Will Instacart be acquired by Uber Eats?
Shares of grocery delivery platform Instacart jumped about 11% after an analyst speculated that the company could be an acquisition target for Uber Eats. Deepak Mathivanan, an analyst at Wolfe Research, upgraded Instacart to an “outperform” rating and said the company could be a takeover target for Uber Technologies, parent of Uber Eats, according to reports.
Source: supermarketnews.com
US: Former FreshDirect CMO rejoins The Giant Company
The Giant Company has named John MacDonald, who departed in 2021 to become chief marketing officer of online grocer FreshDirect, to serve as vice president of special projects for the East Coast supermarket chain.
Source: www.grocerydive.com
US: Natural Grocers gets ready to open new store in Gunnison, Colorado
Natural Grocers is pleased to announce the upcoming opening of its new store in Gunnison, Colorado, on Wednesday, January 31. This will be Natural Grocers' 46th store within the state of Colorado. Grand opening festivities at the new Gunnison location will include: January 31 - February 29: up to 50% off - Products from every department will be available at special grand opening discounts, including 100% USDA Certified Organic bagged mandarins.
Source: supermarketnews.com
US: Lowes Foods enters expansion mode
Lowes Foods, a Carolinas-based grocer headquartered in Winston-Salem, has signed leases for two new stores. One store will be in Lexington, South Carolina, at the Northeast corner of Platt Springs Road and South Lake Drive. The other store will be in Waxhaw, North Carolina, at the Southwest corner of Providence Road and Prescott Glenn Parkway. Construction and opening schedules have not been determined.
Source: progressivegrocer.com
US: KeHE opens Miami-area distribution center
KeHE Distributors is celebrating the grand opening of its new distribution center in the Miami area. The new distribution center features 360,000 square feet across five temperature zones, an air-conditioned dry warehouse space, a freezer and cooler, an ice cream room, and a flex/fresh room.
Source: progressivegrocer.com
US: BJ’s continues steady growth with latest New York Club
Following the opening of its latest location in North Jacksonville, Florida, BJ’s Wholesale Club is heading north to New York for its next ribbon cutting. The retailer is slated to open its club in Johnson City on January 26, which will mark its 48th location in the Empire State. The Johnson City BJ’s will feature fresh foods, produce, full-service deli items, fresh bakery goods, household essentials, home décor and pet supplies, as well as an on-site fueling station.
Source: progressivegrocer.com
US: Daily Harvest's new pops collection makes eating fruits & vegetables tasty, fun & convenient for children & inner children alike
Daily Harvest, the company on a mission to make it easy to eat more sustainably-grown fruits and vegetables, announced the launch of Pops, the brand's first-ever collection that's all about pleasing children - and their grown-ups. With less than eight grams of non-refined sugar and six or fewer ingredients per serving, these fruit-and-veggie-packed ice pops are ready to eat right out of the freezer and are guaranteed to appeal to the young and young at heart.
Source: prnewswire.com
Walmart to raise annual wages for US store managers
Walmart said on that it will raise the annual average salary and bonus for its U.S. store managers beginning February 1, taking the average hourly wage at the retail giant to more than $18.
Source: reuters.com
US: Target finance chief Fiddelke to assume COO role
Target said it has named finance chief Michael Fiddelke its new chief operating officer, effective February 4, replacing long-time executive John Mulligan.
Source: reuters.com
Amazon recognised as a Top Employer in the UK for 2024
Amazon reported: "Amazon has been named as a Top Employer 2024 in the UK by the Top Employer Institute, one of the world’s most prestigious certifications in the field of human resources management, in recognition of our commitment to the development and well-being of our employees. In addition to the UK accolade, awarded for the first time, Amazon has also been certified as one of the Top Employers in Europe for a second consecutive year".
Source: aboutamazon.co.uk
UK retail sales slump points to new risk of recession
British retailers suffered the biggest drop in sales for almost three years during December, raising the risk that the economy entered recession late last year, official data showed. The Office for National Statistics said people doing their Christmas shopping earlier than usual - especially for food - contributed to retail sales volumes shrinking 3.2% between December and November.
Source: reuters.com
France: Just Eat Takeaway to end Paris delivery service, around 100 jobs affected
Just Eat Takeaway will close its in-house delivery service in Paris, Europe's largest meals delivery company said, a move which could impact around 100 jobs.
Source: reuters.com
Uganda’s Fiber Foods secures investment for jackfruit ingredient for meat alternatives
Uganda’s Fiber Foods, a pioneer of jackfruit for meat alternatives for food service, has received an undisclosed investment from FoodSparks, a fund for agrifood tech startups launched by PeakBridge and EIT Food, one of the largest agrifood innovation ecosystem.
Source: vegconomist.com
UK: Dawlish farm shop closes suddenly as its firm goes bust
A Devon farm shop has closed after the company which ran it went bust leaving debts of £150,000. The family-run Dawlish Farmshop closed recently after The Devon Fruit Company Ltd went into liquidation. The store was based in The Strand, in the heart of the seaside town. It is currently closed but is due to reopen soon, under a new name and run by a separate operator.
Source: devonlive.com
In depth: Why Lidl sees margins shrinking
Lidl‘s international operations are growing fast, but margins are under pressure because the discounter is not passing on all price increases to consumers and investment costs remain high.
Source: retaildetail.eu
Malta: Prices of 400 food items to be reduced by 15% from February 1
Prices of up to 400 basic food items will be reduced by 15% from February 1 in a deal negotiated between the government, importers and major retailers to bring down inflation. Prime Minister Robert Abela and Economy Minister Silvio Schembri told a news conference that the recommended retail price (RRP) of the following products will be cut, including: frozen peas, broccoli and spinach; standard low fat and reduced salt vegetable spreads; straight cut frozen friable French fries.
Source: timesofmalta.com
M&S to invest £30mln in Scottish stores
M&S has unveiled plans to invest £30mln in bricks and mortar stores across Scotland. The retailer’s investment will deliver more than five new store openings and expansions over the next eighteen months, supporting over 6,500 jobs in communities across the country.
Source: corporate.marksandspencer.com
UK: Pepco reports 2.3% fall in underlying sales
Discount retailer Pepco has reported a 2.3% fall in underlying sales in the Christmas quarter. The Warsaw-listed owner of Pepco, Dealz, and Poundland brands said that group revenue was €1.9bln in the three months to 31 December, its first fiscal quarter.
Source: checkout.ie