Brazil retailer Americanas signs deal with creditors
Embattled Brazilian retailer Americanas said it had signed a plan support agreement (PSA) with creditors holding more than 35% of its debt, in a key step towards a successful restructuring plan.
Source: reuters.com
US: NGA Foundation launches website to help indie grocers with SNAP EBT
The National Grocers Association Foundation (NGAF) announced the official launch of the SNAP EBT Modernization Technical Assistance Center (SEMTAC) website.
Source: winsightgrocerybusiness.com
Instacart launches 3rd annual Giving Tuesday campaign to support Partnership for a Healthier America with up to 1mln servings of fruits and vegetables
Instacart, the leading grocery technology company in North America, announced the launch of its third annual Giving Tuesday campaign to benefit Partnership for a Healthier America (PHA). For the first time ever, Instacart is joining forces with household names Keurig Dr Pepper (Core Hydration® and Mott's®), Dole Packaged Foods, and OLIPOP for Giving Tuesday. For every customer dollar spent via Instacart between November 27 and December 4 on select products from these four brands, Instacart and the participating brands will collectively donate 1 serving of fruits and vegetables, up to a collective total of 1mln servings, to PHA to support communities across the country.
Source: prnewswire.com
US: Foxtrot and Dom's announce merger
Foxtrot Market and Dom's Kitchen & Market plan to merge, the companies announced in a press release. Terms of the deal, which is expected to close by the end of 2023, were not disclosed. The two Chicago-based food retail brands plan to operate under a new entity, Outfox Hospitality after the deal closes.
Source: grocerydive.com
US: Maine-grown broccoli hits Hannaford freezer shelves
"If you have ever driven up in The County in the months of September and October, all you see, in addition to potato fields, are broccoli fields," said Matt Chin, president of Harvesting Good. If you shop at Hannaford, you may have noticed some new packaging in the freezer section. Harvesting Good has been in the works for years through Good Shepherd Food Bank. The company launched with the goal of increasing access to quality, nutritious food for all Mainers while investing in local agriculture and businesses. Frozen broccoli is Harvesting Good's first endeavor.
Source: wabi.tv
Belgium: New Spar Colruyt Group in Kermt opens on November 30
Spar Colruyt Group opens a store in Kermt on Thursday, November 30. Customers can go there 7/7 for a large offer of fresh meat and fish products, a spacious vegetable and fruit department and a broad assortment of sliced cold meat and cheese.
Source: press.colruytgroup.com
UK: Food inflation falls again, but business rate hikes could unravel progress
According to the latest reading from the British Retail Consortium (BRC), food inflation this month dropped to 7.8%, down from 8.8% the prior month. Fresh food inflation also slowed to 6.7% down from 8.3% in October, and ambient food inflation, such as canned vegetables and fruit, fell to 9.2%, down from 9.5% in October.
Source: cityam.com
Biedronka hits 3,500 store mark in Poland
Polish retailer Biedronka has opened its 3,500th outlet, with the landmark store opening in Skórzewo near Poznań. Among the features available to shoppers are a wide variety of meat and cheese, a bread slicer, and extensive zones for fresh produce, bakery, and personal care.
Source: esmmagazine.com
UK: It's berry good news for Fresh Direct
Fresh Direct, the UK's leading food service fresh produce provider, has launched innovative new packaging for its range of berries that will drastically reduce plastic content, saving almost 50 tonnes of plastic every year. Following collaborative discussions with the UK's leading pub company and brewer Greene King and global berry supplier Driscoll's earlier this year, Fresh Direct is moving all its blueberry, raspberries, and blackberries into the new, FSC-certified paper packaging in November. Strawberries will follow in January 2024.
Source: feast-magazine.co.uk
SPAR Norway opens EUROSPAR Supermarket in Harstad
A new, independently owned EUROSPAR Supermarket has opened in Harstad, Norway, delivering unparalleled quality and choice to the city's 21,000 inhabitants. The strong focus on fresh products within this EUROSPAR Supermarket's offer includes a 12-metre-long salad bar and the only fresh fish, meat, and deli department in Harstad.
Source: spar-international.com
Israel: Shufersal sees revenues up 2.4% in the first nine months of 2023
Israeli supermarket chain Shufersal has reported a 2.4% increase in group revenue in the first nine months of the year, to NIS11.3bln (€2.76bln). Operating profit also rose, totaling NIS441mln (€107.7mln) in the nine-month period and NIS138mln (€33.7mln) in the third quarter.
Source: esmmagazine.com
India: Fruits and vegetable prices may rule stable till Jan, says Otipy projections
Prices of many fruits and vegetables, particularly in the national capital region, will be stable, and any upward trend in any particular item will be due to its seasonal factor over the next two months, says Otipy, a B2C e-commerce platform. However, onion prices, which have been moving up continuously since September, may come down in December before rising again in January.
Source: thehindubusinessline.com
UK: Pukpip announces the launch of the frozen snack Real Banana Bites
Pukpip has unveiled its next frozen treat, Real Banana Bites, the new product comprises 16 slices of frozen banana dipped in milk chocolate, dark chocolate, or peanut butter. The three new frozen variants will be launched to market in March 2024.
Source: foodbev.com
Jack Ma is betting on a new food business in China
Alibaba founder Jack Ma has a new title: owner of "Ma's Kitchen". China's most famous tech billionaire has thrown his weight behind a newly formed startup, whose name in English translates to "Hangzhou Ma's Kitchen Food." The new venture will focus on the sale of pre-packaged food, imports and exports, and selling "edible agricultural products," according to China's National Enterprise Credit Information Publicity System, a government-run corporate registry.
Source: edition.cnn.com
Germany: Galeria may refuse to pay rent in December
Retail holding Galeria says it may not pay rent to its owner, the ailing Signa group. That real estate fund is in financial trouble and looks destined to go bankrupt.
Source: retaildetail.eu
How Denmark made the plant-based action plan possible
The Danish government published in October the first ever national plant-based action plan with its strategy on how the Nordic country can transition towards a richer plant-based food diet and boost plant-protein production in the next years.
Source: forbes.com
UK: Sunak risks fuelling inflation with high taxes and Brexit red tape, retailers warnThe UK's largest retailers have warned Rishi Sunak that his government risks prolonging the cost of living crisis by driving up the cost of doing business on the high street with Brexit red tape and higher taxes. The British Retail Consortium (BRC) said a number of measures laid out by the chancellor, Jeremy Hunt, in last week's autumn statement risked adding to inflation next year.
Source: theguardian.com