Surging grocery prices in focus as US tries to stop Kroger deal
The U.S. Federal Trade Commission argued in federal court that Kroger's $25bln merger with rival grocer Albertsons is bad for shoppers in a case that highlights growing alarm over surging grocery prices. The FTC and several states went to trial in Portland, Oregon, to block the deal, saying it would mean higher prices for consumers and less bargaining power for unionized grocery workers.
Source: reuters.com
US: Tony's Fresh Market to debut remodeled store outside of Chicago
Tony's Fresh Market has revealed it will reopen its Waukegan, Illinois, location on Wednesday, August 28, at 7:00 a.m. The grand reopening will showcase the store's new modern layout, which features: a produce department with a wide array of ripe, seasonal fruits and vegetables from the USA and Latin America.
Source: progressivegrocer.com
US: H-E-B's Favor Delivery goes ultra-fast
H-E-B's in-house delivery service, Favor, is getting into the ultra-fast delivery business. Favor Delivery launched H-E-B Now, promising delivery of up to 15 items in 45 minutes or less with no delivery or service fees on orders over $25, through the end of the year. Shoppers at Texas-based H-E-B can access H-E-B Now via Favor's app.
Source: supermarketnews.com
First Amazon Fresh store in Northern California opens doors to public featuring Dash Carts and Amazon One
Amazon has opened a new Amazon Fresh store in Roseville, California. This includes the retailer's Dash Cart, a smart shopping cart that lets shoppers skip checkout lines and see their spending in real-time, and the biometrics-based Amazon One payment system.
Source: retailtechinnovationhub.com
Germany: Christina Rüter joins the management team at Alnatura
Organic retailer Alnatura has announced the appointment of Christina Rüter as its new managing director for strategic brand management and product management. She will take on her new role on 1 October. Alnatura's management team currently consists of six members.
Source: esmmagazine.com
Australia: Coles profit surges to $1.1bln as shoppers grapple with cost-of-living crisis
Coles has posted a surge in revenue from its groceries business and expanded supermarket profit margins to the highest level recorded in the pandemic era, even as shoppers grapple with fast-rising household costs. The revenue bump underpinned a robust rise in annual profit to $1.1bln.
Source: theguardian.com
Sharp differences in grocery shopping habits across the Balkans, study finds
A new study has revealed notable differences in grocery shopping patterns among consumers in Slovenia, Croatia, and Serbia. The study, conducted by Mediana Market and the Media Research Institute, found that Serbian shoppers visit stores most frequently, with 36% purchasing items every day. In contrast, Slovenians and Croatians tend to shop less often, with the majority making two to three trips per week.
Source: esmmagazine.com
S Group's operating result at the previous year's level - strong investments in Finland and services continued
S Group's operating result for January-June was based on an increase in sales and the number of customers, as well as good momentum, especially in the supermarket trade and S-Bank. The total operating result (FAS) of S Group's regional cooperatives, SOK and their subsidiaries in January-June 2024 was EUR 152mln. The retail sales, excluding taxes, of the regional cooperatives, SOK and their subsidiaries increased by 1.1% in January-June, totalling nearly EUR 7bln.
Source: s-ryhma.fi
Pick n Pay closing stores across South Africa
Pick n Pay released a trading statement which revealed poor sales amidst the closing of numerous stores over the last five months. In the first 21 weeks of the financial year, Pick n Pay closed 16 supermarkets, including four corporate stores and 12 franchise stores. Pick n Pay said company-owned supermarkets in South Africa, which account for most reported sales, have significantly underperformed in recent years. "Due to improved retail disciplines, like-for-like sales for this segment increased from -0.5% in H2 FY24 to 3.6% for the period", Pick n Pay said.
Source: dailyinvestor.com
UK: Aldi launches Back-to-School Fund to support parents
Aldi has launched a Back-to-School Fund to support families, as around three quarters (73%) of parents admit they worry about covering the costs at the start of the academic year. As part of the Fund, the supermarket is giving away £100 Aldi vouchers to parents throughout September to help out with the costs of everyday essentials following the back-to-school period. In addition, the supermarket is donating £20,000 to good causes focused on supporting children. This includes schools and nurseries through their community giving platform Neighbourly, to help provide essentials to families that need it most. Aldi has a long-standing partnership with Neighbourly as part of its commitment to make fresh, healthy food accessible for everyone.
Source: aldipresscentre.co.uk
UAE: Majid Al Futtaim announces half year financial results
Majid Al Futtaim ("the Group"), a leading shopping malls, communities, retail, and leisure pioneer across the Middle East, Africa, and Central Asia, announced its operational and financial results for the period ending June 30, 2024. Key highlights: achieved net profit of AED 1.6bln while assets grew by 2% year-on-year. Reported 6% decline in revenue to AED 16.7bln and 2% decline in EBITDA to AED 2.1bln in H1 2024, affected by ongoing regional geopolitical conflict and FX devaluations.
Source: majidalfuttaim.com