Canada: SEIU Local 2 members at Pete’s Frootique make improvements in first contract
Workers at the Sobeys-owned Pete’s Frootique in Halifax have taken important steps in their first collective Agreement. A ratification vote took place on Friday, January 5. It’s a three-year deal which expires at the end of 2026. The workers had been on strike since November 18, 2023.
Source: globenewswire.com
US: Dollar General announces updates to store operations leadership
Dollar General Corporation announced Steve Sunderland’s intent to leave the Company as its executive vice president, store operations effective January 19, 2024. Steve Deckard, the Company’s current executive vice president, growth and emerging markets, will transition to an expanded role leading store operations across Dollar General retail locations, Mi Súper Dollar General in Mexico, pOpshelf stores, and the corporate store operations teams.
Source: businesswire.com
US: H Mart is opening its biggest food court in New York City so far
H Mart, the popular Korean grocer, is opening a food court inside its Long Island City supermarket, at 48-18 Northern Boulevard, which first debuted in 2022. The food court planned for Long Island City will be the company’s biggest in the city so far.
Source: ny.eater.com
US: Daily Harvest launches 'January Jumpstart' program to help people achieve New Year's health & wellness goals
Daily Harvest, the company on a mission to make it easy to eat more sustainably-grown fruits and vegetables, is helping people build new habits (and stick to them) in the new year with the launch of a delicious and quick-to-prep January Jumpstart plan: five days of curated meals packed with the farm-to-frozen fruit and veggie goodness the brand is known for - starting for less than $20 a day for new customers (see applicable terms for January Jumpstart here).
Source: prnewswire.com
Grocery Battlefield 2024: Food retailers put up their mitts in the pricing arena
Uncertainty around the economy and the spending power of consumers in the year ahead has set the stage for what could be a challenging year for traditional supermarket operators in 2024, according to analysts interviewed by Supermarket News. The prospect of price deflation, after nearly three years of rising prices, could pressure operator margins at a time when labor costs remain high, said Scott Mushkin, founder and managing partner, R5 Capital. “I think as you look at competition, the 800-pound gorilla, the 1,600-pound gorilla, the 2,400-pound gorilla is Walmart, Walmart, Walmart”, he said.
Source: supermarketnews.com
From potato chips to fruity jerky: Solely’s unconventional path
Solely is the fastest-growing natural fruit snack brand in the US and their unique approach saves 1.6mln pounds of fruit per year. Dave Knox sat down with Solely's founder, Simon Sacal, to discuss this extraordinary journey from attempting a fat-free potato chip to pioneering a unique and sustainable vertical supply chain for disruptive fruit-based products. Sacal reflects on the challenges, successes, and future innovations of Solely, emphasizing the brand's commitment to long-term growth and providing wholesome, clean alternatives in the food industry.
Source: forbes.com
Norway's Kiwi cuts food waste by more than a half
Norwegian discount retailer Kiwi has cut food waste by 55% compared to 2015 and is on track to achieve 60% reduction by 2025. Kiwi, a subsidiary of NorgesGruppen, relies on automatic product ordering that helps it to place orders as accurately as possible, preventing food waste. Discounts on fruit and vegetables that are about to expire and bread from the day before impact food waste reduction, Kiwi added.
Source: esmmagazine.com
Ireland: Aldi to create 70 new jobs in Galway this month
Aldi is to create 70 new jobs in Galway this month. The supermarket chain has announced plans to hire over 70 people across its 11 Galway stores. It opened its first Galway store in 2000, and now has 161 stores nationwide.
Source: galwaybayfm.ie
Australia: McDonald's rolls out 'never-before-seen' menu item after 2023 hit
McDonald's is rolling out a never-before-seen item on its menu, offering Aussies an "exciting" sweet take on a popular classic. Following the success of its potato scallops last year, the fast food giant is releasing a fruity version on Wednesday. "We are excited to be bringing you a new and exciting take on the ultimate snack item this year with the introduction of Pineapple Fritters", Marketing Director Samantha McLeod said.
Source: au.news.yahoo.com
Europe: Supermarket cost pressures unlikely to ease as quickly as prices
Slowing inflation is rendering European food retailers’ key sales-growth metric more challenging, with share gains required to boost mature market revenue, according to Bloomberg Intelligence’s (BI) Europe Retail Staples & Wholesale 2024 Outlook. It noted that more-indebted retailers like Asda and Morrisons have been losing share for at least a year, which needs work to reverse. Carrefour, Tesco and other supermarket incumbents need to consolidate share and, where possible, stop shoppers from switching to discount rivals with lower cost structures (Dino Polska, Jeronimo Martin), as well as Aldi and Lidl.
Source: kamcity.com
Irish grocery sales exceed €1.4bln in December: Kantar
Irish grocery sales exceeded €1.4bln in December, with the average household expenditure on groceries hitting an all-time high of €767 during the month, according to the latest data from Kantar. The figure represents an increase of nearly €42 compared with 2022, and €170 on 2019. Irish consumers’ desire for the traditional Christmas dinner remained strong, with volumes of potatoes, carrots, and broccoli up 3.1%, 1.9% and 7.5%, respectively, and turkeys up 19.8%.
Source: esmmagazine.com
UK: Brakes launches new plant based range for Veganuary
Brakes has kicked off its Veganuary campaign with the launch of a new Sysco Simply Plant Based range. The Sysco Simply Plant Based range will initially launch with five plant-based centre of plate products that provide delicious alternatives to meat, including savoury tarts like Sysco Simply Sweet Potato & Red Onion Marmalade Seeded Tart as well as a Sysco Simply Chestnut & Seed Roast.
Source: brake.co.uk
Lidl, Marks & Spencer the big UK Christmas winners: NIQ
Apart from discounter Lidl, Marks & Spencer was Britain's fastest growing supermarket in the Christmas quarter, industry data from NIQ has shown. NIQ said M&S's food sales on a value basis rose 12.1% in the 12 weeks to December 30 year-on-year, with its share of the UK grocery market rising 0.1 percentage point to 3.8%.
Source: esmmagazine.com