US: Instacart rolls out ‘Ask Instacart’ ChatGPT feature
Instacart has officially launched its AI-powered search tool “Ask Instacart”, speaking directly to meal-prep fatigued shoppers looking for easy answers when it comes to breakfast, lunch, and dinner ideas.
Source: supermarketnews.com
US: Grocery shoppers pinch pennies on CPG while splurging on perishables
Research from the latest instalment of PYMNTS’ Consumer Inflation Sentiment series, “Consumer Inflation Sentiment Report: Consumers Cut Back by Trading Down”, which drew from an April survey of more than 2,000 U.S. consumers, revealed that 47% of all shoppers have switched to a less expensive merchant for at least one grocery product. 35% have done so for housekeeping supplies, 33% for personal care products and 32% for snacks. Only 29% are trading down for dairy or fruits and vegetables, 27% for fresh meat and 25% for prepared food.
Source: pymnts.com
US: New Whole Foods Market in Washington, D.C., to open June
Whole Foods Market will open a new 47,000-square-foot store, located at 7130 12th Street NW, on June 28 at 8 a.m. EDT. The new location’s product assortment features more than 800 local items from across the greater D.C., Maryland and Virginia area, sourced with the help of Daniela D’Ambrosio, Local Forager for Whole Foods Market’s Mid-Atlantic Region.
Source: media.wholefoodsmarket.com
US: Albertsons consolidates private label brands under Signature Select
Albertsons Companies will rebrand its Signature Farms, Signature Care and Signature Cafe products under one master brand, Signature Select, which will have a new logo, packaging, and marketing campaign. Signature Select is already the largest brand in the company’s own brands portfolio, with over 8,000 products including packaged salads, ice cream, frozen pizza, coffee, paper goods, pasta, snacks, canned vegetables and fruit, in addition to ground beef, pork, and chicken.
Source: supermarketnews.com
US: Kroger to open expanded Kentucky distribution center
Kroger will expand its ecommerce network in Northern Kentucky with the addition of 2,000 square foot of space that will serve as a home delivery spoke site to its existing automated Ocado hub facility in Monroe, Ohio. The expanded facility, a fulfillment center located in Independence, Kentucky, is a $550,000 investment and will create 98 jobs, according to reporting from the Cincinnati Business Courier.
Source: supermarketnews.com
US: How Strack & Van Til is optimizing fresh food
Midwest regional grocer Strack & Van Til is enhancing its fresh food retail operations through a partnership with Canada-based Invafresh. The technology company will help the retailer automate manual processes for produce, meat, deli and dairy.
Source: progressivegrocer.com
Carrefour tops Brazilian supermarket rankings for seventh year
For the seventh year in a row, Carrefour is the Brazilian supermarket chain with the highest annual turnover, ending 2022 with a turnover R$108.1bln (€20.2bln). According to the Abras Ranking, published annually by the Brazilian Supermarket Association (Abras), the French retailer earned almost 80% more than second-placed Assaí Atacadista, which achieved sales of R$59.7bln (€11.1bln).
Source: esmmagazine.com
UK: How to shop at Amazon Fresh in London and why you should try it
Amazon reported: "Curious about the simple, speedy checkout, product ranges and free returns at Amazon Fresh stores? We created a step-by-step guide to show you how you can experience the most convenient way to shop for groceries in London. Amazon Fresh stores provide everything you need, including fresh meat, poultry and fish, bakery, dairy, and fruit and vegetables at competitive prices."
Source: aboutamazon.co.uk
UK: Sainsbury's arrives in Henfield with launch of new Neighbourhood Hub store
Sainsbury’s has welcomed customers in Henfield to try its brand new store for the first time as it opened its doors following three months of comprehensive upgrade works. The new 5,554 sq. ft. Sainsbury’s is one of the retailer’s Neighbourhood Hub stores, which are a food-led interpretation of its renowned supermarket offer whose size sits between that of convenience stores and supermarkets.
Source: about.sainsburys.co.uk
Talabat collaborates with Naematy and Kuwait Farmers Federation to reduce local food waste
talabat, the region’s leading tech company, is delighted to announce the launch of a unique initiative. With this initiative in collaboration with Naematy, a local NGO, and the Kuwait Farmers Federation, talabat aims to reduce waste from local farms specifically related to vegetables and fruits. As a part of this initiative, talabat collects the surplus of vegetables that would otherwise go unsold and delivers them to Naematy, which then distributes them to families in need in Kuwait.
Source: zawya.com
UK: Ocado plunges to lowest since 2017 ahead of FTSE 100 demotion
Ocado Group shares fell to their lowest level in over five years, as the British online supermarket and technology business is expected to be demoted from the UK blue-chip index. Ocado Group is set to be removed from the FTSE 100, and added to the FTSE 250 after markets close, according index provider FTSE Russell, which said last week Ocado had been indicatively listed for removal.
Source: reuters.com
Sweden: Axfood and Garant to launch ground-breaking mince containing 50% beef and 50% vegetables
Axfood has become the first company to carry out a large-scale launch of a mince product containing equal amounts of meat and vegetables. The “Nöt & Grönt” mince will be sold under the proprietary brand Garant and has nearly a 50% lower climate impact [the climate impact is taken from RISE’s food climate database and amounts to about 28 CO2e per kilo for Swedish minced beef and about 14.2 CO2 for Nöt & Grönt (consisting of 50% Swedish minced beef and 50% vegetables in the form of equal portions of Swedish carrots and French/Belgian cauliflower)] compared with regular mince.
Source: axfood.com
SPAR Italy announces 2022 results; turnover of €4.14bln
SPAR Italy revealed its financial performance for 2022, which included a turnover of €4.14bln, the opening of 67 new stores, and an own brand share of 21.4% in total grocery sales. The company's total turnover grew by 3.4%, primarily driven by the expansion of SPAR stores and the continuous development of its own brands.
Source: spar-international.com
Online grocery firm Oda shutting down in Finland after one year
The Norwegian online grocery service Oda has announced plans to end its retail operations in Finland, due to poor profitability. The company said it is starting negotiations with all 165 of its employees in Finland and that it would continue to offer its logistics services to other companies in the country.
Source: yle.fi
Domestic players dominate the retail market in Bosnia and Herzegovina
The leading retail chains in Bosnia and Herzegovina all turned a profit in 2022, according to data compiled by Dun & Bradstreet and published by Biznisnfo. The most profitable retailer last year, the data found, was Tuzla-based Bingo, with a profit of BAM117mln (€60mln) and total revenue exceeding BAM1.6bln (€818mln).
Source: esmmagazine.com
Australia: Greener groceries to your door as Woolworths Group accelerates towards 100% EV home delivery fleet
In a first for an Australian supermarket, Woolworths Group has announced its aim to make all its home delivery trucks 100% electric-powered by 2030, which will see more than 1,000 EVs added to the nation’s roads.
Source: woolworthsgroup.com.au
Germany: Galeria ends insolvency proceedings
German department store chain Galeria Karstadt Kaufhof can go ahead: the court has approved the rescue plan and ends insolvency proceedings for Inno‘s parent company.
Source: retaildetail.eu