Italy: Codè Crai Ovest exceeds 2023 turnover expectations
Codè Crai Ovest cooperative achieved a turnover of €346mln in 2023, exceeding its initial forecast of €340mln. The fourth quarter of 2023 was a turning point for the cooperative with the acquisition of 49 Arcev stores in Valtellina, which will be integrated into the Codè Crai Ovest network starting January 1, 2024, according to media reports.
Source: esmmagazine.com
Aldi Spain plans December expansion spree to cap off busy 2023
Discounter Aldi plans to conclude 2023 with a bang, expanding its Spanish network to more than 430 outlets. The discounter plans to open ten new stores across Spain in December, according to Spanish daily El Economista.
Source: esmmagazine.com
UK: Aldi becomes first supermarket to pay colleagues at least £12 per hour
Aldi is to become the first supermarket to guarantee all store and warehouse colleagues at least £12.00 an hour after confirming new rates of pay, which take effect from February 1, 2024.
Source: aldipresscentre.co.uk
Australia: Platform Zero wins Kickstarter Challenge for supermarket food waste solution
Platform Zero, a digital platform that links supermarkets with small businesses as a means to deal with food waste and provide cost of living relief, has emerged as the winner of the 2023 Kickstarter Challenge organized by the Accelerator for Enterprising Women. "If a major supermarket receives 38,000 tonnes of cherry tomatoes but doesn't have enough room on their shelves, now they can sell it on to a food distributor through Platform Zero rather than reject the order", founder Alexandra Cannizzaro said.
Source: insidesmallbusiness.com.au
France: Firm offer for Casino stores due by December 20 - unions
Offers for Casino's supermarkets and hypermarkets will have to be transformed into firm bids before December 20, Casino unions said following a meeting with the consortium that plans to take over the ailing French retailer. "Management and the consortium have confirmed they have received expressions of interest from several players in the retail industry," unions said in a statement after meeting with consortium representatives Philippe Palazzi and Denis Olivennes.
Source: reuters.com
Representative survey reveals call for more plant-based options: This is how HelloFresh meets the growing demand
HelloFresh reported: "According to Euromonitor International, global dietary preferences are increasingly moving towards plant-based options. A research by the federal center for nutrition in Germany revealed that every second nutrition expert is convinced that plant-based diet preferences will significantly grow in the next few years. As the owner of the richest and largest customer database on taste preferences, HelloFresh can predict a growing demand for plant-based proteins".
Source: hellofreshgroup.com
Rimi Baltic sells Deglava logistics center and office in Riga to East Capital Real Estate Fund IV
Rimi Baltic has sold its central logistics and office facilities in Riga to East Capital Real Estate Fund IV through a sale and leaseback transaction under a 15-year lease agreement. The property area amounts to 94,000 square meters.
Source: icagruppen.se
Kenya: Naivas enters Kakamega as retail market heats up
Naivas Supermarket has opened a new branch in Kakamega as it continues with its national expansion, taking its tally to 101 outlets. This continues to cement the retailer's position as the leading local supermarket chain amid competition from Quickmart and the French-owned Carrefour, who are also on an expansion spree.
Source: the-star.co.ke
Italy: Gruppo Selex targeting more than €20bln turnover in 2024
Retailer Gruppo Selex has said that it is targeting a turnover of €20.4bln in its 2024 financial year, representing a 4.5% increase, following what it described as a 'positive and dynamic' 2023. In its 2023 financial year, the group reported a 9.3% increase in sales, with a turnover of €19.9bln.
Source: esmmagazine.com
5 most consumed vegetables in the US
Insider Monkey reported: "In this piece, we will take a look at the 5 most consumed vegetables in the US: 5. Onions total availability (pounds per capita): 10.8; 4. Bell Peppers total availability (pounds per capita): 11.1; 3. Lettuce, leaf, and romaine total availability (pounds per capita): 12.6; 2. Potatoes total availability (pounds per capita): 22.4; 1. Tomatoes total availability (pounds per capita): 38.5"
Source: insidermonkey.com
US: Gopuff launches branded line of cold-pressed juices
Gopuff and bottled juice and smoothie company Pure Green have launched Gopuff x Pure Green Refreshers, a new line of cold-pressed juices made with functional ingredients. The drinks are now available for delivery nationwide, exclusively on Gopuff.
Source: supermarketnews.com
US: Dollar General Corporation reports third quarter 2023 results
Dollar General Corporation reported financial results for its fiscal 2023 third quarter (13 weeks) ended November 3, 2023: Net sales increased 2.4% to $9.7bln. Same-store sales decreased by 1.3%. Operating profit decreased 41.1% to $433.5mln.
Source: businesswire.com
US: BJ's Wholesale Club announces December 15 grand opening for Lewis Center
BJ's Wholesale Club, a leading operator of membership warehouse clubs, announced that its newest Ohio club location will open on Friday, December 15, 2023. The new club will be located at 8425 Orange Centre Drive in Lewis Center.
Source: businesswire.com
US: Instacart's 2024 Consumer Trend Forecast
Instacart reported: "Over the last year, we've witnessed a mushroom surge, with carts containing fresh Lion's Mane Mushroom growing by 589%, alongside fresh Hedgehog Mushrooms (+315%), Pink Oyster Mushrooms (+391%), Reishi Mushrooms (+293%), and even mushroom supplements (+42%). Over the last year, we've started to see an assortment of more unexpected fruits and veggies experience cart share growth over the last year, including a variety of fruits such as red dragonfruit (+201% growth), yellow passionfruit (+201%), mangosteen (+158%) and Mayan melons (+31%), and veggies such as microgreens (+50%), broccoli sprouts (+32%), purple broccoli (+32%) and purple asparagus (+18%)".
Source: instacart.com
US: H-E-B cuts ribbon on new Joe V's Smart Shop near Houston
H-E-B has unveiled a new Joe V's Smart Shop in the town of Katy, Texas. As with other Joe V's Smart Shops, this 55,000-square-foot outpost features a large produce department with locally-grown fruits and vegetables.
Source: progressivegrocer.com
Amazon piloting grocery subscription
Amazon's experimentation in the grocery sector continues, as the e-commerce giant announced that it is testing a grocery subscription for Prime members. Customers who are part of that membership program can pay $9.99 a month to get "unlimited" groceries delivered from Amazon Fresh and Whole Foods Market on orders over $35.
Source: progressivegrocer.com
US: Village Super Market's Q1 net income rises while gross profit drops
New Jersey-based Village Super Market Inc. has reported a first-quarter net income of $11.6mln, an increase of 5% compared with $11.1mln in the first quarter of the prior year. For the first quarter ended October 28, the food retailer said that its sales were $536.4mln, a 3.2% rise from last year.
Source: progressivegrocer.com
US: Robotic reindeer delivering meals for Uber Eats
The delivery provider announced that Robot Reindeer will be delivering meals in a handful of locations across the country between now and the end of December. Dressed up with bright red noses and what appear to be soft stuffed antlers, the automated robots will be delivering meals to customers in Miami, Fairfax, Virginia, and Los Angeles.
Source: foodondemand.com