online grocer Ocado is rolling out further robotics technology in its supply chain following an agreement with automated tech provider Swisslog. The vendor’s AutoStore system will be used in Ocado’s newly opened general merchandise distribution centre (GMDC) located in south-east London. It’s the second installation of Swisslog’s technology by the online supermarket following its usage in a separate facility north of the capital. The new solution consists of 72,108 bins, 94 robots, 14 carousel ports and seven conveyor ports, and is expected to increase efficiency and maximise the use of space at the site in Erith. Swisslog’s system is typically used by its customers to handle single items and small cases.Source: essentialretail.com
Sweden's Axfood: Strong earnings in all segments
President and CEO Klas Balkow’s comments on the second quarter 2018: “Axfood delivered yet another strong quarter with good growth and profitability. Despite high comparison figures and the negative calendar effect from Easter, it was positive to note that all segments showed favourable performance. We summed up a record profit for a second quarter in which both Willys and Hemköp strongly improved their earnings. The strong growth in online continued, and with growing volumes comes a lower burden on earnings.” Second quarter summary: Consolidated net sales amounted to SEK12,221mln (USD1,376mln), an increase of 2.5%. Operating profit was SEK545mln (USD61mln), an increase of 11.9%. Net profit for the period was SEK429mln (USD48mln). In June the online pharmacy Apohem was launched. Sara Kraft Westrell appointed as Axfood’s new Head of Corporate Communications and member of the Executive Committee. She will assume her position in October 2018.Source: axfood.com
UK: Marks and Spencer inks deal to offer customers 100% green energy
Major U.K. retailer Marks and Spencer (M&S) has entered into a strategic partnership with Octopus Energy to supply energy and services under the M&S Energy brand. The partnership will begin in September and will see M&S Energy offer its customers 100% green energy, the store said in a statement. The U.K.’s largest investor in solar farms, Octopus has also made investments in wind generation and anaerobic digestion plants. The team-up will replace M&S’ contract previously held by energy business SSE. Under that arrangement, SSE also offered customers 100% green energy.Source: cnbc.com
Pick n Pay achieves profitability as it looks to open more stores in Zimbabwe
Meikles Limited, Zimbabwe’s hotel, retail and supermarket chain has announced that revenue in supermarkets division, jointly owned with Pick n Pay has increased from US$414mln to US$487.8mln in the year ended March 2018. According to IOL Business report, Pick n Pay is boasting of profitability in its Zimbabwe operations and is looking to open more stores based on stronger performance from its retail, hotel and agro-processing operations. “The segment plans to open a number of new stores and there will be further upgrades of existing stores,” said John Moxon, chairman of Meikles Limited.Source: foodbusinessafrica.com
Carrefour launches new gourmet store in Spain
Carrefour Spain has announced that it has opened a new Gourmet store concept in its Alicante’s Mercado de Finestrat. The latest addition to its Carrefour Gourmet brand will mean the direct creation of over 50 new jobs, according to Carrefour. At the store, the retailer will partner up with various renowned HoReCa companies including such as Japanese restaurant Shikku, Bendita Pizza, brewer Nuestra Barra and confectioner De Sabors. Carrefour's new offering will include both an in-store dining experience as well as take-away, offering a variety of options to consumers.Source: esmmagazine.com
Portugal: Sonae acquires further stake in Sonae Sierra
Portuguese retail and telecommunications firm Sonae has acquired a further 20% stake in its joint-owned retail property arm Sonae Sierra, from UK-based property group Grosvenor Group. The two partners had previously each owned half (50%) of the company. Both parties have agreed upon an exchange of the 20% stake for approximately €255mln, establishing Sonae as a majority shareholder at 70%. Sonae Sierra is a multinational retail real estate company that specialises in mainly shopping centres. The group currently manages and co-controls 46 shopping centres across Europe and South America and has a presence in 12 countries.Source: esmmagazine.com
Holland: Ahold Delhaize's Bol.com doubles warehouse capacity
Bol.com, the leading online Dutch retailer, which is part of the Ahold Delhaize Group, has announced it is to double its warehouse capacity from 50,000 to 100,000 square metres. According to the company, 100 jobs will be created between the expansion of the warehouse in Waalwijk and the bol.com offices in Utrecht in the Netherlands. Speaking about the expansion, Huub Vermeulen, Managing Director at bol.com said: "This expansion, less than a year after opening our first fulfilment centre, has enabled us - even with increasing volumes - to continue to provide great service to our customers and to our partners that sell through bol.com.Source: esmmagazine.com
US: Weis sees success with supply chain solution
Since teaming several months ago with Maynard, Massachusetts-based logistics technology provider Kuebix, Weis Markets Inc. has improved its supply chain visibility and control of its process flow, financials and cost of goods. Before the partnership launched, the majority of Weis shipments were vendor-controlled, resulting in process inefficiencies and higher costs. Kuebix’s SupplierMAX, a customizable, technology-based solution, now manages Weis’ inbound shipments and partly outsources transportation management to the vendor’s logistics experts.Source: progressivegrocer.com
US: All Meijer lighting to go full LED by 2021
All of Meijer’s stores across its six-state footprint will sport LED interior lighting by 2021, the company has revealed as part of an ongoing effort to grow sustainability initiatives. The Midwestern mass merchandiser plans to reduce its lighting electrical use by up to half annually, using equipment from GE, Cooper and Phillips. The changes will transition all lighting, including ceiling and spotlight illumination.Source: progressivegrocer.com
US: Walmart enters strategic partnership with Microsoft
Walmart is banking on Microsoft Corp. to provide it with the technology foundation to meet the demands of today’s evolving consumer marketplace. Walmart named Microsoft as its preferred and strategic cloud computing partner. Under a five-year agreement, the retail giant will implement Microsoft’s range of cloud solutions for customer-facing services and internal business applications, including Microsoft Azure and Microsoft 365 for enterprise use to help standardize across its family of brands.Source: supermarketnews.com
