Dollar stores are starting to offer fresh food after years of criticism
Dollar store chains are starting to offer fresh groceries at some stores after years of criticism that they don't provide enough healthy food options for their customers. Family Dollar has started selling apples, oranges, onions, potatoes, and other fruit and vegetables, and frozen poultry, pork and beef at approximately 100 of its more than 7,000 stores, a company spokesperson said last week. Dollar General offers produce at more than 1,300 locations, and the chain said last week that it plans to add produce departments to 1,000 additional stores in 2021. It said it sees an opportunity to put them in 10,000 stores in the future.
Source: www.weny.com
Walmart, Amazon and Apple top the 2021 Fortune 500 list 
The retail giant, which approached half a trillion dollars in revenue last year, was one of many companies on this list that saw a bump during the COVID-19 pandemic. Walmart's e-commerce sales spiked 79% as shoppers took advantage of the company's shipping and curbside pickup options once closures and social distancing guidelines forced more people to buy their groceries and household necessities online. The societal shift toward online shopping also naturally gave Amazon AMZN, +0.48% a boost, helping the online retailer hold onto its No. 2 spot on the Fortune 500 list for the second year in a row. The Seattle company earned $21.3 billion in profit on more than $386 billion in annual sales, and revenue grew 38% in 2020. In fact, Amazon's latest earnings release revealed that it made more profit between April 2020 and March 31, 2021 ($26.9 billion) than its previous three years combined ($24.7 billion.)
Source: www.marketwatch.com
7-Eleven rolling out 500 electric vehicle ports by end of 2022
Convenience retailer 7‑Eleven Inc. is accelerating its environmental ambitions by announcing the goal of building at least 500 Direct Current Fast Charging (DCFC) ports at 250 select U.S. and Canada stores by the end of 2022. Owned and operated by Irving, Texas-based 7‑Eleven, the new DCFC ports will increase convenient charging options for EV drivers by adding to the company's existing 22 charging stations located at 14 stores in four states. Once this expansion is complete, the company says it will have one of the largest and most compatible fast-charging systems of any retailer in the U.S.
Source: www.supermarketnews.com
Amazon Set To Overtake Tesco As UK's Largest Retailer
Amazon is on track to overtake Tesco as the UK's largest retailer within the next four years, with its gross merchandise value (GMV) sales expected to reach £77.1bn by 2025, according to a new report forecasting the future performance of key retailers. The study by Edge by Ascential's research arm, Edge Retail Insight, shows Amazon's total sales (incl. marketplace) in the UK were £36.3bn in 2020, compared to Tesco's £64bn. By 2025, Edge predicts that Tesco's total sales will rise to £76.1bn, representing CAGR growth of 3.5%, but just behind the US online giant.
Source: www.kamcity.com
Aldi Australia launches its first self-service checkouts 
Aldi Australia has rolled out its first ever self-serve checkouts in a surprising backflip just years after the supermarket chain insisted it will never introduce them. Sydney shoppers were the first to be treated to the new feature at the Darlinghurst store in the inner-city suburb on Wednesday, June 2.
The card-only self-serve checkouts, which are part of a trial, are expected to roll out to 10 stores across New South Wales, with six to eight machines installed at each.
Source: www.dailymail.co.uk
Woolworths Group joins end-to-end payments industry with Wpay
Woolworths Group has launched a new stand-alone payments business dubbed Wpay, which will offer end-to-end payment solutions to merchants outside of the group. Wpay will offer Australian merchants a payments and commerce platform, which includes integrated in-store and digital payments, supporting traditional card payments, and support for digital wallets.
It also comes with a range of payment services such as transaction processing at scale, rapid funds settlement and simple reconciliation, fraud management, detailed reporting, and merchant analytics. Additionally, it will also have gift card programme management, including sale, redemption, and distribution partnerships.
Source: www.itpro.co.uk
South Africa's Shoprite sells Nigerian business to local firm Ketron
Shoprite Holdings has sold its Nigerian business to local buyer Ketron Investment, nearly 16 years after the South African retailer opened its first outlet in the country. Shoprite entered into a share purchase agreement with Ketron, a Nigerian company owned by a group of institutional investors led by property group Persianas, for the disposal of its entire interest in Retail Supermarkets Nigeria Limited, the companies said. Shoprite, one of the first South African companies to expand into Nigeria, is changing its model from an ownership to a franchise one after a review of its long-term options in Africa, once touted as the next bright growth spot for retailers.
Source: www.reuters.com