US: Instacart adds tools to address out-of-stocks
Instacart announced it has added a new technology, called Store View, which uses artificial intelligence and computer vision to collect real-time data on shelf inventory. The company has also added the ability for a worker at a second location of a retailer selected by a customer to check for out-of-stock items.
Source: grocerydive.com
Walmart Mexico to invest $6bln in 2025
Walmart's Mexico unit said it would invest more than $6bln in the country this year, around triple its planned spending from the year before. The funds will go toward opening new stores and to continue construction on two distribution centers, according to the firm.
Source: reuters.com
US: Ecovative raises $11mln, plans aggressive expansion of mycelium-based MyBacon
© Rogier Peterse | FP.comNew York-based Ecovative has raised $11mln in a funding round that includes $1.68mln in grant and loan funding from the Advance Albany County Alliance to expand its mycelium-based alt meat and textiles businesses.
Source: agfundernews.com
US: Winn-Dixie to close four Alabama stores
© Rogier Peterse | FP.comWinn-Dixie said it is planning to close four locations in Alabama in the coming weeks, following its confirmation that it also plans to close two stores in Georgia. The closings are not among the 220 stores that parent company Southeastern Grocers has agreed to operate on a temporary basis until they are converted to the Aldi banner, a spokesperson for Southeastern Grocers told Supermarket News.Source: supermarketnews.com
Grocers could have a new tool to combat food waste
The study, "The Blockchain Newsvendor: Value of Freshness Transparency and Smart Contracts", examines how grocery retailers can utilize blockchain-powered data to make better-informed inventory decisions that reduce spoilage for perishable goods like berries, lettuce, fish, and beef. Using Walmart's strawberry business as an example, the study shows how blockchain can increase annual profit by $60mln while eliminating 23mln pounds of food waste annually through operational movements.
Source: supermarketnews.com
Alibaba has staged a quiet $100bln rally - AI and Jack Ma's return are at the heart of it
Alibaba's U.S. listed-shares have quietly risen nearly 60% this year, adding more than $100bln to the company's valuation. Recent success has been credited to Alibaba's artificial intelligence push, helped by the attention DeepSeek has brought on China, as well as the return of co-founder Jack Ma to the public eye.
Source: cnbc.com
Great interest for French supermarkets Colruyt
French media report a larger-than-expected number of retailers are interested to acquire (at least some of) Colruyt's 101 supermarkets in France. Various candidates have submitted their proposals and the whole process should be completed by the end of May, an insider told the French trade website LSA.
Source: retaildetail.eu
Iceland Foods continues expansion in The Channel Islands
Iceland Foods has expanded its footprint in the Channel Islands with two new Iceland stores opening in Jersey in St Ouen and Broad Street in St Helier. The new stores are the first to open in Jersey under Iceland's new franchise partnership with local independent retailer Alliance, which was agreed last year.
Source: kamcity.com
Amazon Fresh expands to 170+ cities across India, bringing quality groceries to smaller cities and towns
Amazon India reported: "Amazon Fresh now delivers to more tier-2 and tier-3 cities, including Gorakhpur, Chittoor, Ambala, and Vijayawada. Our sellers source fruits and vegetables from more than 11,000 farmers nationwide. Amazon India has significantly expanded its Amazon Fresh service, bringing its full-basket grocery offerings to more than 170 cities and towns across the country".
Source: aboutamazon.in
Jiji bets on Bangladesh's growing e-commerce market in first Asian expansion
© Rogier Peterse | FP.comAfrican e-commerce platform Jiji is making its first foray outside the continent. The company will launch in Bangladesh, drawn to its growing middle class and increased mobile connectivity. Jiji, which currently operates in seven African countries - Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Tanzania, Uganda, and Senegal - sees Bangladesh as a natural next step.
Source: techcabal.com
UK consumers unexpectedly boost their shopping in February
British retail sales unexpectedly rose in February, figures from the Office for National Statistics showed, defying most forecasts from analysts who had predicted a fall against a backdrop of weak overall growth in the economy. Sales volumes increased by a monthly 1.0%, driven by non-food sales, although supermarkets saw a drop after a surge in business in January, the ONS said.
Source: reuters.com
India: Kareena Kapoor-backed Pluckk to raise $10mln in Series A
Business-to-consumer fresh produce food-tech platform Pluckk is all set to raise Rs 85 crore (approximately $10mln) in its Series A funding round from Euro Gulf Investment. This marks the Mumbai-based company's first notable fundraising after a three-year hiatus.
Source: entrackr.com
Holland: Colruyt, Superunie and Coop start new purchase alliance
Under the name Vasco International Trading, the retailers Colruyt Group, Coop Group and Superunie have formed an European alliance to strengthen their position in purchasing discussions with multinational brands. The new alliance, based in Amsterdam, wants to strengthen its three partners' competitive position to negotiate prices and other conditions with international A-brand suppliers. "We are really going to purchase together, this is not about 'on top' conditions", Colruyt Group Chief Purchasing Officer Geert Roels told RetailDetail.
Source: retaildetail.eu
Norway: SPAR announces opening of supermarket in Sarpsborg
SPAR Norway announces the opening of a new SPAR Supermarket Skjebergveien in Sarpsborg, located just 15 minutes from the Swedish border, which welcomed over 2,000 customers on the first day.
Source: spar-international.com
UK: Amazon closes supermarket after three yearsAmazon has shut down its Richmond Amazon Fresh store, just three years after its launch, as part of a series of closures following the abandonment of its expansion plans. The store, located on The Quadrant next to Richmond Station in south-west London, was the 10th Amazon Fresh shop to open in the UK in December 2021.
Source: leeds-live.co.uk