UK retail sales flat in Feb after Jan fall, outlook gloomy: CBI
British retail sales held steady in February after falling in January but stores expected sales volumes to slip again in March as the rising cost of living eats away at disposable incomes. The Confederation of British Industry's (CBI) distributive trades index rose to +2 this month from -23 in January. A Reuters poll of economists had pointed to a reading of -13. But a measure of expected sales in the month ahead fell to -18 from -15.
Source: reuters.com
DESPAR Italia expands network by five stores
Five DESPAR stores have opened their doors across Italy in the past eight weeks, reflecting continued investment by the retail consortium members.
Source: spar-international.com
China: Alibaba beats quarterly revenue estimates as COVID curbs ease
Alibaba Group Holding Ltd reported better-than-expected quarterly revenue, helped by its efforts to cut costs and China's easing of COVID-19 curbs. Revenue rose 2% to 247.76bln yuan ($35.92bln) for its fiscal third quarter to December 31, compared with a Refinitiv consensus estimate of 245.18bln yuan drawn from 23 analysts. Net income attributable to ordinary shareholders rose 69% to 46.82bln yuan from 27.69bln a year earlier.
Source: reuters.com
Sweden: ICA Gruppen publishes annual report 2022
ICA Gruppen’s annual report 2022 is now available. The annual report, which also includes ICA Gruppen’s sustainability report, is available as a downloadable PDF document. In addition, an annual overview is published providing a broader presentation of ICA Gruppen's operations during the year.
Source: icagruppen.se
UK: Sainsbury’s offers workers option of working four-day week
Sainsbury’s has offered workers the option of working four days a week to give staff more flexibility. According to The Times, the grocer‘s staff based at its head offices in Holborn, Coventry and Milton Keynes, as well as its warehouses, and store managers in its 1,400 UK stores, have been given the option.
Source: retailgazette.co.uk
South African grocery CEOs urge govt to rethink diesel rebates
South Africa's three largest grocery retailers joined forces to criticise the government for not offering a tax rebate on diesel use, as crippling power cuts increase their costs. The chief executives of Shoprite, Pick n Pay and SPAR said in a joint statement they were "very disappointed" that the government in its annual budget had extended a diesel levy refund to food manufacturers but not to food retailers.
Source: reuters.com
Norway: SPAR celebrates 30th anniversary
SPAR Norway is celebrating its 30th anniversary and to mark the occasion, independent SPAR retailer Per Irgens Skerdal wrote his fourth script reflecting the journey of SPAR throughout the decades.
Source: spar-international.com
Tesco completes most significant roll-out of environmental standards in UK with LEAF Marque certification for all fruit and veg growers
Tesco has announced the completion of its landmark roll-out of LEAF Marque certification, with all of its UK fruit and veg growers now certified to robust environmental standards, working towards whole-farm, continuous improvement in areas including climate resilience, biodiversity, soil health, greenhouse gas emissions, and deforestation.
Source: tescoplc.com
Singapore's Grab brings forward profitability goal, sees strong 2023
Grab Holdings Ltd, Southeast Asia's biggest ride-hailing and food delivery firm, forecast upbeat 2023 revenue and pulled forward its profitability timeline, betting on strong demand for its services and as cost cuts pay off. Grab forecast 2023 revenue between $2.20bln and $2.30bln, compared with an estimate of $1.97bln, according to Refinitiv data. For 2023, Grab forecast loss before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization between $275mln and $325mln, smaller than its 2022 loss of $793mln.
Source: reuters.com
Coles selects Bringg's delivery management platform to support delivery options to better satisfy customer demands
Bringg, the leading delivery management platform provider, announced that leading Australian retailer, Coles Group, has partnered with Bringg with the aim to enhance its customer experience by improving home delivery.
Source: prnewswire.com
US: SpartanNash Q4 sales up 10.3%, profits down
SpartanNash said fourth-quarter sales were up 10.3% but net income for the quarter and year was down sharply from a year ago, driven by increased costs and other factors. The Grand Rapids, Michigan-based retailer and wholesaler reported sales of $2.3bln for the 12-week fourth quarter, which ended December 31, and sales of $9.6bln for the full year, an increase of 8% over year-ago levels.
Source: supermarketnews.com
US: Aldi partners with DoorDash
Aldi is knocking at the “Door”. The grocery chain announced a new partnership with DoorDash that will bring on-demand grocery delivery to almost all Aldi locations in 38 states. The relationship now gives more than 98% of DoorDash monthly users access to a non-restaurant store. DoorDash now has more than 100,000 non-restaurant stores across its Marketplace and Drive platforms in North America.
Source: supermarketnews.com
US: Instacart's new tools offer grocers more seamless shopper experiences
Instacart is adding four new features to its platform to help grocers make the most out of grocery technology. The features allow for a more seamless omnichannel experience and boost service in a competitive environment, especially for independent and local grocers.
Source: progressivegrocer.com
Canada: Loblaw sees strong annual profit on steady demand for essentials
Loblaw Cos Ltd forecast annual earnings above analysts' expectations, after the Canadian retailer's fourth-quarter results beat estimates, helped by strength in its pharmacy business and as demand held up for groceries. The company's fourth-quarter revenue rose about 10% to C$14.01bln ($10.35bln), topping estimates of C$13.75bln.
Source: reuters.com
Canada: Online grocery delivery service SPUD leaving Kelowna market next week
SPUD will no longer service any Thompson-Okanagan communities as of March 3. The online grocery delivery service confirmed to KelownaNow that its final day of service in Kelowna will be Friday, March 3. The company stopped service in Kamloops back in November.
Source: kelownanow.com
US: Dollar General's 2023 profit forecast underwhelms after storm-hit quarter
Dollar General Corp forecast full-year profit well below expectations after cutting its earnings estimate for the all-important holiday quarter on heavy discounts, higher costs and inventory damage due to winter storm Elliott. The company expects fourth-quarter earnings per share to be between $2.91 and $2.96, compared with earlier expectation of $3.15 to $3.30.
Source: reuters.com