Belgium: Colruyt’s unmanned van delivers first groceries to home
After two months of trial runs in a business district, Belgian Colruyt Group‘s self-driving trolley has now actually delivered groceries to the homes of three customers for the first time.
Source: retaildetail.eu
UK: Amazon Fresh checkout-free c-store opens in Croydon following Dalston closure
Following the news that Amazon Fresh had closed its Dalston, London location at the weekend, less than 18 months after opening it, a new checkout-free Amazon Fresh c-store opened on 24 January in Croydon, London. The new store at Unit 1, Ruskin Square is open from 7:00 am to 11:00 pm, seven days a week.
Source: talkingretail.com
Carrefour plans Belgian expansion through franchising
Losing its main franchise partner in Belgium, Carrefour saw 86 supermarkets or almost a fifth of its Carrefour Market stores go to its French rival Intermarché. Nevertheless, CEO Geoffroy Gersdorff is not too disturbed by this setback. "This offers opportunities for future expansion", he told La Libre.
Source: retaildetail.eu
Budget 2023: Agritech startups seek stable export policy, increased digitisation
The demands of India’s fledgling agritech industry are as varied as their challenges. Given the complexity of the industry in terms of geographies, local ecosystems, dependence on monsoons, and a host of varying and often changing factors, it’s not a surprise. Also, agriculture is a state subject. “The most important thing is the execution, which is an outcome of better synchronisation between the Central government and state governments. Otherwise, the Budget and policies remain on a piece of paper”, says Shashank Kumar, Co-founder and CEO of DeHaat, a startup that provides full-stack agricultural services to farmers.
Source: yourstory.com
Belgium: Delhaize partners with sustainable startup Kazidomi
In six independent supermarkets and on its webshop, Delhaize will start selling bestsellers from sustainable webshop Kazidomi. If the test proves a success, an expansion to more shops may follow.
Source: retaildetail.eu
SPAR Norway partners with food blogger to create anti-food waste weekly menu
SPAR Norway has partnered with one of the country's most popular food bloggers to create a weekly menu without food waste. The SPAR country organisation challenged Marit Røttingsnes Westlie - better known as the food blogger Mrs Timian - to create an inspiring weekly menu free of food waste.
Source: spar-international.com
Holland: GreenSwapp wants to make figuring out the climate impact of a bag of chips as easy as snapping a pic
While the climate impact of our food has finally made the main stage as a topic at the world’s most high-profile summit, the average joe has no idea how good or bad that bag of chips or can of soda is for the environment. A Dutch startup called GreenSwapp wants to change that by making information about the climate impact of practically any CPG product instantly available to anyone using its technology.
Source: thespoon.tech
Dollar Tree names Rick Dreiling CEO
In its latest change of top management, Dollar Tree Inc. has named Executive Chairman Rick Dreiling as CEO, effective January 29. Dreiling is replacing current CEO Mike Witynski, who has held the post since 2022 and served in leadership positions at Dollar Tree since 2010.
Source: supermarketnews.com
US: Peapod Digital Labs seeks diverse-owned suppliers
Peapod Digital Labs, the digital engine of Ahold Delhaize, has opened its virtual program that connects diverse-owned businesses to the company’s U.S. brands. Now in its second year, the initiative enables underrepresented suppliers to showcase and share information about their products with merchants at banners such as Food Lion, Giant Food, The Giant Co., Hannaford and Stop & Shop.
Source: progressivegrocer.com
US: Walmart raises minimum wage as retail labor market remains tight
Walmart is raising its minimum wage to $14 an hour for store employees. Starting in early March, the retailer’s U.S. average wage is expected to be more than $17.50. The company, which is the nation’s largest private employer, is also sweetening its college tuition program and creating more high-paid roles at its auto centers.
Source: cnbc.com
US: Stop & Shop expands Flashfood to over 30 Massachusetts locations
Stop & Shop, a neighborhood grocer for over 100 years, announced that Flashfood, a digital marketplace that significantly reduces food waste at the retail level by connecting consumers with discounted food nearing its best by date, expanded availability of its program across 34 of its Massachusetts stores.
Source: globenewswire.com
Canada: Discount banners, inflation drive Metro sales in Q1
Canadian retailer Metro Inc. said sales for the first fiscal quarter were up 8.2% vs. a year ago, although its margins were squeezed by higher food costs. Net income for the 12-week first quarter, which ended December 17, was up 11.3%, to C$231.1mln (US$172.8mln), on sales of C$4.7bln (US$3.5bln), compared with the year-ago first quarter. Adjusted for gains related to the Jean Coutu Group acquisition, net income for the first fiscal quarter rose 10.9%, to US$177.7mln.
Source: supermarketnews.com
US: UT Austin Campus named as newest H-E-B Delivery Hub
The University of Texas at Austin and H-E-B are partnering to offer campus grocery delivery to students, faculty members and staffers. Everything H-E-B offers online - from bread, milk and vegetables to toilet paper, make-up and aspirin - can be ordered online through a smartphone H-E-B app or through heb.com. Users can select a delivery time and location.
Source: news.utexas.edu
US: Sprouts Farmers Market launches Rescued Organic Produce program designed to reduce food waste and support farmers
Sprouts Farmers Market, one of the largest and fastest growing specialty retailers of fresh, natural, and organic food in the United States, announced the launch of its Rescued Organics program in all 130 stores in California. Sprouts’ Rescued Organics program reduces food waste and supports local farmers by bringing to market imperfect organic produce that would typically be discarded due to imperfections that do not affect quality.
Source: globenewswire.com