Waitrose: 500 jobs at risk over Enfield warehouse closure plan
Waitrose has revealed plans to shut a delivery warehouse in north London later this year, putting more than 500 jobs at risk. The supermarket chain has launched a consultation process over potentially shutting the site in Enfield, which opened in 2020.
Source: bbc.com
Belgian ecommerce 16.3bln euros in 2023
Consumers in Belgium spent 16.3bln euros online last year. Compared to 2022, this is an increase of almost 11%. These data come from the newest Market Monitor from Becom, the Belgian ecommerce federation.
Source: ecommercenews.eu
UK: Stoke-on-Trent MP urges consumers to embrace wonky fruit/veg
Jo Gideon, the Conservative MP for Stoke-on-Trent Central, urged the Commons to accept that "perfect" fruit and vegetables are an "artificial construct", and suggested huge amounts of food waste could be avoided through a more accepting attitude to irregular produce.
Source: southwestfarmer.co.uk
New German acquisition for Getir?
Getir had already acquired another German rival, Gorillas, and now wants to take Flink out of the equation as well. According to Manager Magazin, negotiations are advancing well and rumour has it that Flink CEO Oliver Merkel would become Getir's European head. Flink confirms that there are several takeover proposals, but does not mention Getir explicitly.
Source: retaildetail.eu
Spain: Charter franchise network breaks record with 52 openings in 2023
Charter, a network of franchised supermarkets operated by Spanish cooperative Consum, opened some 52 stores in 2023, a new record total for the banner. Notably, Consum's franchise sales revenue grew by 25.2% last year, compared to 2022, reaching €693.6mln, and exceeding expectations by €89.6mln.
Source: esmmagazine.com
Allegro has launched in Slovakia
Polish online marketplace Allegro has launched in Slovakia, with a dedicated website. The expansion follows the company's expansion into the Czech Republic last year. The marketplace has already announced plans of future launches in other European countries.
Source: ecommercenews.eu
Poland: A return to Sunday shopping? Compromise proposal on shop opening hours
Polish2050 MPs submitted to the Sejm a bill restoring two shopping Sundays a month. According to the project, work on Sunday would be entitled to double remuneration. This is a kind of compromise between full trade liberalization and a complete ban on Sunday trading.
Source: agroberichtenbuitenland.nl
Belgium: Delhaize reshuffles executive functions
CFO Hadewych Vermunt's departure causes Delhaize to reshuffle some of the responsibilities in its executive committee. No new names are appointed, but the Belgian retailer points to an improvement to maximise efficiency.
Source: retaildetail.eu
China: Food delivery group Meituan's revenue beats expectations
Chinese food delivery giant Meituan reported a bigger-than-expected 22.6% rise in quarterly revenue, defying a slowing Chinese economy and bolstering its ambitions to expand into other markets. Meituan - which has an app that provides services ranging from bike-sharing to ticket-booking and maps - reported revenue in the quarter to December 31 of 73.7bln yuan ($10.20bln), versus 60.13bln yuan in the same period a year earlier.
Source: reuters.com
Ireland's 'Favourit' herbs and spices win award
Herbs and spices brand Favourit has won Best International Product Launch at the Northern Ireland Food and Drinks Association (NIFDA) awards. The Ireland-based producers of the label, GM Marketing, recently increased its Belfast operations. This led to a doubling in production of the herbs and spices for Favourit.
Source: checkout.ie
New report outlines risks to a resilient UK food system
IGD has published a new report outlining the potential long-term risks to a resilient food system in the UK. The study - A System Under Pressure - provides a resource to help food business leaders and policymakers understand and articulate the biggest challenges faced by the industry in terms of talent attraction, climate change, land use, agricultural production, and tech, among others, by unpacking each challenge in an easy-to-read chapter.
Source: kamcity.com
Sweden: ICA Gruppen publishes Green Bond Report
ICA Gruppen completed its first green bond issue in May 2023 and has now published the first report on how the SEK3.5bln which the issue amounted to has been allocated - Green Bond Report 2024.
Source: icagruppen.se
McDonald's stores close in Sri Lanka after deal with partner ends
McDonald's has ended an agreement with its local partner in Sri Lanka and all 12 outlets in the country have been closed, an attorney for the U.S. company said.
Source: reuters.com
US: Foodtown store owner creates unique oasis in Brooklyn neighborhood
The approximately 15,000-square-foot Foodtown on the corner of Noll Street has been a true labor of love for store owner Shady Widdi, whose family operates two other Brooklyn supermarkets under the banner serviced by Iselin, New Jersey-based Allegiance Retail Services. For one thing, the Bushwick store boasts various unique custom design features that set it apart from most area grocers. These include elliptical produce fixtures, whose shape is echoed by the nearby hot-/cold-food bar.
Source: progressivegrocer.com
US: EmpowerFresh and AWG announce partnership supporting independent retailers
EmpowerFresh, an industry leading provider of innovative solutions for the retail industry, is thrilled to unveil its strategic partnership with Associated Wholesale Grocers, Inc. (AWG), the nation's largest cooperative food wholesaler serving independently owned supermarkets.
Source: awginc.com
US: Supermarket chain H-E-B to celebrate milestones on 2 Dallas-Fort Worth stores
H-E-B continues its expansion Dallas-Fort Worth, with progress on two major projects. The retailer will break ground on a store in Prosper, located at the southeast corner of Frontier Parkway and Dallas North Tollway. The ground-breaking will take place on Tuesday, April 2.
Source: dallas.culturemap.com
US: NGA applauds FTC report on grocery supply chain disruptions
The National Grocers Association (NGA) applauds the Federal Trade Commission's (FTC) release of the exhaustive and long-awaited 6(b) study on the causes behind supply chain disruptions in the grocery sector and anticompetitive practices that have negatively impact U.S. consumers.
Source: nationalgrocers.org