Germany's second-largest supermarket chain Rewe opened a new logistics centre to serve its fast-growing online groceries business as e-commerce competition hots up in the food retail sector. Rewe, along with bigger rival Edeka, had been cited by analysts as a possible German customer for Britain's Ocado, which has been expanding internationally with a string of deals for its robotically operated e-commerce grocery warehouses. Rewe has spent about €80mln ($94mln) on what it described as "one of the most modern logistic centres" in Europe. The site outside Cologne is the size of more than two soccer pitches and has 38 truck loading bays.
Source: esmmagazine.com
UK: Eight start-ups to join Iceland's innovation lab
Frozen-food retailer Iceland has selected eight tech start-ups to join its innovation lab for a nine-week programme. It will allow the start-ups to access Iceland’s resources while developing their ideas. They will also be mentored by industry experts. The accelerator programme is run in association with applied corporate innovation specialist L Marks. The start-ups will focus on developing a wide range of solutions aimed at addressing challenges in areas concerning seamless customer experience, supply chain optimisation, in-store processes, and sustainability. The eight companies that will be part of the Innovation Lab include Exactly, How Do I?, GreenJinn, Intelligent Replenishment, Locpin, Valentis, Wasteless and Wiseshelf.
Source: esmmagazine.com
India: Swiggy in talks to raise $700mln for new business
Swiggy, India’s largest food delivery service, is in talks to raise as much as $700mln from new investors such as Tencent Holdings Ltd and plans to use the fresh funds to enter new businesses and areas, especially in the hyperlocal delivery space, according to three people aware of the discussions. Swiggy, which raised funds earlier this year at a valuation of about $1.3bln, may see its valuation nearly double to at least $2.5bln, said the people mentioned above.
Source: livemint.com
South Africa's Pick n Pay sees jump in HY profits
South African retailer Pick n Pay said that it expects its half-year diluted headline earnings per share to increase by up to 85% largely due to cost savings from staff layoffs made last year. The company's shares rose more than 3% after it flagged that its diluted headline earnings per share for the 26 ended August would come in between 95.43 and 100.88 cents per share, compared with a restated 54.53 cents per share in 2017.
Source: nasdaq.com
Ireland: Musgrave to acquire upscale supermarket Donnybrook Fair
Musgrave, the owner of SuperValu and Centra, announced that it has agreed to acquire family-owned business, Donnybrook Fair, for an undisclosed sum. The acquisition includes Donnybrook Fair’s five premium food stores (Donnybrook, Stillorgan, Malahide, Greystones and Baggot Street) situated in Dublin as well as a gourmet food production facility. Commenting on the agreement, Chris Martin, Musgrave CEO, said: “Donnybrook Fair represents a fantastic addition to Musgrave. With its focus on creating a destination retail experience as well as a premium food offering, it aligns with our Growing Good Business strategy. We are looking forward to taking it to the next stage of development.”
Source: businessworld.ie
Italy: Pam expanding convenience store presence
Italy-based Pam will open eight Pam Local convenience stores by the end of September 2018. The new stores will be in Bologna, Milan, Padua and Turin. Pam Local stores are designed around practicality, comfort and convenience. The stores are 250 sq. m in size and stay open until 10.00pm every day. A home delivery service is available for customers and payments can be made using Satispay or Apple Pay. There are more than 3,500 products on offer. The store’s ranges include those focused on health and wellness, while also offering a strong fresh fruit and vegetables offer. Many products also have a PGI (protected geographical indication) and PDO (protected designation of origin) certification. Pam Local stores also have promotional offers and discounts customers can take advantage of.
Source: retailanalysis.igd.com
Amazon business sales set to reach US$10.0bln annually
Since its launch in 2015, Amazon’s business-to-business online marketplace is now worth US$10.0bln. Amazon Business provides industry supplies to businesses, as well as institutions including schools, hospitals and governments. Launched in 2015 in the US, the business service now also operates in UK, Germany, France, Japan, Italy, Spain and India. Expansion of the service to other markets is likely to happen, with potential in Australia, Brazil, Mexico and the Netherlands, where Amazon’s consumer retail business already operates. A year after its launch, sales reached US$1.0bln. Now, sales are on track to reach US$10.0bln per year. Using Amazon’s existing warehouse and delivery network for retail customers, Amazon Business could be as big as Amazon Web Services. In line with the retail business, independent merchants pay Amazon a commission on each sale. More than half of the products sold on the platform are from third parties.
Source: retailanalysis.igd.com
US: Giant Eagle offers 91 stores for secure person-to-person transactions
Giant Eagle Inc. is making it easier for customers in the Northeast to find secure locations for meeting to exchange goods. The Pittsburgh-based retailer is partnering with mobile marketplace OfferUp to give customers who buy or sell items within the company's mobile app the ability to select one of 91 Giant Eagle, Market District and GetGo locations as a designated Community MeetUp Spot, where they can complete transactions in a secure location.
Source: progressivegrocer.com
US: Supervalu to lay off 1,500 at Shop 'n Save
Supervalu will lay off nearly 1,500 associates across 16 of its Shop 'n Save stores if the locations do not sell in the coming months, the St. Louis Post Dispatch has reported. The stores set to close are the only ones not being purchased by St. Louis-based grocer Schnuck Markets, the news outlet said. Earlier, Supervalu Inc. said it entered a definitive agreement to sell 19 of its 36 Shop ‘n Save grocery stores, which are mainly located in the St. Louis area, to Schnucks. The sale of stores, 14 of which are in Missouri and five in Illinois, will occur with a staggered close process that is anticipated to wrap up by late next month, subject to customary closing conditions. Union workers at those jobs are being retained by Schnucks.
Source: progressivegrocer.com
US: B&R stores acquires Heartland Foods
B&R Stores, based in Lincoln, Nebraska, is acquiring the Heartland Foods store in Beatrice, Nebraska. The deal is expected to close in October and the store will be converted to a Russ’s Market. B&R operates several banners aside from Russ’s Market, which include Super Saver Apple Market, for a total of 19 independent grocery stores in Nebraska and Iowa.
Source: progressivegrocer.com
US: UNFI hits record $10.23bln in fiscal 2018 net sales
United Natural Foods, the Providence, Rhode Island- based grocery wholesaler that recently announced it was acquiring Supervalu, reported record net sales of $10.23bln in fiscal 2018, up from $9.28bln last year, a 10.3% increase. Fourth quarter net sales of $2.6bln were a 10.7% increase from last year’s $2.3bln. Fiscal 2019 net sales, excluding Supervalu, are projected to be $11.1 to $11.3bln, an increase of 8.6 to 10.5%.
Source: progressivegrocer.com
US: Fareway explores online grocery ordering, delivery
Fareway Stores is getting ready to test online grocery ordering and delivery. The Boone-based grocery store chain said it is considering expanding its e-commerce offerings and hopes to launch a pilot program soon. Fareway now has an online meat market, FarewayMeatMarket.com, which ships meat to 48 states from its Boone distribution center, said Emily Toribio, spokeswoman. “What will be offered, methods of pickup and delivery and timeline is yet to be determined,” she said.
Source: eu.desmoinesregister.com
US: Walmart to bring virtual reality training to all U.S. stores
One year after it introduced virtual reality (VR) headsets to upgrade training at Walmart Academies worldwide, the Bentonville, Arkansas-based mega-retailer is rolling the headsets out to all stores in the United States, bringing the same level of training to more than 1mln associates. Next month, every Walmart supercenter will receive four Oculus Go headsets, and every Neighborhood Market and discount store will receive two. By the year's end, every associate - including floor-level ones interacting the most with customers - will have access to the same training as their managers and department managers do at the Academies, with a combined 17,000 headsets available at Walmart stores nationwide.
Source: progressivegrocer.com
