Online grocery sales reach $11.6B in October
Online grocery sales in the U.S. climbed to $11.6 billion in October, marking a 10.5% increase from the same month a year earlier, according to the latest Brick Meets Click Grocery Shopper Survey. The number of households buying groceries online at least once during October rose nearly 13% year over year, reaching 83.3 million—a new record.
Much of the expansion came from infrequent shoppers returning to the channel after a few months away, along with some first-time online grocery buyers. The survey found gains across all fulfillment methods—Delivery, Pickup, and Ship-to-Home—with Pickup reaching an all-time high in active users.
Source: Supermarket News
Ahold Delhaize USA rolls out digital platform across banners
The U.S. subsidiary of Dutch supermarket conglomerate Ahold Delhaize has deployed its proprietary digital and e-commerce platform for its five banners – Food Lion, The Giant Company, Giant Food, Hannaford, and Stop & Shop. The company marked the milestone as Hannaford transitioned to the cloud-based platform during fall 2025.
Developed and managed by in-house technology teams, the platform serves as the foundation of Ahold Delhaize USA's digital ecosystem, supporting e-commerce, digital engagement and personalized customer experiences for each brand. Stop & Shop was the first banner to launch the platform, in 2020.
Source: Chain Storage
Sitka grocers announce plan to sell to Albertsons-Safeway
Several months after announcing a plan to sell the company, the Hames Corporation has found a likely buyer. Owners of the Sitka grocery business announced that they have signed a letter of agreement to sell the business to Albertsons-Safeway, a national grocery chain.
Under the tentative agreement, Safeway, an Albertsons subsidiary, will purchase all of the businesses under the Hames Corporation umbrella. That includes Sitka's largest grocery store, Sea Mart, Watson Point Liquors, Market Center, and Cascade Convenience Center, as well as Newtown Liquor in Ketchikan.
Source: Kcaw.org
Grocery groups cheer end of federal government shutdown
Grocery industry trade groups welcomed the passage last night of legislation to fund and reopen the federal government, as well as to ensure that food assistance programs like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) can start providing full benefits again.
"Reopening the government and passing the Agriculture Appropriations legislation provides clarity and food for families in need," said Jennifer Hatcher, chief public policy officer of Arlington, Va.-based FMI – The Food Industry Association, the national trade organization for the food retail and wholesale industry.
Source: Progressive Grocer
Portugal: Mercadona opens first Lisbon store
Mercadona arrived in the city of Lisbon, on November 13, with the opening of a supermarket in Alta de Lisboa. This new opening, the company explains, "represents an important step in Mercadona's expansion, as it is the brand's arrival in the city of Lisbon, six years after the start of its expansion in Portugal."
Mercadona also states that "this new supermarket will generate approximately 90 new, stable, and high-quality jobs with permanent contracts from day one, thus contributing to the creation of local jobs."
Source: The Portugal News
UK: Sainsbury releases Q3 2025 financial results
Sainsbury delivered a modest yet strategically significant performance in the third quarter of 2025. The company reported market share gains and highlighted like-for-like growth, predominantly driven by strong grocery sales. Management also pointed to ongoing investment in colleagues, with wage increases implemented to support staff retention and morale.
Source: Sainsbury
Hungary: Lidl Hungary launches mobile shops to serve rural communities
Lidl Hungary has launched 'Lidl on Four Wheels' mobile shops, to bring essential groceries and household items directly to residents of the smallest villages. These specially converted minibuses will tour 48 rural settlements, aiming to reach approximately 28,000 people who often face a 20- to 30-kilometre journey to their nearest supermarket.
The project, a first for Lidl globally, consists of a minibus, clearly identifiable with the Lidl logo and its signature illuminated sign. Inside, customers will find a selection of over 80 different products, including fresh fruit and vegetables, dairy items, frozen goods, cleaning supplies and pantry staples. Crucially, all items will be sold at the same prices as they are in regular Lidl stores.
Source: ESM Magazine
Poland: ALDI Poland is getting closer to 400 stores
Discount Retail Chain ALDI Poland continues its expansion in Poland. The ceiling of 400 stores nationwide will be exceeded this year. In October alone, 9 new store locations appeared in Poland. "We will continue this strategy in 2026. We have already planned several dozen new stores. Each new opening is a reason for joy and pride, and soon we are celebrating a unique event, the launch of the 400th store in Poland. It is also worth mentioning another important milestone in the development of our network, i.e. the opening of the third distribution center in Emilianów, scheduled for the first quarter of the new year", emphasizes Tomasz Gawlik, Director of the Real Estate and Expansion Area.
Source: Discount Retail Consulting
Taiwan: 7-Eleven opens 9th unmanned store in Taiwan
7-Eleven on Thursday unveiled its ninth unmanned store, betting on the growing grab-and-go market as Taiwan's labor pool shrinks. Uni-President Group, which operates 7-Eleven in Taiwan, opened the outlet at National Central University in Taoyuan, per CNA. It uses 140 ceiling-mounted cameras and optical radar with AI image recognition, letting shoppers check out in about 30 seconds without scanning barcodes or waiting in line, per UDN.
Source: Taiwan News
Australia: Woolworths opens automated distribution hub in Western Sydney
Woolworths has opened a regional distribution centre in Western Sydney as part of a $1.3 billion investment in automated supply-chain infrastructure. Located beside the supermarket's national distribution centre, the two sites will move more than 5 million cartons each week across a 20,000-product range. With direct links to Port Botany, interstate rail and Sydney's M5 and M7 motorways, the precinct is designed to streamline freight flows and reduce reliance on road transport.
Source: Inside FMCG
South Africa: American retail giant already taking on Pick n Pay, Woolworths, and SPAR
American giant Circle K is slowly but surely gaining a foothold in South Africa's convenience retail space, with it operating five stores in Gauteng. The retailer is set to expand into the Western Cape with stores in Goodwood and Mowbray in the near future as it builds out its offering in South Africa. The brand also has ambitions to expand beyond petrol station forecourts, with it operating a standalone store at the University of Johannesburg.
Founded in Texas in 1951, the company has undergone a rapid expansion under Couche-Tard into South America, Africa, the Middle East, and Asia. South Africa's convenience retail market is dominated by traditional food retailers such as Pick n Pay, Woolworths, and Food Lover's Market's Freshtop.
Source: Daily Investor
