Poor weather costs UK supermarkets £120mln in lost sales, says Nielsen
'Monsoon-like' weather has cost UK supermarkets more than £120mln (€134.5mln) in missed sales in the past four weeks, data from Nielsen has found. Nielsen said that industry sales increased by 0.4% in the four-week period to 16 June, with cold and wet conditions causing shoppers to hold back spend and purchase fewer items than they typically would during the start of the summer. “It’s clear that promotions, events and the vagaries of the weather have a big impact on supermarket sales", said Mike Watkins, Nielsen's UK head of retailer and business insight. "The summer trading season stretches 18 weeks from the first May bank holiday to the last week in August. In the first seven weeks of summer 2019, shoppers have so far spent £350mln less in supermarkets. This equates to a 2.1% fall in value sales compared to the same time period last year," he added.
Source: esmmagazine.com
Spain: DIA announces new financing plan with creditors
Spain’s struggling supermarket chain DIA reached a new deal with its creditors, the company said in a statement. DIA said it would propose raising the planned capital increase from 500mln euros ($569mln) to 600mln euros at the upcoming AGM. The company’s biggest shareholder, investment fund LetterOne, will inject 490mln euros in DIA through a participating loan, which will be repaid to LetterOne with the proceeds of the capital increase, DIA said.
Source: reuters.com
China: Alibaba aims to double Tmall Global brands with English portal
Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba launched an English-language website for its Tmall Global marketplace aimed at merchants, in an attempt to double the number of international brands on the platform to 40,000 in the next three years. The company said in a statement it wants to make Tmall Global, which currently hosts 20,000 international brands across 77 countries and regions, more appealing and accessible to niche, small- and medium-sized brands from other countries.
Source: reuters.com
CEO of Russian food retailer Magnit quits in row over strategy
The chief executive of Russia’s second-largest food retailer Magnit, Olga Naumova, has decided to leave the company just after a year in the role due to disagreements over the company’s strategy, Magnit said. The company, ranked second in Russia to X5 Retail Group, also said that Jan Dunning, the President of Magnit, will assume the role of the CEO. Magnit has not disclosed details about the discord over the strategy. Naumova, who previously served as the head of X5’s flagship Pyaterochka chain, joined Magnit just over a year ago.
Source: reuters.com
Germany: Edeka Nord posts 4.8% growth in comparable sales in FY 2018
German retailer Edeka Nord has posted a growth of 4.8% in comparable sales for its financial year 2018, according to a report in the trade platform rundschau.de. Consolidated sales increased by 3.3% to around €3.1bln for the period, which is one of the best results achieved by the company till date. The group sales in April 2019 grew 2.4% when compares with the same period in 2018. The positive result is an outcome of the efforts of independent merchants, the report said.
Source: esmmagazine.com
Makro Portugal targets €400mln turnover by 2020
The Portuguese subsidiary of wholesaler Metro AG is expected to achieve €400mln turnover per annum by next year, if not sooner. Speaking to the Lusa news agency, the CEO of Metro AG, Olaf Koch, said the group is “constantly increasing revenues” in the Portuguese market, following a period in which Makro Portugal underwent a restructuring that led to a 20% reduction in staff numbers. Since 2015, Makro Portugal has benefited from greater local autonomy at commercial and operational level, Koch added.
Source: esmmagazine.com
UK retail sales slide in June at fastest pace since 2009: CBI
British retail sales plunged this month at the fastest annual pace in 10 years, according to figures that reflect unusually strong sales a year ago but add to questions about the economy’s momentum in the second quarter. The Confederation of British Industry’s monthly retail sales balance fell to -42 from -27 in May, below all forecasts in a Reuters poll that had pointed to an improved reading of -10.
Source: reuters.com
French retailer Casino's Brazil arm to buy out Colombian unit
Retailer Casino said that it plans to restructure its Latin America business through its Brazil and Colombian units in a move aimed at improving its performance as the French group grapples with high debts. Casino’s Brazil subsidiary retailer GPA will buy all shares in Colombian unit Almacenes Exito SA, GPA said in a securities filing. Casino later confirmed the move, saying it would simplify its structure in Latin America.
Source: reuters.com
US: Farmstead rolls out ‘Local First’ program for area food companies
To help in its search for new locally sourced foods - fresh produce and shelf-stable items alike - e-grocer Farmstead has introduced a Local First program to recruit area food purveyors. Having added a raft of national brands such as Chicago-based Kraft Heinz to its inventory, Farmstead is now seeking more local vendors to maintain a balance of national and local items for its customers. Farms and producers can apply to have their products carried by Farmstead. Within the e-grocer’s app, customers can also recommend local brands for Farmstead to evaluate.
Source: progressivegrocer.com
7-Eleven to deliver to “hot spots” in the U.S
7-Eleven Inc. has announced that it will deliver to more than 2,000 “hot spots” such as parks, beaches and concert venues in the U.S. Embedded under the retailer’s delivery app 7NOW, “7NOW Pins” will allow shoppers to order products and get them delivered to hot spot locations, including New York’s Central Park and Venice Beach in Los Angeles. Customers can locate the nearest pin and order as usual. 7-Eleven will use Postmates to deliver to public hot spots. It uses DoorDash as well as Postmates to deliver to customers’ homes.
Source: retailanalysis.igd.com
US: Albertsons and Kroger workers authorize strike
Albertsons, its banner Vons, and Kroger’s banner Ralphs have been negotiating with the United Food and Commercial Workers Local 135 (UFCW Local 135) to determine whether or not workers plan to strike. On June 25, the Southern California union voted to authorize a strike. “The members - they kicked butt yesterday”, said Bruce “Todd” Walters, President of the San Diego and Imperial Counties branch of the United Food and Commercial Workers union. “I’m very proud of them. I’m proud of Local 135.” UFCW Local 135 represents 7,500 employees of Ralphs, Vons, and Albertsons, according to an update on the union’s website, and 97% participating union members voted in favor of the measure.
Source: delimarketnews.com
US: Sprouts Farmers Market sells distribution center
Sprouts Farmers Market has sold a cold-storage and distribution center in Glendale, Arizona. The retailer sold the 128,929-square-foot facility to a fund sponsored by CBRE Global Investors, an entity that news source connect media reports has been targeting cold storage as a subtype. The space sold for $17.4mln, according to the report, valued for prime truck maneuverability and functional loading, as well as refrigeration and freezer space and heavy trailer parking.
Source: delimarketnews.com
US: Walmart now accepts SNAP benefits at all pickup locations
Walmart will now accept Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits for online grocery orders at all of its pickup locations, a spokesperson for Walmart confirmed to Grocery Dive in an email. Walmart currently offers grocery pickup at more than 2,500 stores nationwide, with plans to expand to 3,100 pickup location by year's end. SNAP will be accepted at additional locations as they are added. The only difference in the online experience for shoppers purchasing groceries using SNAP is that they will select "EBT card" as their payment option at checkout.
Source: grocerydive.com