Belgium: Carrefour tests a new, highly automated store concept
Carrefour has announced the launch of a new pilot project in Brussels, near the Central Station. This is a new concept of a robot store that opens every day, 24 hours a day, combining a withdrawal point for online shopping with a large distributor offering all kinds of products. With more than 45 hypermarkets, more than 430 markets, some 280 Express, more than 130 Carrefour Drive withdrawal points, 11,500 men and women mobilized, and more than 130,000 references offered every day at attractive prices, Carrefour occupies a unique position in Belgium. Aimed at busy railway stations and city districts, where the potential is high but where space is lacking, the new fully automated concept will be tested in a new store near the Grand-Place in Brussels. With no shelves to roam, customers enter and indicate on a screen what they want to buy. They pay and then a machine prepares their shopping package. The new supermarket offers fresh products, but also frozen products and dry foods. The store is also equipped with lockers for customers who have placed their order online. Contrary to what one might think, this new automated convenience store employs as many staff as a conventional Express.
Source: internationalsupermarketnews.com
Denmark: retail sales fall in December
Denmark's retail sales decreased in December after rising in the previous month, preliminary figures from Statistics Denmark showed. The retail trade turnover dropped a seasonally and price-adjusted 0.6% month-on-month in December, in contrast to a 0.9% increase in November. Clothing and related sales decreased 0.8% monthly in December and sales of other consumables declined by 1.5%. At the same time, sales of food and other groceries edged up 0.3%. On a yearly basis, retail sales decreased 0.4% in December, after rising 3.3% in the previous month.
Source: markets.businessinsider.com
Holland: Spar rolls out mobile payment service
Spar Netherlands has announced that it has introduced a new mobile payment service for grocery purchases through the Payconiq app. The app is compatible with all types of phones, and accepts payments from any local bank in the country. Customers can easily pay for their purchases at Spar outlets by scanning a QR code through the app and validating the payment. Checkout system supplier, Centric, has provided the technology to support the display of QR codes in the checkout counters.
Source: esmmagazine.com
Walmart's Flipkart warns of major 'customer disruption' if new Indian rules not delayed
Walmart Inc’s online retailer Flipkart has told the Indian government the company faces the risk of “significant customer disruption” if the implementation of new curbs on e-commerce is not delayed by six months, a source told Reuters. India’s new foreign investment restrictions will, from February 1, bar e-commerce companies from selling products from firms in which they have an equity interest and also ban them from reaching deals with sellers to only sell on one platform.
Source: reuters.com
Italy: Selex investing in private labels
As part of its involvement in Marca 2019, the Private Label Conference and Exhibition, Italy-based retailer alliance Selex has discussed the performance and outlook for its private label ranges. Selex saw a 5% increase in sales turnover to €890m in 2018. The organisation noted how private label sales were a key component of growth and represent “one of the cornerstones of the Group’s development strategy”. There are more than 5,400 SKUs in the group’s private label lines. Shoppers can choose from basic to premium, organic, healthy and baby ranges. The Saper di Sapori and the Vie dell'Uva private label lines saw a 30% increase in their annual sales. Over the last two years, Selex has invested in its organic and health private labels. It created gluten-free and 100% vegetarian ranges, which are growing at a fast pace. Director of Selex, Luca Vaccaro, commented: “We put the quality of our products at the centre of the choices we make, and the fact that in the categories where the average share of the value of Selex private label is present reaches over 26% among some of our member companies, is the confirmation that our shoppers appreciate our products”.
Source: retailanalysis.igd.com
Poland: Carrefour introduces 'Little Farmer' zone to promote organic products
Carrefour Polska has announced that it has introduced 'Little Farmer' zones in select outlets that will offer organic products for children. The product range, comprising more than 60 items including snacks, sweets, cereals, desserts, pasta, and olive oil, forms part of Carrefour's 'Healthy Shelf' project. The 'Healthy Shelf' concept is a part of the retail giant's Act for Food programme. Most products offered in this section are organic, and include items that are gluten-free, or suitable for diabetics. It aims to position Carrefour as a global leader in the field of nutrition change by offering customers high quality, healthy food at a reasonable price.
Source: esmmagazine.com
Amazon strengthens ecommerce offer in Brazil
Amazon has launched an in-house fulfilment and delivery network in Brazil. Till now Amazon in Brazil has predominantly sold only books and acted as a marketplace for third parties selling electronic and household items. From Tuesday 22 January 2019, the business has stocked and fulfilled products itself. Amazon is offering products across 11 categories, from over 800 suppliers. Its online sales platform now stocks over 320,000 products, of which 200,000 are books. Amazon plans to expand this offering.
Source: retailanalysis.igd.com
Mexico: Chedraui to open 24 new stores in 2019
Mexican retailer Chedraui has announced plans to open 24 new stores across its formats in 2019. This is 18 stores fewer than the 42 openings projected in 2018. Chedruai said the 24 openings will consist of 10 Supercitos, eight Superchedraui and six Chedraui stores. In 2019, the business expects that growth in consolidated total revenues will be between 14% and 16%. Projected same-store sales growth in Mexico is expected to be between 4% and 5%. Chedraui’s investment in assets will be equivalent to 2.6% of consolidated revenues, which will enable it to grow its total selling space by around 3.6%.
Source: retailanalysis.igd.com
US: The Wally Shop is bringing zero-waste grocery delivery to Brooklyn
Zero-waste grocery delivery has made its way to Brooklyn. The Wally Shop is attempting to change the grocery game by delivering local, organic produce from farmers markets and bulk stores to customers. The food is placed in packaging that the company later picks up and reuses. The new delivery service wants to help with the global waste problem and reduce addiction to single-use plastic by making sustainable grocery shopping more convenient. The idea came from Wally Shop founder and CEO Tamara Lim after she noticed how much unnecessary packaging was used every day when she managed the packaging and shipping department at Amazon. “I want to help break down the boundaries that come with being a sustainable consumer - having a delivery service that brings you local, fresh produce in reusable packaging allows shoppers to make better choices without sacrificing time or convenience”, Lim said. “The reusable packaging supports a shift toward a circular economy, where there is no waste involved.”
Source: inhabitat.com
US: Giant launches Giant Direct, powered by Peapod in Lancaster
Giant Food Stores announced a new strategic addition to the Giant family of brands, Giant Direct, powered by Peapod. The new brand will debut in the city of Lancaster with the opening of its new Giant Direct, powered by Peapod e-commerce hub at 235 North Reservoir Street, on Tuesday, February 12. "We are excited to make Lancaster the home of our newest innovation with the launch of our new Giant Direct, powered by Peapod e-commerce hub", said Nicholas Bertram, president, Giant Food Stores. "Not only is the e-commerce hub a completely new concept for us and a first of its kind in our area", Bertram continued: "it's the product of a fruitful collaboration with Lancaster Mayor Danene Sorace and local residents to give the Lancaster community the shopping experience they want and need."
Source: prnewswire.com
Canada: Metro reports Q1 profit of $203mln
Metro Inc. reported a first-quarter profit of $203.1mln. The grocery and drugstore company says it will pay a quarterly dividend of 20 cents per share, up from 18 cents per share. Metro reported its profit amounted to 79 cents per diluted share for the 12 weeks ended December 22, compared with a profit of nearly $1.3bln or $5.67 per diluted share for the same period a year earlier. At that time, it benefited from the sale of its stake in Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc. to help fund its deal to buy the Jean Coutu Group Inc. “We are very pleased with our first quarter results, which reflect strong execution of our business plans and the success so far of our combination with the Jean Coutu Group. In a very competitive market environment, we are well positioned to meet our customers’ high expectations and continue to create long-term value for our shareholders”, said CEO Eric R. La Flèche in a release.
Source: canadiangrocer.com