UK: Asda unveils £2mln upgrade at Greater Manchester store
Asda has announced it has completed a £2mln transformation of its Pilsworth store in Bury, marking its largest single-store investment in several years. The produce section now features new low-level chilled units, and a dedicated wine and spirits zone has been added.
Source: corporate.asda.com
Grape news! Australia's best-value fruit and veg for March
"There are a huge variety of grapes at the moment", says Pat Senserrick, owner of Senserrick's Fruit and Flowers in Keilor, Melbourne. "We get more and more every year … As far as fruit goes, they are probably the best value".
Source: theguardian.com
Carrefour launches new convenience store concept in French stations
The French retailer has entered into a strategic partnership with real estate developer Altarea and Parisian public transport operator RATP to launch a new convenience store concept in the stations of the new Grand Paris Express network, LSA reports. The project is geared towards the expected 300mln passengers who will use the network each year.
Source: retaildetail.eu
South Africa: Woolworths Holdings Limited interim results for the 26 weeks ended 29 December 2024
WHL reported: "Woolworths Holdings Limited (WHL) announced its interim results for the 26 weeks ended 29 December 2024. Turnover and concession sales increased 5.7% to R40.3bln, with Group adjusted EBIT of R2.8bln. Our Food business delivered market-leading turnover and concession sales growth of 11.4% and 7.3% on a comparable-store basis".
Source: woolworthsholdings.co.za
UK: M&S trials first paper packaging on chocolate bars
M&S reported: "Marks & Spencer has announced a trial of paper packaging for chocolate bars, by moving its top-selling Vanilla Fudge Bar to paper packaging. Earlier this month, M&S introduced cardboard packaging for all its Perfectly Ripe Twin Avocado packs and Ripe Avocado lines, removing an estimated 7mln units of plastic".
Source: corporate.marksandspencer.com
Cyprus: Green Monday prices saw significant increases in vegetables
The Price Observatory, published by the Cyprus Consumer Protection Service, reports substantial price increases for vegetables and other dishes. Artichokes saw the largest price hike, rising by 176% compared to last year, followed by kouloumbras at 157% and greenhouse cucumbers at 112%, with prices ranging between €3.65 and €4.95.
Source: famagusta-gazette.com
Sweden: ICA Gruppen divests Rimi Baltic to Salling Group
ICA Gruppen reported: "ICA Gruppen is divesting Rimi Baltic, ICA Gruppen's wholly-owned food retail operation in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania valued at EUR 1.3bln (approx. SEK 14.4bln [Exchange rate EUR/SEK: 11.10]) to Salling Group. With ICA Gruppen's strong focus on the Swedish market and with no ambition to grow outside of Sweden, it was a natural decision to divest our Baltic operations".
Source: icagruppen.se
South Africa: Shoprite expands grocery online delivery to lower-income customers
Shoprite Holdings will expand its on-demand grocery delivery service to its namesake discount stores, stepping up a turf war for South Africa's low-income shoppers, it said after reporting a 9.9% rise in half-year earnings.
Source: reuters.com
Japan: Trial Holdings to buy supermarket chain Seiyu from KKR for $2.55 bln
Japan's Trial Holdings said it would spend 382.6bln yen ($2.55bln) to acquire the Seiyu supermarket chain controlled by U.S. private equity fund KKR. Trial said in a release it would use existing cash and newly arranged bank borrowings to purchase Seiyu and make it a wholly owned subsidiary.
Source: reuters.com
US: JOH welcomes Anne Rakosky as an Account Manager, Produce & Fresh, North Central Region
JOH is pleased to announce the addition of Anne Rakosky as an Account Manager for Produce & Fresh in the North Central Region. "With her deep expertise in produce and fresh categories, vendor management and product development, Anne is a fantastic addition to our team in the North Central Region", said Brian Maguire, EVP, Produce.
Source: johare.com
Trump's Mexico tariffs could raise produce prices in the next few days, Target CEO says
Consumers will likely see higher produce prices in the coming days due to President Donald Trump's tariffs on Mexican goods, Target CEO Brian Cornell said. Prices for strawberries, avocados and bananas could rise, Cornell said, after the 25% duties on imports from Mexico and Canada took effect Tuesday. Cornell made the comments in a CNBC interview after Target posted fourth-quarter earnings.
Source: cnbc.com
US: FarmboxRx delivers fresh food and a customer connection for its health insurance clients
FarmboxRx built a multi-million dollar business delivering produce boxes nationwide to underserved populations, partnering with managed care organizations, Medicare, and Medicaid. When Ashley Tyrner-Dolce was pregnant with her daughter, she was a single mom on Medicaid living in Arizona in a rural area with limited access to healthy, affordable food. That personal experience inspired her to launch FarmboxRx, which delivers fresh fruits and vegetables nationwide to vulnerable populations.
Source: uschamber.com
US: GS Foods Group acquires The Danielsen Company
GS Foods Group, Inc. ("GS Foods"), a leading specialized food distributor owned by affiliates of Highview Capital, LLC ("Highview") and A&M Capital Partners ("AMCP"), announced the acquisition of The Danielsen Company, a trusted foodservice provider based in Chico, California.
Source: businesswire.com
US: Target's Q4 brings higher-than-expected salesDuring Q4, Target saw total comparable sales increase 1.5%, with comparable-store sales declining 0.5% and comparable digital sales increasing 8.7%. Net sales totaled $30.9bln, a 3.1% decrease from Q4 in 2023, which included an additional week. Operating income for the quarter was $1.5bln, a decrease of 21.3% from $1.9bln in 2023.
Source: progressivegrocer.com
US: NRF Chief Economist says data 'remains strong' but public policy uncertainties 'blur the economic outlook' for 2025
Strong economic performance seen in 2024 is expected to carry over and influence growth this year, but there is a wide range of uncertainty as the White House and Congress make decisions that will impact the economy, National Retail Federation Chief Economist Jack Kleinhenz said.
Source: nrf.com