Lidl Ireland named Retailer of the Year at the Irish Quality Food Awards 2024
Lidl Ireland has been named Retailer of the Year for the first time at the Irish Quality Food Awards 2024. The market leading discount retailer also secured a record 104 award medals at the prestigious event including 29 gold, 35 silver and 40 bronze medals.
Source: retailnews.ie
Raf Van den Heuvel (Albert Heijn): "Proud of our role as challenger in Belgium"
Albert Heijn continues to push the Belgian food market forward, Country Director Belgium Raf Van den Heuvel points out. The retailer grows through franchising, but says it sees no reason to franchise existing stores.
Source: retaildetail.eu
UK: More than 70 retailers urge Reeves to make 20% cut to business rates
More than 70 retailers, including Tesco, Marks & Spencer and Ikea, are lobbying the chancellor, Rachel Reeves, for a 20% cut to business rates, warning that the property tax could force tens of thousands of shops to shut. In a letter to Reeves coordinated by the British Retail Consortium (BRC), executives are pushing the Treasury to introduce a "retail rates corrector" on the levy, which is a property-based tax charged by local councils and imposed on businesses including retailers, pubs, factories and company offices.
Source: theguardian.com
Holland: Amsterdam's Merqato raises funds to empower fruit and vegetable companies with its AI platform
Amsterdam-based Merqato, an AI-powered platform to optimise operational planning, has secured fresh funding from Smarter Ventures. Founded in 2023 by Claire Bénard, Jan-Willem Snoeker, and Thomas Beelaerts, Merqato is focused on optimising the value chain for fresh fruits and vegetables using predictive algorithms.
Source: siliconcanals.com
Get to know Claude Sarrailh, Ahold Delhaize's new CEO for Europe & Indonesia
Ahold Delhaize reported: "We are excited to announce that Claude Sarrailh has officially taken on his new role as CEO for Europe & Indonesia. We recently had the opportunity to sit down with Claude to hear his thoughts on his first impressions, his extensive experience, and his ambitions for Ahold Delhaize, as well as how he's adjusting to life in the Netherlands".
Source: aholddelhaize.com
The learning aisle: Morrisons introduces fresh British food classes to its kids' Market Street Tours
Children who take the Morrisons Foodmaker & Shopkeeper Tour will now be taught about the journey of British food from farm to store. Morrisons has added the British Food Module to its existing tours to show youngsters where fresh food comes from, teaching them how shorter delivery distances benefit the environment and how choosing British supports local farmers and producers.
Source: morrisons-corporate.com
NHS bosses want chippy to sell fruit and veg
Plans for a new chippy have come up against a health board's demands for fruit and veg on the menu. Betsi Cadwaladr health board wants the proposed takeaway in Morfa Bychan, Gwynedd, to sell a "good selection" of fruit and veg.
Source: bbc.com
7-Eleven cancels plan to launch UK stores
Global convenience giant 7-Eleven has once again backtracked on its efforts to launch stores in the UK market, according to sources. Better Retailing has discovered the Japanese-owned company, which runs more than 80,000 convenience stores in 19 countries, held separate senior-level talks with groups including Bestway and Morrisons in the past 12 months. However, it is thought the discussions did not progress further, with 7-Eleven's parent company, Seven & I, allegedly deciding the UK convenience market is already "saturated", meaning it would struggle to pick up the sites and market share required to make a UK launch viable.
Source: betterretailing.com
X5 retail group highlights worker shortage as key challenge
Labour shortages will be a major challenge for Russia's largest food retailer X5 in the next decade, CEO Igor Shekhterman said, as he forecast sharp business growth over the next few years.
Source: reuters.com
France: Zouari family set to take full ownership of Picard Surgelés
French frozen food retailer Picard Surgelés is set to be completely acquired by the Zouari family, who currently hold a 49% stake in the business. According to Bfm Business, Invest Groupe Zouari (IGZ), the family's holding company, has reached an agreement to purchase the remaining shares held by the investment fund Lion Capital, with the transaction expected to be finalised in the first quarter of 2025. No financial details were released by the two parties.
Source: esmmagazine.com
European Commission: Hungary's retail tax goes against EU regulation
The European Commission has called on Hungary to comply with EU regulations and bring its retail tax regime in line with the freedom of establishment guaranteed by the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union.
Source: agroberichtenbuitenland.nl
UK: Deck the aisles, Sainsbury's is hiring 20,000 new colleagues
Sainsbury's is preparing for the Christmas season by creating 20,000 seasonal roles nationwide, including 18,000 at Sainsbury's and 2,000 at Argos to ensure excellent customer service throughout the festive season, both in-store and through home deliveries.
Source: about.sainsburys.co.uk
Plans to open Dutch SPAR stores in Israel hit snag
Plans to open Israeli branches of Dutch food retail chain SPAR hit a snag, Ynet learned, after local franchise holder Israeli businessman Amit Zeev, and Yitzchak Mirilashvili, who purchased 19% of the business, decided to part ways and dissolve their partnership.
Source: ynetnews.com
Amazon bets on selling cashierless technology to retailers after pulling it from most U.S. stores
In place of Just Walk Out, which typically requires ceiling-mounted cameras, shelf sensors and gated entry points, Amazon Fresh stores and Whole Foods supermarkets will feature Dash Carts. The carts track and tally up items as shoppers place them in bags, enabling people to skip the checkout line. Amazon continues to use Just Walk Out in its grab-and-go marts and UK Fresh stores.
Source: cnbc.com
US: Natural Grocers® promotes "Field to Can" within "Meet Your Farmer" film series
Natural Grocers®, the nation's largest family-operated natural and organic retailer is proud to promote the new short film within its "Meet Your Farmer" film series: "Field to Can" in stores and online. Raquel Isely, Vice President of Marketing at Natural Grocers: "The short film 'Field to Can' takes us inside the growing and production practices of Natural Grocers® Brand Canned Tomatoes' supply partner".
Source: prnewswire.com
US: Associated Food Stores debuts new grocery format for campus life
Campus Corner, a new 1,800-square-foot grocery store serviced by Associated Food Stores (AFS), has opened on the campus of Utah Tech University. The store is designed to serve the growing student population with convenience, fresh options and innovative technology.
Source: progressivegrocer.com