Germany: REWE Dortmund names new CEO as Andreas Schmidt steps down
REWE Group has named Hanno Rieger its new chief executive officer of REWE Dortmund following current top boss Andreas Schmidt's decision not to renew his contract and leave the company at the end of 2023.
Source: esmmagazine.com
UK: Tesco opens its 2,000th Express store in Cambridge
Tesco has announced the opening of its 2,000th Express store in Lion Yard shopping centre, Cambridge. This significant milestone reflects Tesco’s commitment to serving customers wherever, whenever and however they want to shop and supports its ambition to be the UK’s most convenient retailer.
Source: tescoplc.com
UAE: Fresh produce from the source right to your doorstep
One of the biggest fresh fruits and vegetables distributors and importers, Farzana, is on a mission to bring the best of the world's fruits, vegetables and local produce for the people of the UAE.
Source: menafn.com
UK: Demand for fresh fruit and veg rises in convenience stores as shortages hit supermarkets
Independent retailers that maintain availability and up marketing to customers are reporting overall store sales uplifts of up to 30% as a result of supermarket vegetable shortages. Nearly every major grocer capped purchasing staple lines such as cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers, salad bags, cauliflower and broccoli as a result of weather and energy issues stunting harvests. Pratik Patel, of Jay’s Budgens of Crofton Park, London, told betterRetailing he is seeing sales rise, but also increases in wholesale costs. “We are paying three times more above the average base line since December”, he said.
Source: betterretailing.com
India: Grocery4U launches a 9000 square foot Warehouse in Purnia, Bihar, to expand operations
Grocery4U has announced the launch of its new 9000 square foot warehouse in Purnia, Bihar. The new warehouse will allow the company to expand its operations and better serve customers in the region. Grocery4U offers a wide range of products, including fresh fruits and vegetables, dairy and bakery products, household essentials, and more.
Source: aninews.in
Auchan sees improvement in French hypermarkets
For the first time in nine years, Auchan was able to grow again in its French home market. In particular, hypermarkets - a store format that has been under pressure for years - performed strongly, significantly outperforming those of rival Carrefour with a comparable growth of 2.4%. The number of tickets rose 4.7% in France and the retailer said it managed to win back 250,000 customers. Group-level retail operations recorded sales of 32.8bln euros, a comparable growth of 2.9%.
Source: retaildetail.eu
Kenyan startups, Kwikbasket & Afriagrimark emerge as winners at the 2023 Sankalp Africa Awards
Kwikbasket is an agritech startup which works to improve farmers’ lives by improving their access to fair markets while providing high quality fresh produce to their customers. Afriagrimark is a marketplace that connects various truckers to vendors who need immediate fresh vegetable delivery from farmers. Vendors on the same delivery route easily share trucks cutting transport costs by 40%, delivery time by half and post-harvest losses to 3%.
Source: hapakenya.com
From humble beginnings to South Africa's largest privately owned retailer - Food Lover's Market celebrates 30 years
From a single fruit and vegetable store in Access Park to a business that includes one-stop-shop Food Lover's Market stores, c-store juggernaut FreshStop at Caltex, FVC International, Diamond's Discount Liquor, Market Liquors, and the most exciting artisan coffee brand in South Africa - Seattle Coffee Company, this March Food Lover's Market celebrates 30 years as South Africa's largest privately owned retailer.
Source: news24.com
Inside Look: Introducing JD.com’s newest self-operating warehouse in California 
JD Logistics United States, JD.com’s North American logistics arm, recently announced the opening of its third self-operating warehouse and distribution center in California. The new warehouse, together with the company’s No.1 and No.2 California warehouses, will create more than 300 local jobs while growing the JD.com’s footprint to over 1.3mln square feet of warehousing space throughout the state.
Source: jdcorporateblog.com
Canada: George Weston reports $369mln in profit for Q4, up 6.3% from previous year
George Weston Limited reported $14.1bln in revenue for the fourth quarter of 2022, up 9.6% from the previous year. The parent company to Loblaw Companies Limited and Choice Properties Real Estate Investment Trust released its results for the quarter and fiscal 2022. Net earnings available to common shareholders in Q4 came to $369mln - a 6.3% increase from the prior year.
Source: canadiangrocer.com
US: Albertsons gives voice to food in ‘Sincerely’ brand extension
Albertsons Cos. has branched its “Sincerely” health and wellness branding into food in a new omnichannel marketing campaign. Called “Sincerely, Food”, the campaign will spotlight the importance of food in the daily moments and special occasions of customers, Albertsons said.
Source: winsightgrocerybusiness.com
US: Dollar Tree to intensify investments in food
After substantial leadership changes throughout 2022, Dollar Tree has revealed better-than-expected fourth quarter and fiscal year financial results. During its earnings call, the discount retailer said it’s ready to accelerate investments, including grocery. During the fourth quarter ended January 28, the company reported its consolidated net sales increased 9.0% to $7.72bln. Enterprise same-store sales rose 7.4%. Dollar Tree same-store sales grew 8.7%, driven by a 10.0% increase in average ticket, partially offset by a 1.1% decline in traffic.
Source: progressivegrocer.com
US: Hannaford acquiring independent grocery store in Maine
Hannaford Supermarkets is adding its 186th location to its store count as it acquires Tradewinds Marketplace in Blue Hill, Maine. The store, which was already supplied and supported by Hannaford, is expected to officially operate under the banner in May.
Source: progressivegrocer.com
Why 2022 was a watershed year for Misfits Market
Last year was a banner year for Misfits Market. The Pennsauken Township, New Jersey-based company recapped its 2022 performance in a recently-released annual report, which also looked ahead to new opportunities and growth.
Source: progressivegrocer.com
US: Publix reports fourth quarter and annual results for 2022
Publix’s sales for the three months ended December 31, 2022, a 14‑week quarter, were $15.3bln, a 22% increase from $12.6bln in 2021, a 13‑week quarter. The additional week in the fourth quarter of 2022 increased sales by 8.1%. Comparable store sales for the three months ended December 31, 2022 increased 12.4%. Publix’s sales for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2022, a 53-week year, were $54.5bln, a 13.6% increase from $48bln in 2021, a 52-week year. The additional week in 2022 increased sales by 2.1%. Comparable store sales for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2022 increased 9.9%.
Source: businesswire.com
Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc. acquires Big Red Stores
Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc. announced it is moving forward with a binding agreement for the acquisition of 45 fuel and convenience retail sites from Big Red Stores, a company originally founded in 1997 by Doug and David Hendrix, that has grown mainly organically by opening new sites over the years. The transaction includes modern, high-quality and well-located sites across the state of Arkansas.
Source: supermarketnews.com
Amazon invests in Toronto-based climate biotech company
Amazon is investing in Toronto-based bioplastics company Genecis as part of its Climate Pledge Fund. Founded by scientist Luna Yu, Genecis uses organic waste (like food table scraps) to create a biodegradable bioplastic that is an alternative to conventional plastic packaging.
Source: canadiangrocer.com