Italy: Giovanni Mastrantoni appointed president of PAC 2000A
Conad's largest cooperative, PAC 2000A, has appointed Giovanni Mastrantoni as its new president. Mastrantoni succeeds Claudio Alibrandi, who will remain with the cooperative as a director, Conad noted.
Source: esmmagazine.com
SPAR Jiarong Supermarket Dongtai in China reopens to customers
SPAR Jiarong Supermarket Dongtai in China reopened following renovation, now having a new look and feel and improved shopping experience for customers. The supermarket also has ample space for a large selection of fresh produce, a core of SPAR China's offering.
Source: spar-international.com
UK: Co-op extends distribution contract with Wincanton
Supply chain giant Wincanton has been awarded a five-year contract extension by Co-op, building on over three decades of collaboration between the two companies. Under the new agreement, Wincanton will continue to provide facilities management and distribution services from a 340,000 sq. ft. Co-op regional distribution centre in Wellingborough.
Source: kamcity.com
The Infometrics-Foodstuffs New Zealand Grocery Supplier Cost Index has indicated an increase of 2.4%
Moderation in supplier cost increases has continued, as the Infometrics-Foodstuffs New Zealand Grocery Supplier Cost Index (GSCI) showed an average 2.4% increase in what suppliers charged Foodstuffs supermarkets for goods in July 2024, compared to a year earlier. "This annual increase is the slowest since November 2021, but is still higher than the 1.7% pa increase the Index averaged over 2019-2021", said Infometrics Chief Executive and Principal Economist Brad Olsen. Usual seasonal variations saw tomato costs up, alongside other out-of-season vegetables.
Source: supermarketnews.co.nz
Demand for blueberries in Britain has soared by 27% this year - putting them among the UK's fastest growing fruit
Tesco has revealed that demand for blueberries has soared by 27% this year. But Britain's growing demand for the berries is now rapidly outpacing what farmers are able to produce. This year, UK shoppers are set to buy a whopping 57,000 tonnes of the berries - equivalent to four times the weight of the Eiffel Tower. Tesco berries buyer Callum Baker says: 'Blueberries are very much the fruit of the moment as they are so popular with all age groups because of their healthy reputation.'
Source: dailymail.co.uk
UK: Asda to put more staff on checkouts in stores
Asda is going to put more staff on checkouts after admitting it has reached a limit with self-service tills. The supermarket said while self-checkouts work well for customers, it wants to invest additional hours into having manned checkouts.
Source: bbc.com
Grocery real estate investment in Europe dropped 19% last year
Real estate investment in the European grocery market fell by 19% last year, to €6bln, new data from Savills has found. This is 28% lower than the five-year average for the sector, the property firm added.
Source: esmmagazine.com
UK: Cut business rates to boost jobs, growth and Government revenue, says Sainsburys
Sainsbury's and USDAW - representing 148,000 Sainsburys colleagues and 360,000 USDAW members - have urged the new Government to deliver on its promise to reform business rates following research which demonstrates that failure to act could lead to 17,300 retail closures over the next ten years.
Source: about.sainsburys.co.uk
UK: Half of checked food 'incorrectly labelled'
More than half of food products assessed in a county were found to be incorrectly labelled, a watchdog has revealed. Trading Standards collected 90 samples from more than 40 businesses across Oxfordshire between 2023-24. A variety of products were checked, including seasonings, spices, milk, canned vegetables, tea, rice, and foods labelled "gluten-free".
Source: bbc.com
Greece: Inflation shoots up to 2.7%
Inflation edged higher in July, ending a run of decreasing rates. The Consumer Price Index published by the Hellenic Statistics Authority grew 2.7% year-on-year, up from 2.3% in June. Olive oil (56.7%) rose precipitously, followed by soft drinks and fruit juices (8.6%), fresh fish (8.4%), cereals (7.4%), chocolate products and other sweets (4.1%) and fresh vegetables (3.5%).
Source: ekathimerini.com
US: Ingles Markets posts 34.4% drop in Q3 profits
Ingles Markets said its net income for the fiscal third quarter fell 34.4% to $31.7mln, compared with year-ago results. Sales in the three-month period, which ended June 29, were down 2.8% to $1.39bln.
Source: supermarketnews.com
US Foods reports second quarter fiscal year 2024 earnings
US Foods Holding Corp., one of the largest foodservice distributors in the United States, announced results for the second quarter fiscal year 2024. Second quarter fiscal year 2024 highlights: Net sales increased 7.7% to $9.7bln. Gross profit increased 7.2% to $1.7bln. Net income was $198mln.
Source: businesswire.com
US: UNFI highlights winter, holiday selling season offerings at show
United Natural Foods Inc. (UNFI) has concluded another successful 2024 Winter and Holiday Selling Show in Minneapolis, where it spotlighted a wide range of innovative products, programs and services developed to help food retailers increase profitable growth during the upcoming holiday season.
Source: progressivegrocer.com
Brazil: Assaí Atacadista sees sales up 12.9% in first half
Cash and carry chain Assaí Atacadista has reported a 12.9% increase in net sales in the first half of its financial year, BRL35.1bln (€5.97bln). The São Paulo-based group said that its improved performance - an additional BRL4bln (€680mln), year-on-year - was driven by its newly-converted stores, as well as a 2.9% increase in same-store sales.
Source: esmmagazine.com