US: Online grocery sales remain flat in March, and local grocers still trail Walmart
Year-over-year online grocery sales remained flat for the month of March at $8bln, but challenges remain for local grocers competing against the likes of Walmart. The latest Brick Meets Click/Mercatus Grocery Shopper Survey shows March 2024 was still better than March 2023, which showed an 8% year-over-year drop, and it was also an improvement over March 2020, which was the initial month of the COVID-19 pandemic in the U.S. Online grocery sales the past March were 23% above March 2020 levels.
Source: supermarketnews.com
Canada: Sleepless in the grocery store
According to this year's Health & Wellness in Canada report, released earlier this year by Pearl Strategy and Innovation Design, 90% of Canadians said they want to improve sleep, compared to 84% in 2020. Digs Dorfman, CEO of The Sweet Potato in Toronto, says these survey results don't surprise him. Sweet Potato staff often advise customers to gently steam vegetables to retain their magnesium which is good for sleep. Cherries are also a great natural sleep aide, when in season.
Source: canadiangrocer.com
US: Maison Solutions buys Arizona grocer for $22.2mln
Maison Solutions Inc., a U.S.-based grocer offering traditional Asian food, announced it has acquired Lee Lee Oriental Supermart. Maison has agreed to buy the Arizona-based three-store supermarket company, which operates under the name Lee Lee International Supermarkets, for $22.2mln.
Source: grocerydive.com
US: Weis Markets adds tech-driven salad bars to two stores
Weis Markets is bringing technology-driven salad bars supplied by Picadeli of Sweden to eight of the Northeast supermarket chain's locations, according to officials of the companies. The first two of the salad bars opened Wednesday at stores in York and Bellefonte, Pennsylvania, and six more are set to debut during the next few weeks, Weis Markets Director of Produce Kevin Weaver said in an interview.
Source: grocerydive.com
US: Consumer Price Index Summary
The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) increased 0.4% in March on a seasonally adjusted basis, the same increase as in February, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported. The index for fruits and vegetables increased 0.1% over the month.
Source: bls.gov
US: What Chefs Want acquires Phoenix Wholesale Foodservice, bringing food service innovation and jobs to Atlanta
What Chefs Want reported: "What Chefs Want (WCW), headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky, is thrilled to announce its upcoming acquisition of one of the leading fresh produce foodservice distributors in the southeast, Phoenix Wholesale Foodservice in Atlanta. This acquisition, along with our October acquisition of Food Hub ATL, positions What Chefs Want as the largest independently owned wholesale food distributor in the South."
Source: whatchefswant.com
PriceSmart announces fiscal 2024 second quarter operating results; Plans for ninth warehouse in Costa Rica
PriceSmart, Inc. ("PriceSmart" or the "Company"), operator of 54 warehouse clubs in 12 countries and one U.S. territory, announced results for the fiscal second quarter of 2024, which ended on February 29, 2024: total revenues for the second quarter of fiscal year 2024 increased 13.1% to $1.29bln compared to $1.14bln in the comparable period of the prior year. For the second quarter of fiscal year 2024, net merchandise sales increased 13.0% to $1.26bln from $1.12bln in the second quarter of fiscal year 2023. The Company has purchased land and plans to open its ninth warehouse club in Costa Rica, located in Cartago, approximately 10 miles east from the nearest clubs in the greater San Jose metropolitan area.
Source: prnewswire.com
Holland: Ahold Delhaize shareholders adopt 2023 financial statements and approve all agenda items, including (re)appointments to the Supervisory Board
Ahold Delhaize held its Annual General Meeting of Shareholders (AGM) in a hybrid set-up, meaning shareholders had the opportunity to attend and ask questions both in-person and virtually. Shareholders adopted all proposals on the agenda, including Ahold Delhaize's 2023 financial statements and (re)appointments to the Supervisory Board of Ahold Delhaize.
Source: aholddelhaize.com
Germany: REWE Group posts sales growth of 8.9% in FY 2023
German retail group REWE has reported sales growth of 8.9% to €92.3bln in its financial year 2023. In Germany, REWE Group saw sales growth of 7.8% to €63.2bln, while its international business reported an increase of 11.3% to €29.1bln.
Source: esmmagazine.com
UK and Ireland: Too Good To Go launches 'Ask-a-Friend' feature
Too Good To Go is introducing an 'Ask-a-Friend' feature, empowering users to enlist others for the collection of their Surprise Bags. The anti-food waste organisation said 61% of the users who collect a Surprise Bag were otherwise not planning to visit that store that day.
Source: talkingretail.com
Japan: Seven & i says it is considering sale of superstore operations
Japanese retailer Seven & i Holdings said it was considering a listing of its superstore business, which is mainly comprised of supermarkets, as part of a plan to maximise corporate value. Under pressure from activist investors, Seven & i has been selling off underperforming retail assets and doubling down on its global convenience store business centred around its flagship 7-Eleven brand.
Source: reuters.com
European discount retailer Pepco says trading environment remains challenging
Discounter Pepco Group reported a 2.5% fall in first-half same-store sales and said the trading environment across Europe remains challenging. The Warsaw-listed owner of the Pepco, Poundland and Dealz brands, which issued two profit warnings last September, said group revenue was 3.2bln euros ($3.4bln) in the six months to March 31.
Source: reuters.com
NZ's first social supermarket opens
Foodstuffs North Island and Māngere Budgeting Services Trust have officially opened South Auckland's first social supermarket, providing a new service for those who can't participate in retail groceries to shop for what they need. The new store is named Tatou, which in te reo Māori, Samoan and Tokelauan broadly translates as meaning 'everyone'.
Source: supermarketnews.co.nz
China: Alibaba's Jack Ma steps out from the shadows with morale-boosting post
Alibaba co-founder Jack Ma has penned a lengthy memo to employees that expresses support for the internet giant's restructuring efforts, a rare move from the billionaire after spending the last few years out of the spotlight.
Source: reuters.com
Antitrust fine for Norway's food retailers cut to $459mln
Norway's top three food retailers face a combined 4.9bln Norwegian crowns ($459mln) in fines for breaching antitrust regulations, less than a quarter of the originally proposed penalty, the country's competition authority said. In 2020, the Norwegian Competition Authority said the three firms faced fines totalling a record 21bln crowns, accusing them of cooperating in ways that may have inflated prices. The case centred on how Norgesgruppen, Rema and Coop used so-called price hunters to survey rivals' stores and allowed those surveyors access to their own outlets.
Source: reuters.com
Germany: New Galeria owners want to save over 70 department stores
The new owners of Galeria Karstadt Kaufhof, which for now also includes Inno, would retain some 70 department stores. Although much will still depend on the property owners and creditors.
Source: retaildetail.eu