US: Import cargo winding down for the year as retailers stand ready for holiday shopping
With most imported holiday season merchandise already here, inbound cargo volume at the nation's major container ports is expected to slow during the remainder of 2023, according to the Global Port Tracker report by the National Retail Federation and Hackett Associates.
Source: nrf.com
US: SpartanNash's Q3 sales dip as Amazon volume lags
Grocery distributor/retailer SpartanNash saw overall sales decline - pulled down by lower wholesale sales with Amazon - and fell short of Wall Street's adjusted earnings-per-share forecast in its fiscal 2023 third quarter. For the 12-week quarter that ended October 7, consolidated net sales dipped 1.4% to $2.26bln from nearly $2.3bln a year earlier, Grand Rapids, Michigan-based SpartanNash reported.
Source: winsightgrocerybusiness.com
US: Associated Wholesale Grocers partners with Upside to unlock new profit generation opportunities
Associated Wholesale Grocers, Inc. (AWG) has partnered with tech company Upside to open up new opportunities for profit generation for AWG members and further expand Upside's rapidly growing network of 100,000 retailers nationwide.
Source: progressivegrocer.com
US: Instacart reports Q3 revenues up 14% in 1st earnings call
In its first earnings report since going public in September, San Francisco-based delivery grocery company Instacart reported $764mln in revenue for the quarter, up 14% from the same quarter last year.
Source: winsightgrocerybusiness.com
Nazca leads investment into Loads, out to change Latin America's food supply chain
Loads is working with more than 700 importers and 300 suppliers. It has exported products to countries like Colombia, Ecuador, Panama, Costa Rica, India, Canada, Holland, Dubai and Taiwan. It also has Chile, Peru, Argentina, Poland, Portugal, Spain, and China as providers. The company offers over 15 products, including apples, grapes, and kiwi, of which the varieties give Loads more than 70 SKUs. Nazca led a round of $2.05mln into the company recently and was joined by Canary, Alaya Capital, and a group of angel investors.
Source: techcrunch.com
UK: Peas Please project reaches major milestone
The Food Foundation reported: "We're proud to announce that 1.1bln additional portions of vegetables have been served or sold as part of our Peas Please project! The milestone was revealed during our Veg Summit for England, which was attended by almost 100 key players from across the food system."
Source: foodfoundation.org.uk
A taste of Ireland at home in the UAE
As their core business since 1980, Kibsons offers an ever-increasing range of quality fresh fruit and vegetables from all continents. They supply a wide selection of premium produce options, organics, bulk packs, pre-packs, and ready-to-eat products to a wide range of retail and wholesale customers in the UAE and beyond.
Source: thenationalnews.com
UK: Spar announces three new director appointments
Spar UK has announced three new director appointments at its central office in Harrow. Jamie Seymour has advanced to Spar brand director, Trudy Hills has become trading director - grocery, and Simon Mitchell has been promoted to trading director - BWS, fresh and frozen.
Source: talkingretail.com
A produce marketplace in the palm of your hand: Refresh:Food helps farmers tap into hidden demand
Refresh:Food is a new digital marketplace designed to connect growers with excess fruit and vegetables to new networks of potential buyers. The B2B marketplace is accessible via the Refresh:Food smartphone app and has been designed to make the exchange of produce as simple and transparent as possible.
Source: woolworthsgroup.com.au
UK: M&S warns Ocado Retail won't fulfill potential for over 3 years
Britain's Marks & Spencer (M&S) warned it will take over three years for online supermarket Ocado Retail to fulfill its potential. Formed in 2019, Ocado Retail is a 50/50 joint venture between M&S and Ocado Group, which delivers M&S food.
Source: reuters.com
Eurozone retail sales fall in September, exposing weak consumer demand
The European Union's statistics office, Eurostat, said retail sales in the 20 countries sharing the euro fell 0.3% month-on-month and by 2.9% year-on-year in September.
Source: esmmagazine.com
Kiwis spending more on food - research
New Zealand households are significantly spending more on food, and their food buying and consumption habits are evolving, according to research by Rabobank and KiwiHarvest. The study also revealed a preference for lower-priced, imperfect fruit and vegetable options, with 47% choosing them over the more expensive, regular-shaped options (37%).
Source: mpamag.com
UK: Vegetable waste firm harvests £20mln commitment for London IPO
Nimbus Capital has committed up to £20mln in a growth equity agreement in Letoon Holding, the vegetable waste firm, as it gears up for a London IPO. The company has developed a way to use ultrasonic technology to remove nutrients from plants and vegetables.
Source: uktech.news
Pakistan: Pandamart sees enormous success
In a short amount of time since its launch, Pandamart saw enormous success and opened up nearly 44 stores in 6 different cities. Its HACCP-certified systems allow for safe and healthy handling of vegetables and meat, which are completely sold out every day before the evening, ensuring completely fresh operations without compromise.
Source: nation.com.pk
Australian supermarket efforts to cut down packaging 'disturbing,' plastic waste expert says after report released
The report released by the Australian Marine Conservation Society (AMCS) and Boomerang Alliance found all supermarkets were not doing enough to cut their plastic use in line with national targets. The report found that plastic-wrapped fresh fruit and vegetables were often cheaper than loose produce.
Source: abc.net.au
UK discount retailer B&M raises profit outlook
British discount retailer B&M raised its full-year profit guidance as it reported a 16.1% rise in first-half core earnings, saying it has strong trading momentum. B&M, which sells everything from toys to frozen food and garden furniture and has a bigger market capitalization than Marks & Spencer, said it now expected 2023/24 adjusted EBITDA of 620-630mln pounds ($761-$774mln), up from 573mln pounds made in 2022/23.
Source: reuters.com