“Less and less Belgian products”
Future Colruyt CEO Stefan Goethaert concurs: “In the fruit and vegetable department in Belgian supermarkets, for example, there are fewer and fewer Belgian products on the shelves. Are we going to hand over our Belgian food chain? We work with 2,700 Belgian food suppliers and with 6,000 farmers, with 600 of whom very directly”.
Source: retaildetail.eu
Amazon workers at UK warehouse vote for six more months of strike
UK labour union GMB said on Wednesday that Amazon.com's Coventry warehouse workers had voted for six more months of strike over a pay dispute, after they staged a walkout earlier in the day.
Source: reuters.com
Three quarters of Brits fail to meet recommended daily fruit and veg intake as it's 'too expensive'
Three quarters of Brits fail to meet the recommended fruit and veg intake, new research has found. A study commissioned by recipe box company Gousto has revealed 75% of people do not have their five-a-day, with 36% stating the main reason is because fruit and vegetables are too expensive to buy amid the current cost of living crisis.
Source: getsurrey.co.uk
Finland: Kesko Group's sees sales up in May 2023 by 1.5%
Retailer Kesko Group has announced that its sales in May 2023 amounted to €1.1bln and grew by 1.5% year-on-year. Grocery sales in May were €553.4mln, up 7.2% compared to the same period last year.
Source: esmmagazine.com
Italy: Banco Fresco rolls out new proximity format in Milan
Ultra fresh retailer Banco Fresco has opened its first store in the city of Milan, where it debuted its new proximity supermarket format. The 500 square-metre Fresh store in Via Moscati 11 offers an assortment of 'sought-after' products at competitive prices tailored for city families and workers. Besides a wide range of fruit and vegetables (340 SKUs), the core of the Banco Fresco offer, there is also a wide variety of fresh products from the butcher's section, as well as the delicatessen, fishmonger and bakery departments.
Source: esmmagazine.com
UK: Asda identifies the social and cultural drivers that are influencing the way we eat
The retailer has unveiled its 2023/2024 trend book, outlining key themes that will guide food and drink product development for the next 18 months. The report suggests that ‘Sandwiches 2.0’, ‘Not-So-Humble-Veg’ and ‘Things On Toast’ are all key trends that will dominate the coming 18 months as customers use purse-friendly ingredients as the base of their gourmet creations. Confirming this prediction, Asda has seen a +12% uplift in sales of potatoes in the past year as consumers turn to TikTok, which has over 10bln views for #Potato, for inspiration on how to get creative with the household staple.
Source: corporate.asda.com
An Australian packaging innovation 
Australia's potato and onion category leader Mitolo Family Farms has partnered with Coles and global innovators in sustainable packaging solutions Detpak to create what is believed to be Australia's first kerbside recyclable paper bag for fresh potatoes. The packaging innovation will see Mitolo Family Farms' premium Gourmandine potatoes sold in new paper bags, delivering a 64% reduction in plastic, with 8.2 tonnes less plastic being used each year (compared to the previous packaging for this product).
Source: supermarketnews.co.nz
Ireland: Happy Pear targets €2.5mln in crowdfunding round
The Happy Pear has announced a €2.5mln equity crowdfunding campaign to fund its ambitions of expansion to the UK and northern Europe, and has received reservations of over €1.5mln. Co-founders David and Stephen Flynn twins have ambitions of expanding The Happy Pear brand, which constitutes the Greystones fruit & vegetable shop and café, online cooking and lifestyle courses, and a popular social media presence, beyond Ireland into Europe and ultimately North America.
Source: businessplus.ie
Kenyan agri-tech company Twiga Foods fires 130 sales agents
Agri-tech firm Twiga Foods has fired 130 sales agents in the last one-and-a-half months, citing poor performance amid rising competition in the food delivery business. The startup launched a new farming subsidiary, Twiga Fresh for farming onions, tomatoes and watermelons.
Source: businessdailyafrica.com
UK's Sunak scraps plan for supermarket price cap after backlash - Telegraph
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has abandoned plans to ask supermarkets to impose a voluntary price cap on basic goods after a backlash from retailers, the Telegraph reported.
Source: reuters.com
Flipkart and PhonePe could be $100bln businesses in India, Walmart says
Walmart's Flipkart marketplace and PhonePe payments business in India could be $100bln businesses buoyed by strong growth, the retailer's chief financial officer said at an investor conference.
Source: reuters.com
China e-commerce shipments would lose US tariff exemption under proposed law
A bipartisan group of U.S. lawmakers planned to introduce a bill to eliminate a tariff exemption widely used by e-commerce sellers to send orders from China to U.S. shoppers, one of the sponsors said. The exception, known as the de minimis rule, exempts imports valued at $800 or less from tariffs if the items are shipped to individual consumers. The bill would ban such shipments from China immediately upon enactment, sponsor Republican Senator Bill Cassidy said.
Source: reuters.com
Veg of Lund receives a Canadian patent protecting the company's plant-based potato drink
The Canadian Intellectual Property Office (CIPO) has notified Veg of Lund AB that the authority intends to approve the patent “Vegan potato emulsion” which defines the company’s unique vegetable milk alternative. This means that the upcoming patent protection covers the Canadian market.
Source: ir.dugdrinks.com
US: Kenosha farmers discuss fresh produce during National Fruit and Veggie Month
As National Fruit and Veggie Month is observed in June, Wisconsin farmers like Bert Jones and Garrett Jones are sharing their experiences and emphasizing the importance of fresh produce. The Joneses, from Creator Farms in Kenosha, are known for their organically grown microgreens, which offer maximum health benefits in smaller servings. In the digital age, many farmers like the Joneses have started using platforms such as Market Wagon to reach a wider audience. Serving a 16-county region of Southern Wisconsin and parts of Northern Illinois, Market Wagon operates as an online farmers market, providing over 40 farmers and food producers access to over 4mln customers every week.
Source: cbs58.com
US: Dollar General to combat food desert effects by adding fresh produce to Sopchoppy store
In efforts to diminish some of the effects of an ongoing food desert in Sopchoppy, the town's Dollar General has announced it will add produce to the store starting this fall. The store located at 20 Clermont Ave. plans to start selling the top 20 items typically sold in grocery stores, according to a press release from Dollar General. Sopchoppy residents will have access to tomatoes, onions, apples, strawberries, potatoes and more.
Source: eu.tallahassee.com
Canada: Standing Committee on Agriculture and Agri-Food releases report on food inflation
The Standing Committee on Agriculture and Agri-Food has presented recommendations to the federal government on how it can tackle food inflation in a new report. Grocery Affordability: Examining Rising Food Costs in Canada, contains 13 recommendations, including strengthening data collection on price formation throughout the supply chain and addressing financial challenges faced by farmers and food processors.
Link:
Source: canadiangrocer.com