US government sues to block largest supermarket merger in history
The Federal Trade Commission sued to block the $25bln deal between Kroger and Albertsons, alleging the largest supermarket merger in US history would lead to higher prices, store closures, and job losses.
Source: edition.cnn.com
Peruvian online supermarket Favo shuts down after five years
Peruvian online supermarket startup Favo has officially announced in a LinkedIn post the closure of its operations in Peru, ending a five-year journey that included an unsuccessful expansion into Brazil.
Source: contxto.com
US: 2 Dollar Generals in Allegheny County now offer fresh produce
Two recently remodeled Allegheny County Dollar Generals are now offering produce. The stores on Route 51 in Clairton and on Buttermilk Hollow Road in Pittsburgh are getting the produce section, which strives to offer the top 20 items sold in typical grocery stores. That includes fresh fruit and vegetables like tomatoes, onions, apples, strawberries, potatoes, sweet potatoes, lemons, limes, salad mixes, and more.
Source: wpxi.com
Brazil: Americanas posts $923mln 9-month loss as digital sales slump
Brazilian retailer Americanas announced a net loss of nearly $1bln for the first nine months of 2023, dubbing the year "the most challenging" in its history due to a major accounting scandal.
Source: reuters.com
US: Fareway submitting plans to open its 1st full-service store in Kansas
Fareway Stores Inc. and the city of Basehor, Kansas, have revealed that they will soon submit an application for the development of an approximately 21,000-square-foot full-service Fareway Meat & Grocery store in Basehor. If approved, this will be the first Fareway Meat & Grocery Store in the state of Kansas.
Source: progressivegrocer.com
Nearly 20% of US shoppers bought groceries online in 2022
Recent nationally representative survey data from 2022 revealed that nearly 2 in 10 (19.3%) US residents who regularly shopped for groceries did so online at least once in the last 30 days.
Source: ers.usda.gov
AWS to launch an Infrastructure Region in Mexico
Amazon Web Services (AWS), an Amazon.com, Inc. company, announced plans to launch an AWS infrastructure Region in Mexico by early 2025. As part of its long-term commitment to Latin America, AWS is planning to invest more than $5bln (approx. MXN $85bln) in Mexico over 15 years.
Source: businesswire.com
M&S crowned UK's best supermarket for third year in a row
An annual customer satisfaction survey by consumer watchdog Which? has again found Marks & Spencer to be the UK's best in-store supermarket. Aldi and Lidl were the only two chains to receive four out of five stars for "value for money," with no supermarket achieving five stars after a year of soaring food inflation.
Source: kamcity.com
Intermarché doubles Belgian turnover
The integration of the 83 acquired Mestdagh supermarkets allowed Intermarché to more than double its sales in Belgium. French group Les Mousquetaires, which, in addition to Intermarché, also owns retail chains such as Netto, Bricomarché, and Roady, has had another strong year. Sales rose 10% to 39.9bln euros, excluding fuel sales. The lion's share of those revenues came from supermarket chain Intermarché, accounting for 28.8bln euros (+ 8.8 %). Discount chain Netto brought in 1.6bln (+ 15.7 %), while the DIY chains realized a total of 3.4bln.
Source: retaildetail.eu
February dip sends UK food price inflation to nearly two-year low
Tumbling energy costs and a price war between Britain's supermarkets have slowed food inflation to its lowest rate for nearly two years in a boost for households trying to cope with stretched budgets. The cost of meat, fish, and fruit dipped in February, meaning food prices rose 5% last year, down from 6.1% in January and the lowest since May 2022, according to the British Retail Consortium (BRC) shop price index.
Source: theguardian.com
Holland: Albert Heijn offers business customers discounts on organic, plant-based products
Retailer Albert Heijn is offering business customers a 10% discount on all organic products. The discount also applies to its AH Terra range - a fully plant-based own-brand assortment offered by Albert Heijn, the company added.
Source: esmmagazine.com
Paris court approves Casino bailout by Czech billionaire Kretinsky
Czech billionaire Daniel Kretinsky's Casino buyout consortium said that the Paris Commerce court had approved its plan to bail out a debt-laden French retailer under an accelerated protection procedure.
Source: reuters.com
Australia: Coles's profit fall shows shoppers are starting to rebel against supermarket prices
Shoppers are showing early signs of rebellion, leaving supermarket giant Coles unable to increase shelf prices to expand profits as households question the fairness of hikes at the country's major chains. Australia's second-biggest food retailer reported a modest 3.6% fall in half-year net profit to $594mln and a slight compression in profit margins amid increasing costs that it could no longer offset through product price hikes.
Source: theguardian.com
22.9% of EU enterprises engaged in online sales in 2022
In 2022, 22.9% of EU enterprises conducted online sales, which was 0.1 percentage point (pp) higher compared with 2021 (22.8%). Among the EU countries, the percentage of enterprises engaging in online sales varied considerably. The highest shares were recorded in Lithuania (38.9%), Sweden (38.1%) and Denmark (36.7%). In contrast, the lowest shares were recorded in Romania (12.9%), followed by Luxembourg (13.4%) and Bulgaria (15.1%).
Source: ec.europa.eu
METRO invests in the Spanish delivery service
The delivery specialist Pro a Pro, which is part of METRO, has drawn up an ambitious investment plan to expand its Spanish activities by 2030. The majority of these investments will be made over the next three years and will make Pro a Pro Spain a leading provider of food delivery services for the organized hospitality sector in Spain.
Source: newsroom.metroag.de
France: After a weak 2023, Auchan sees room for improvement
2023 was a tough year for Auchan, with sales and profits falling. Nevertheless, the French retail group sees room for improvement this year, thanks to the acquisition of Casino stores and the alliance with Intermarché. Group sales fell 2% to 32.26bln euros last year, but on a like-for-like basis sales rose 2.5%.
Source: retaildetail.eu
'Health emergency': 15% of UK households went hungry last month, data shows
According to the Food Foundation tracker, 15% of UK households - equivalent to approximately 8mln adults and 3mln children - experienced food insecurity in January, as high food prices continued to hit the pockets of low-income families. Nearly two-thirds (60%) of food-insecure households reported buying less fruit, and 44% bought fewer vegetables as they struggled with the ongoing cost of living crisis. By contrast, just 11% of food-secure households bought less fruit, and 6% purchased fewer vegetables.
Source: theguardian.com
Spain: Eroski to open more than 50 franchise stores in 2024
Supermarket cooperative Eroski reported a 10.6% year-on-year increase in franchise sales in 2023, expanding its network to 628 stores. This year, Eroski aims to open around 57 additional franchises, building up on the momentum achieved in 2023, it added.
Source: esmmagazine.com