Taiwan: Supermarket revenue and store numbers hit record
Supermarkets in Taiwan reported NT$165.4bln (US$5.36bln) in combined revenue for the first nine months of the year at 2,201 stores, both numbers being records, a report released by the Ministry of Economic Affairs showed. From January to September, revenue at supermarkets saw a 5.9% increase year-on-year, higher than the annual growth rates at department stores and hypermarkets of 2.87% and 3.77% respectively, but lower than the rise of 6.7% at convenience stores, the report said.
Source: taipeitimes.com
Ecommerce in Russia: €14.2bln in 2017
Ecommerce in Russia was worth over 14bln euros in 2017. This corresponds to an increase of almost 13% compared to the situation one year before. For this year, it’s forecast that ecommerce in Russia will grow again with a similar percentage, so it will be worth 15.9bln euros. This can be concluded after reading the Ecommerce Report Russia 2018 from the Ecommerce Foundation. The news that ecommerce in Russia was worth over 14bln euros last year, slightly corresponds with the prediction of Russian Post and the Association of Internet Trade Companies (AITC) in September 2017.
Source: ecommercenews.eu
Metcash signs deal to construct new South Australian DC
Metcash has signed a long-term lease with Charter Hall to facilitate the construction and leasing of a ‘best in class’ distribution centre (DC) at Gepps Cross in South Australia. The 68,000 sqm centre will replace the company’s existing DC at Kidman Park and is expected to create operational efficiencies in South Australia and allow access to a wider range of products than is currently available in the region. Construction is scheduled to be completed in mid-2020, when the company will transition its operations from the Kidman Park facility to Gepps Cross.
Source: insideretail.com.au
Coviran opens new stores in Portugal
Spanish retailer Coviran is expanding its presence in Portugal, with the opening of new two supermarkets. Coviran has a 0.85% share of the Portuguese retail sector, or 2.15% of the market of retail outlets smaller than 1,000 square meters. It operates over 300 supermarkets nationwide, of which 200 trade under the Coviran banner, with presence in 18 districts and in the two island autonomous regions (Azores and Madeira).
Source: esmmagazine.com
Russia: X5 Retail Group to expand imports from Azerbaijan & Uzbekistan
Russia's food retailer X5 Retail Group, which owns one of the largest retail chains of supermarkets and shops in Russia, plans to strengthen partnership with Uzbekistan and Azerbaijan and expand the range of imported products, Maxim Novikov, the director general of RVI, a subsidiary of the X5 Retail Group, told Trend. According to him, increasing the volume of imports of fruits and vegetables from the countries of Central Asia, in particular, from Uzbekistan, and Azerbaijan is an important area of work for the X5 Retail Group. Novikov noted that fruits and vegetables from Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan are represented in most stores of X5 retail chains, including Pyaterochka, Perekrestok, Karusel and Perekrestok Express. "The company purchases watermelons, persimmons, pomegranates, grapes, melons, nectarines, peaches, apricots, lemons, apples, cucumbers, tomatoes, carrots, beets, cabbage, feijoa, plums, corn, garlic in Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan," Novikov said.
Source: marketscreener.com
US: Lucky's Market launches same-day grocery delivery in 6 states
Lucky's Market has launched same-day grocery delivery in 18 metropolitan areas across six states. Available through the Lucky's Market Delivers mobile app, the grocery ecommerce platform brings delivery to shoppers to Boulder/Longmont and Denver-area, Colorado; Gainesville, Gulf Coast, Jacksonville, Naples, Orlando, Sarasota, South Florida, Space Coast, Tallahassee and Tampa, Florida; Savannah, Georgia; Iowa City/Cedar Rapids, Iowa; Columbia, Springfield and St. Louis, Missouri; and Billings, Montana. All markets will be served in partnership with Birmingham, Alabama-based third-party delivery service Shipt, a division of Minneapolis-headquartered Target Corp.
Source: progressivegrocer.com
US: Spar Group announces financial results for Q3 ended September 30, 2018
Spar Group, Inc., a leading supplier of retail merchandising, business technology and other marketing services in 10 countries throughout North America, Latin America, Asia Pacific and Africa, announced financial results for the third quarter ended September 30, 2018. Highlights for the three and nine-month periods ended September 30, 2018, as compared to the same periods in the prior year include: Revenue for the three-month period ending September 30, 2018 increased $9.6mln, or 20%, to $58.4mln. International operations contributed to $2.3mln of the increase. Domestic operations contributed $7.3mln to year-over-year revenue growth with Resource Plus contributing $8.0mln of the change in Domestic revenue for the period. Revenue for the nine-month period ending September 30, 2018 increased $40.8mln, or 31%, to $172.2mln. International operations contributed to $18.6 of the increase. Domestic operations contributed $22.2mln to year-over-year revenue growth. Resource Plus contributed $19.9mln to the change in Domestic revenue year-over-year.
Source: globenewswire.com
US: Schwan's sells 80% of company to South Korean firm for $1.8bln
Minnesota food distributor Schwan’s announced last week that it sold 80% of the company to South Korea’s largest food firm CJ CheilJedang, also known as CJCJ, for $1.8bln, reported the Star Tribune. Schwan’s will retain 20% ownership, the CEO will remain in place, and the business will continue to run its home delivery service. The company’s main operations will remain in Marshall, Minnesota, and the corporate offices in Bloomington, Minnesota. CJCJ will gain 17 food manufacturing facilities and 10 distribution centers in the U.S. "Obviously there’s a certain amount of nervousness with a sale," Dimitrios Smyrnios, the company’s chief executive, told the Star Tribune. "We want to grow. This is not a cost-cutting exercise."
Source: fooddive.com
US: Natural Grocers reports positive Q4, FY2018
Lakewood, Colorado-based Natural Grocers has reported positive results during its fourth quarter of fiscal 2018, capping a favorable year altogether. During Q4, which ended September 30, net sales grew 9.6%, reaching $217.5mln, compared with the same period a year prior. Driving this for the most part was a $12.6mln increase in comparable-store sales, along with a $6.4mln rise in new store sales. In Q4, daily average comps grew 6.3% compared with 2.1% in Q4 of 2017. This growth reflected a 3.8% rise in daily average transaction count and a 2.5% increase in average transaction size.
Source: progressivegrocer.com
US: Kroger reveals location of first Ocado-powered fulfilment center
The Kroger Co. will open its first high-tech customer fulfilment center in partnership with British e-commerce company Ocado in the region of its hometown of Cincinnati. The automated warehouse, also known as a "shed," will have robotic capabilities for storing and retrieval and will likely be constructed in the Cincinnati suburb of Monroe, Ohio, which provided state and local incentives. The retailer plans to open 20 such facilities across the country in an effort to revamp the way it fulfils online shopping orders. The first shed will measure 335,000 square feet, born from a $55mln investment from Kroger, and is expected to create 410 new jobs in the Cincinnati area.
Source: winsightgrocerybusiness.com
