US: Kroger turns to former speaker Boehner for merger help
Kroger is connecting with former Speaker of the House John Boehner (R-Ohio) in the hopes the Washington veteran can help get the support needed to get Congressional approval for the Kroger-Albertsons merger.
Source: supermarketnews.com
US: H-E-B, Food Lion lauded for regional performance
Location analytics and foot traffic data firm Placer.ai recently evaluated retail businesses across different categories to identify strong and growing regional operations. Coming out on top for the grocery sector: Texas-based H-E-B and North Carolina-headquartered Food Lion.
Source: progressivegrocer.com
US: Amazon's Just Walk Out technology debuts at Marymount's new checkout-free store
Marymount University became the first higher education institution in the U.S. to have an on-campus convenience store powered by Amazon’s Just Walk Out technology. Located in the lobby of Gerard Phelan Hall on Marymount’s main campus in Arlington, the new convenience shop - Saints 24 - opened to the University community for the first time.
Source: marymount.edu
Seven & i honorary chairman and Ito-Yokado founder Ito dies at 98
Masatoshi Ito, the founder of Japan’s Ito-Yokado retail group that became the holding company of 7-Eleven convenience stores, passed away at the age of 98, the company said. Ito served as honorary chairman of Seven & i Holdings Co, which operates about 80,000 stores worldwide, including 7-Eleven shops and the Speedway convenience store chain in the United States.
Source: reuters.com
Holland: Jumbo names Ton van Veen as new chief executive officer
Dutch retailer Jumbo has announced the appointment of Ton van Veen as its new chief executive officer and Colette Cloosterman-van Eerd as chairman of its supervisory board.
Source: esmmagazine.com
Aldi to lift fresh produce purchase limits in Britain as shortages ease
Discount supermarket Aldi said on Saturday it will lift all customer purchase limits in Britain on salad items such as tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers after weeks of industry shortages. "From Monday, Aldi will remove all purchasing restrictions on fresh produce", it said in a statement.
Source: reuters.com
SPAR, EUROSPAR to invest €65mln to expand network in Ireland
SPAR and EUROSPAR plan to add 60 new stores to their combined network in Ireland by 2025, taking the total number of stores across the country to 525. The project will see an investment of €65mln from BWG Foods, as well as independent SPAR and EUROSPAR retailers.
Source: esmmagazine.com
InVivo eyes control of Casino supermarkets in French grocery shakeup
InVivo is interested in controlling the French supermarkets of retail group Casino, building on a planned grocery tie-up to make the agribusiness cooperative a major retail player, its CEO said. Debt-laden supermarket chain Casino and smaller food retailer Teract, which is majority owned by InVivo, have entered exclusive talks aimed at creating a retail network controlled by Casino and a food business controlled by InVivo. "We're taking a minority stake but we could become the majority owner in future," InVivo CEO Thierry Blandinieres said of the potential retail tie-up between Casino and Teract.
Source: reuters.com
UK: Tesco to charge suppliers extra to sell online
Tesco suppliers have been told they will have to pay a new charge when the supermarket sells their products online. An email, seen by the BBC, warns suppliers could be penalised if they do not agree to the new "fulfilment fee". The retail giant said the new charges were essential to help it "shoulder the costs" of serving more customers shopping online.
Source: bbc.com
Sabah’s Chua Kah Seng Supermarket enters Johor, open to further expansion
Sabah-based supermarket chain Chua Kah Seng Supermarket Sdn Bhd (CKS) is open to opportunities for acquisition and expansion into other regions and states, following its recent agreement with Fresh Hub Trading (FHT) to acquire the latter’s 26 outlets in Johor, according to its general manager Ivan Chua.
Source: thesundaily.my
UK: Asda adds healthier meal options, including a vegan meal, and a free piece of fruit as it further extends its Kids £1 café meal deal
Asda has announced that its hugely popular ‘Kids Eat for £1’ café meal deals are to be refreshed with a more nutritionally balanced offer, including new vegan and healthy meal options from Monday 20th March. The existing hot meals on the menu will also have the option of swapping out chips with a salad or peas. From the 20th March the retailer is also including a free piece of fruit such as an apple, pear or banana when purchasing the hot kids £1 meal deal.
Source: corporate.asda.com
Egypt: Rabbit and Metro Markets announce milestone partnership
Rabbit and Metro Markets Company announced that they have entered into a strategic partnership across several fronts in the Egyptian Market. The multipronged deal, made official in a dedicated signing ceremony, will see the two companies serve over 2mln customers across Greater Cairo and beyond. Rabbit will also offer a large selection of Fresh Food Market’s premium range and Metro’s products through its mobile app.
Source: zawya.com
Scottish Spars link with app to cut food waste
Two Spar stores in Lanarkshire have begun a trial with food waste app Gander. Spar Abronhill and Spar Stonehouse are both trialling the app for a minimum of 12 weeks in an effort to reduce food waste and offer customers the chance to buy a selection of fresh food that needs to be cleared at reduced prices.
Source: talkingretail.com