US: ALDI's VP dishes on pumpkin spice and everything nice
According to Scott Patton, VP of national buying at ALDI, the retailer keeps close tabs on demand and heeds shoppers' evolving tastes. "From 2022 to 2023, we saw sales of fall flavor ALDI Finds items grow by double digits thanks in large part to pumpkin and pumpkin spice products, which continue to be two of our top performing ALDI fall flavors - everyone still loves them", he told Progressive Grocer in an exclusive interview.
Source: progressivegrocer.com
US: Procurant Price Watch for retail grocers
Procurant, a leading procurement, order management and food safety solution for retail grocers, announced the launch of Price Watch. Price Watch is a new AI driven solution designed to provide buyers with comprehensive monitoring of internal buying trends across all fresh produce categories. Price Watch uses new AI capabilities within the Procurant platform to enable buyers to quickly identify and act on pricing trends and exceptional purchase patterns.
Source: businesswire.com
US: Wawa takes first place in inaugural convenience store study, ACSI data show
The race for convenience store superiority is tight, but Wawa comes out on top with an industry-leading score of 82 (out of 100), according to the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI®) Convenience Store Study 2024. QuikTrip finishes second at an ACSI score of 81, followed by Buc-ee's and Murphy USA at 80 apiece.
Source: theacsi.org
US: Save A Lot rolls out automated solution for FSMA 204 Food Traceability
Save A Lot, one of the largest U.S. discount grocery wholesalers serving approximately 750 independently owned grocery stores in 32 states, has announced the rollout of the ReposiTrak Traceability Network (RTN) for automated traceability and compliance with the requirements of the Food Safety Modernization Act Section 204 (FSMA 204).
Source: businesswire.com
US: Fareway breaks ground on new Granger site
Fareway Stores, Inc. hosted a groundbreaking ceremony for a new Fareway store site in Granger. The planned approximately 21,000 square foot store will be located on the SE corner of State Street and Oak Street in Granger.
Source: fareway.com
US: Albertsons testing Afresh's new forecasting solution
Albertsons is the first customer to test Afresh's new forecasting solution for distribution centers, Afresh announced. The fresh food technology company's new solution uses artificial intelligence and automatically compiles data that buyers use to forecast demand for upcoming orders from their stores. Albertsons is piloting the solution across produce, meat, seafood, deli and foodservice for 17 distribution centers as the grocery company ramps up its food waste reduction efforts.
Source: grocerydive.com
Self-checkout survey highlights key opportunities to increase sales of fresh produce
As self-checkout continues to shape the retail landscape, a recent consumer survey conducted by Fusion, a leading business-to-business marketing agency for fresh food, reveals valuable insights into the behavior and preferences of today's shoppers. With more than three-quarters of surveyed consumers regularly using self-checkout and 90% expressing satisfaction with the experience, the findings point to successes, opportunities and challenges that produce companies and retailers must address to remain competitive in a self-service-driven market.
Source: gowithfusion.com
The power of pumpkin
Grocers are tapping into the power of pumpkin-flavored products to drive higher sales, according to a new report from data analytics firm Grocery Doppio. The report noted that the demand for pumpkin-flavored products has risen steadily in recent years and "carved out a strong market presence, consistently driving sales during the fall."
Source: supermarketnews.com
US: Macey's holds grand reopening for remodeled location in Utah
Macey's recently held a grand-reopening event for its store on 931 West State Street in Pleasant Grove, Utah, following a major remodel. The fresh produce section now boasts an extensive selection of fruits and vegetables, including fresh, locally sourced options and a wide variety of organic items.
Source: progressivegrocer.com
Modernisation of two SPAR Supermarkets in Gran Canaria
SPAR Gran Canaria continues to invest in modernisation of its stores, celebrating the renovations of SPAR Supermarkets in Carrizal and Santa Brigida. The renovation significantly improved infrastructure and energy efficiency. The SPAR Supermarkets retained all employees, providing a professional and friendly service to shoppers, including in exclusive areas for fresh local produce, delicacies and butchery.
Source: spar-international.com
Sainsbury's boss looks to UK budget to lift spending gloom
Britons bruised by a cost of living crisis will not start spending strongly again until the new Labour government sets out its tax and spending plans, and interest rates fall further, the boss of supermarket Sainsbury's said.
Source: reuters.com
New Zealand: 'Wonky' asparagus' of all shapes and sizes finds new purpose
Thanks to the exceptional weather conditions over the last month, Kiwi growers are anticipating a bumper asparagus season. However, only the finest ones will land on most store shelves, with Wonky Box, a food waste-fighting fruit and vegetable subscription service, swooping in to make sure the imperfect-looking ones make it to your plate, too. The company said a bumper harvest increases the likelihood of imperfect-looking asparagus getting rejected by larger retailers, for reasons as superficial as being wind-swept and a bit curved.
Source: farmersweekly.co.nz
UK: Tesco sees sales growth after rise in premium shoppers
Tesco has said a focus on value amid the continuing squeeze on shoppers' budgets has paid off through a rise in half-year profits. Total sales excluding fuel were 4% up at £31.5bln - though its UK like-for-like sales growth slowed in the second quarter. Nevertheless, its preferred measure of retail adjusted operating profit was up 10% at £1.56bn.
Source: news.sky.com
UK: M&S launches festive recruitment drive to fill over 11,000 Christmas roles
Marks & Spencer has announced it will be recruiting over 11,000 new Customer Assistants to support in stores across the UK over the festive period. The retailer is recruiting even more colleagues than last year with over 1000 more vacancies available, reflecting the additional investment M&S is making in colleague hours to deliver exceptional customer service.
Source: corporate.marksandspencer.com
UK: Freda's Fruit, Veg and Whole-Foods store opens in Maryport town centre
A new fruit and veg store has opened in Maryport's town centre, with the owners aiming to provide a positive service to their local community. Freda's Fruit, Veg and Whole-Foods store has opened on Crosby Street in the town, gaining its name from owner Jay Kirby's grandmother Freda.
Source: newsandstar.co.uk