UK: Asda extends popular £1 kids café meal deal this May half term
Asda announced that its hugely popular ‘Kids Eat for £1’ café meal deals will continue and cover the School May half term holidays. The kids menu has a variety of offers including two new hot meals recently introduced - Penne Pasta with Meatballs and a vegan Hidden Veg pasta meal. The existing hot meals on the menu remain, such as fish fingers, but will have the option of swapping out chips with a salad or peas. In addition children will receive a free piece of fruit such as and apple, pear or banana when purchasing the hot kids £1 meal deal.
Source: corporate.asda.com
Picnic aims to almost double German sales
Dutch online supermarket Picnic remains firmly committed to Germany: the Dutch company wants to almost double its turnover this year. Opening 25 additional distribution centres in Germany alone should allow it to reach four to six million German households.
Source: retaildetail.eu
Philippines: Air21, Sarisuki tie up to bring Benguet’s fresh produce to Manila
Ayala-backed logistics company Air21 is partnering with Sarisuki to deliver fruits and vegetables from Benguet to community sellers in Metro Manila. “This partnership seeks to lower the cost and ensure consistent supply of fresh produce in ubiquitous talipapa (community markets). It also aims to lessen overall food supply chain wastage and help ensure food security across Metro Manila”, the company said in a press release. Sarisuki is a social e-commerce platform that offers products at wet market prices. It serves Metro Manila and the provinces of Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna, Rizal, Batangas, Quezon, and Cebu.
Source: bworldonline.com
UK: M&S says strategy 'beginning to deliver' as dividend set to resume
British clothing and food retailer Marks & Spencer said its turnaround strategy was showing signs of delivery, enabling it to restore its dividend and forecast "modest" revenue growth this year. For the year to April 1, M&S made a profit before tax and adjusting items of 482mln pounds - ahead of analysts' average forecast of 436mln pounds but down from the 523mln pounds made in 2021/22.
Source: reuters.com
Ireland: Bee sound! Do your bit for biodiversity and save the bees with ALDI’s Bee Happy event
ALDI reported: "Pollinators are the bees’ knees! Not only do they help fertilise flowers, plants, and crops, but we rely on them to help produce many of our fruits and vegetables. They sometimes need a helping hand from us humans, so that’s why ALDI is buzzing to announce that its Bee Happy event will take place in store next month! From June 1st, ALDI will have three bee-friendly trolleys on sale in 157 stores nationwide. Located at the front door of every store, each trolley will contain a range of bee-friendly flowers and plants designed to attract our winged friends to outdoor spaces and promote pollination".
Source: retailnews.ie
Plant-based products 'struggle for growth' due to cost: NIQ
A new report from market researcher NIQ has found that despite 4.1mln (14.3%) of UK households consuming a vegan, vegetarian, pescatarian or flexitarian option in 2023, a focus on value and price points means that the plant-based category is struggling for growth. The report entitled, 'Flexitarianism: from niche to mainstream', looked into the spending and consumption habits of consumers with vegan, vegetarian, pescatarian and flexitarian diets in the UK.
Source: esmmagazine.com
Italy: Moderna 2020 rolls out new proximity store concept
Regional grocery retail group Moderna 2020 has rolled out Eté Smarty, a new concept for small and proximity stores, which has been developed to ensure quick and functional shopping. Eté Smarty stores have a sales area of less than 300 square metres, and include fresh counters and a delicatessen.
Source: esmmagazine.com
‘As a virgin to supermarket supply, I was shocked at the casual, abusive arrogance’
The best supply chains temper aggressive, short-term competition on price with efficient communication and trustworthy behaviour, argues organic veg specialist Riverford’s founder Guy Singh-Watson.
Source: retail-week.com
UK grocery inflation edges lower to 17.2% in May - Kantar
British grocery inflation eased slightly for the second month in a row in May but remained close to record highs, industry data showed, providing little comfort for consumers grappling with a cost-of-living crisis. Market researcher Kantar said annual grocery inflation was 17.2% in the four weeks to May 14, and while that was down from 17.3% in its April data set, it was the third fastest rate it has recorded since 2008.
Source: reuters.com
SPAR Austria invests €24mln in state-of-the-art INTERSPAR Hypermarket
A new INTERSPAR Hypermarket in Gänserndorf, Lower Austria, recently opened at the location of the former EUROSPAR store, which was demolished in the spring of 2022. With a sales area of 2,700m2, the new hypermarket offers a large variety of everyday products, fresh food, high-quality customer service, and an adjoining restaurant with a terrace.
Source: spar-international.com
Kenya: Naivas posts Sh2.1bln profit in nine months
Supermarket chain Naivas Limited made a profit of Sh2.1bln in the nine months ended March, marking a higher earnings growth from a year earlier. The performance of the private company has been disclosed by Mauritian conglomerate IBL Group which acquired a 26.3% stake in the retailer in August last year as part of a consortium that owns a combined 40% equity.
Source: businessdailyafrica.com
US: Mother’s Market & Kitchen, Upside form partnership
Mother’s Market & Kitchen, an independent organic and natural health food store chain with 12 Southern California locations, and retail tech company Upside have teamed up to offer the retailer’s customers the chance to earn cash back while shopping.
Source: progressivegrocer.com
US: BJ’s Wholesale Club sets records during Q1
The purchasing has never been higher during the opening quarter of the year, as BJ’s Wholesale Club announced first quarter records in net income and adjusted EBITDA. The retailer’s net income was just over $116mln (it was just over $112mln in Q1 2022) and the adjusted EBITDA stood at just under $256mln (vs. just under $221mln in 2022).
Source: supermarketnews.com