Spain: DIA reveals strategic plan through 2029
Spanish retailer DIA has rolled out its 2025-29 strategic plan, outlining its goal to become the preferred grocery and online store in every neighbourhood it serves. In its home country, the retailer's key goals include opening over 300 new proximity stores by 2029, primarily through franchisees, and enhancing its omnichannel presence by expanding Club Dia membership by 1mln. Improvements will focus on fresh product offerings, including regional fruit and vegetable specialties, enhanced bakery products, and innovative ready-to-eat and functional options.
Source: esmmagazine.com
Germany: HelloFresh Group announces significant product improvements and cost savings of c. €300mln annually by 2026
HelloFresh SE ("HelloFresh") held its 2025 Capital Markets Day at the company's headquarters in Berlin. HelloFresh's management showcased their plans to return to high-margin growth and strong cash flow in 2027 and beyond. As part of these plans, the company plans to double down on two key objectives in 2025 and 2026: Delivering on an efficiency program, which was already initiated in H2 2024, targeting measures of c. €300mln annually by 2026, with most of these savings boosting the bottom line; Significantly improving the customer proposition across meal kit and ready-to-eat offerings, aiming to attract new customers, retaining existing ones and monetizing them better.
Source: hellofreshgroup.com
UK: Teachers admit to learning gaps in healthy eating lessons as Lidl invests £500K in schools programme
Lidl is investing £500,000 over two years in a new schools programme - Lidl Foodies - to help children across the country develop a love for healthy eating. The free initiative, which provides fun, interactive workshops on fruit and veg, aims to reach a quarter of a million primary school pupils in its first year alone, ensuring more children get hands-on experience with fresh food.
Source: corporate.lidl.co.uk
Spain: Glovo appoints Connie Kwok as vice president of quick commerce
© Rogier Peterse | FP.comSpanish delivery app Glovo has appointed Connie Kwok as vice president of quick commerce. Kwok will be responsible for expanding the grocery and retail categories and optimising customer and partner experience.
Source: esmmagazine.com
UK: Social Supermarket SE Kitchen launches in Ashford Town Centre
© Rogier Peterse | FP.comSE Kitchen (part of Social Enterprise Kent) is excited to announce the grand opening of its second social supermarket. The new store will be in central Ashford, 22A Bank Street opening on 28 March. SE Kitchen offers healthy, budget-friendly options including its popular £1 fruit & veg bag, making fresh produce accessible to everyone.Source: ashford.gov.uk
Holland: Unilever to sell The Vegetarian Butcher to Vivera
© Rogier Peterse | FP.comUnilever has announced that it has received a binding offer from Vivera to acquire The Vegetarian Butcher. The brand was bought by Unilever in 2018 from founder Jaap Korteweg and has since then delivered strong double-digit growth on average, expanded to a presence in more than 55 markets worldwide - both in retail and in foodservice.Source: unilever.com
US: Will Southeastern Grocers rise again?
Southeastern Grocers is eyeing the potential growth of the Winn-Dixie and Harveys banners that it recently reacquired from Aldi, a spokesperson told Supermarket News. Winn-Dixie, which traces its roots back to 1925, had a long history of success in the Southeast but has gone through two bankruptcies and subsequent ownership changes in the last 20 years.
Source: supermarketnews.com
US: Amazon closing two Amazon Fresh stores; opening one in Maryland
Amazon is cutting two existing stores from its Amazon Fresh store fleet even as it readies to debut a new location in Maryland. In an email to Chain Store Age, an Amazon spokesperson confirmed that the retailer has closed an Amazon Fresh store in Manassas, Virginia and intends to shut down an Amazon Fresh location in Thousand Oaks, California. Meanwhile, the newest Amazon Fresh store will open Thursday, March 27, 2025 in Silver Spring, Maryland.
Source: chainstoreage.com
US: Vallarta Supermarkets continues expanding California footprint
As part of its commitment to serve diverse communities throughout Southern California, Vallarta Supermarkets is preparing to cut the ribbon on its newest location in the city of Hemet. The 53,000-square-foot store, located at 2825 W. Florida Ave., will officially open on March 26. In addition to the carniceria, dulceria, fresh produce, sushi, juice bar and other departments the grocer is known for, this Vallarta outpost will house the chain's second-ever Sayulita Tap Room.
Source: progressivegrocer.com
US: Kroger keeps eye on produce tariff exposure
Kroger is closely monitoring how its exposure to escalating tariffs might impact its Fresh business, particularly produce, interim CFO Todd Foley said during a March 6 earnings call. "When you think about some of the produce we might get from Mexico or Canada, those are still pretty kind of mid-single digit effects", Foley said. "So it's not a massive impact".
Source: supplychaindive.com
Amazon to sell carbon credits to suppliers, customers
Amazon has begun selling carbon credits to its suppliers, business customers and other companies, the U.S. retail giant said, which can be used to offset their climate-damaging carbon emissions.
Source: reuters.com