UK: Morrisons to bring back string shopping bags to fight plastic waste
Morrisons is bringing back a trusted old-school shopping bag to fight plastic waste. The supermarket will start stocking £1 recycled cotton string bags for customers filling up on fresh fruit and vegetables in the greengrocers aisle. It follows Morrisons' commitment to plastic free fruit and veg, which was rolled out in May. Customers will be able to choose between the string bags or paper bags when buying loose fruit and vegetables, just like shoppers did in the 1970s and 1980s before plastic became the norm. Natasha Cook, Packaging Manager at Morrisons said: "As we increase the numbers of loose fruit and veg we stock, we’ve listened to customers - who said they wanted plastic free bags to carry it home in. In our trials, customers said they felt a sense of nostalgia using the string bag - as it reminded them of shopping trips of the past.”
Source: chroniclelive.co.uk
French market shares: E Leclerc and Lidl with steady steps
From August 5 to September 1, Leclerc recorded the largest increase in sales of PGC and self-service fees with a jump of 0.6 point to reach 21.9% market share. According to Kantar, this dynamic is due to “an increase in traffic linked to the recruitment of more than 500,000 households and the maintenance of the frequency of purchase of the brand’s customers.” With a gain of 0.4 points, Lidl reaches again the 6% market share. In August, the German-born distributor captured 5.9% of French household spending. “Lidl has attracted more than 400,000 new homes in its stores while benefiting from well-oriented baskets”, says Kantar. The other winners of the period are the Musketeers and System U. The group of Musketeers gained 0.3 points and weighs 15.2% of the expenses over the month of August. 14.1% for the only Intermarché brand. The New Traders, meanwhile, also gained ground (+0.2 points) and reached 11.5% of market share over the period.
Source: internationalsupermarketnews.com
Russia: Х5 Supervisory Board approves transformation of hypermarkets format
X5 Retail Group ("X5" or the "Company"), a leading Russian food retailer, announces its decision to transform its Karusel hypermarket format. The hypermarket format contributed 5.1% of the Company's revenue in 6M 2019 and 2.9% of X5's consolidated EBITDA for the same period. Currently Karusel consists of 91 stores, of which 42 are leased and 49 are owned. The decision to transform the hypermarket format is in line with the Company's objective to better meet customer needs and maximise investment returns across all business units. It also reflects management's strategic vision regarding future trends in the fast-changing retail sector, whereby proximity and supermarket formats are better-suited to fulfilling customer needs, while online shopping rapidly improves convenience and the variety of goods available to customers. X5 has achieved market leading positions in the proximity and supermarket segments with its Pyaterochka and Perekrestok stores, and will continue to focus on further enhancing these businesses with various technology-driven solutions that will be implemented as part of X5's digital strategy.
Source: x5.ru
Number of empty shops in UK at highest level for five years
Nearly 12% of retail sites were unoccupied in first half of 2019, data shows, with chains hit by rising costs and low consumer confidence. Britain’s high streets, shopping centres and retail parks have been left with the highest number of empty outlets in five years as chains have taken a battering from rising costs and low consumer confidence. Nearly 12% of shopping locations were empty in the first half of 2019, up 0.6% compared to the same period last year, according to research from Local Data Company’s (LDC) review of 3,000 retail centres. More than 25,700 outlets closed their doors, the highest level since LDC began tracking the market in 2010. That was offset by 22,115 openings, the highest level since 2015.
Source: theguardian.com
Suning completes acquisition of Carrefour China, accelerating full-scenario retail layout
Suning.com announces that it has completed the acquisition of Carrefour China, marking the start of the Suning era for Carrefour China. The news follows the deal announced earlier this year (June 23), when Suning.com revealed it intended to acquire an 80% equity stake in Carrefour China for EUR620mln (RMB4.8bln). Zhang Jindong, Chairman of Suning Holdings Group, said: "This is a key step in Suning's smart retail plan. Carrefour's FMCG experience and supply chain capabilities can be integrated with Suning's full-scenario retail model, solid logistics network and advanced technology. With our smart retail capabilities, Suning can transform the Carrefour stores into fully integrated online-and-offline supermarkets to meet evolving consumer demands."
Source: prnewswire.com
UK: Asda releases food waste data
Asda has published its food waste and surplus data for 2018, showing an increase in the amount of food donated to charity of 26% on the previous year. As part of Asda’s Fight Hunger Create Change programme, the supermarket launched a store food donations programme which enables stores to donate no longer sellable but still edible food to charity. By the end of 2020 all Asda stores will be able to donate edible surplus food. This, along with Asda’s existing food donation schemes - such as from its distribution centres - resulted in 2.7mln meals being donated to good causes in 2018. Asda has committed to reducing food waste by 20% by 2025, halve it by 2030 and increase transparency around food waste. As it is the first time it has publicly reported its figures, the supermarket has taken a significant step towards ensuring customers are able to monitor Asda’s progress. The figures show that of Asda’s product categories, fruit and vegetables form nearly a quarter (23%) of all surplus food.
Source: corporate.asda.com
Vietnam: CU convenience store to open
South Korea’s BGF Retail Co., the operator of convenience store chain CU, will open its first outlet in Vietnam by June 2020. The retailer has signed a franchise agreement with a Vietnam-based convenience store operator backed by local companies. BGF Retail will share its brand and knowledge in operations, while the Vietnamese partner will be responsible for investment and operations. The retailer also entered Mongolia last year using a master franchise agreement with a local partner.
Source: retailanalysis.igd.com
Poland: Total partnership for Carrefour
Carrefour Polska has joined forces with petrol station operator Total Polska for the opening of a network of Carrefour Express Convenience stores. The first two stores under this brand were opened at Total petrol stations in Stolno and Strzyżawa in the Kujawsko-Pomorskie province in August. Total Polska has a nationwide chain of stations and both companies plan to develop their cooperation further. It is also the second petrol station chain to combine forces with Carrefour in the field of franchising, after a similar arrangement was made with Avia.
Source: english.eurobuildcee.com
UK: Bestway Wholesale improves website
Bestway Wholesale has made updates to its e-commerce website to make shopping more convenient for its customers. Updates include improving the search functionality by introducing auto-complete, a clear button, and ensuring products still appear if customers mistype words. Head of digital and marketing at Bestway, Salih Sheikh, said: “Our expert digital conversion team were tasked to make online shopping easier for customers, as we pride ourselves on giving customers choice and making it convenient for them to shop with us. The team implemented some great, subtle changes to the site which have enhanced the user experience.”
Source: talkingretail.com
France: Casino parent Rallye met with bankers on safeguard plan
Debt-burdened Rallye said that it and other shareholders of French retailer Casino had met with bankers to present them the principles of their draft safeguard plan. Casino Chairman and CEO Jean-Charles Naouri in May had placed the retailer’s parent companies Rallye, Finatis and Fonciere Euris under protection from creditors in a bid to save the group from collapse. Rallye, Fonciere Euris, Finatis and Euris said in a statement the draft plan - drawn up with the assistance of judicial administrators - involved the repayment over a ten-year period of all liabilities.
Source: reuters.com
UK: Tesco is turning its biggest Jack's branch back into a normal Tesco supermarket
Tesco is ditching its biggest Jack's store and reverting to an original concept supermarket in order to "better serve customers in the area". Jack's is Tesco's discount concept, more in line with Aldi and Lidl operations, with fewer staff, cheaper but limited products, and a more efficient shopping experience. The Jack's branch, in Rawtenstall, Lancashire, was the largest to open since the company began trialling the discount brand in 2018. All of Tesco's Jack's stores to open so far have been convenience or mid-sized, but the Rawtenstall branch was an experimental bulk-buy version measuring 40,000 sq ft.
Source: inews.co.uk
Australia: Drakes Supermarkets leaves Foodland retail group after 45 years
Drakes Supermarkets, a cornerstone of the Foodland retail group for 45 years, has announced it is leaving the famous South Australian shopping brand. It has opened a new multi-million dollar distribution centre in Adelaide's north, creating 150 jobs, while also promising to deliver big savings for shoppers. "It's exciting, it's scary at the same time, but there's no doubt about it, it's just the only way to eliminate costs and get our prices that are competitive," Drakes managing director Roger Drake said.
Source: 9news.com.au
Philippines: Metro Retail Stores Group shares vision for sustainable shopping
Philippines retailer Metro Retail Stores Group Inc (MRSGI) is planning to open up more opportunities for sustainable shopping. Speaking at the recent Regional Forum on the Promotion of Sustainable Consumption in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean), MRSGI VP for corporate affairs Anna Marie Periquet shared that “as engines of economic growth and shapers of consumer taste, retailers can make a difference in the world”. Organised by Asean and the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), the forum brought together delegates from Asean member states, representatives from relevant government bodies, and non-governmental organisations as well as regional and international experts.
Source: insideretail.asia
US: Meijer launches Retail Management Certificate program
Meijer is joining Walmart and other retailers in looking for ways to keep employees happy in a tight labor market. The retailer has partnered with Grand Rapids Community College (GRCC) to create a new Retail Management Certificate program that will provide employees with the relevant skills and competencies needed to advance their careers. Eighteen employees who have been with Meijer for at least a year will participate in the pilot this fall. All of the classes are in a seven-week format, allowing the employees to complete the certificate in a year.
Source: progressivegrocer.com
US: Wakefern expands shelf camera pilot to 50 stores
Wakefern Food Corp. plans a 50-store test of a computer vision system that automatically identifies when product stock runs outs on shelves. San Francisco-based retail automation specialist Focal Systems said that its platform previously was being piloted at four Wakefern supermarkets. The Keasbey, New Jersey-based grocery retail cooperative, whose independent supermarkets operate mainly under the ShopRite banner, has been testing Focal’s technology for more than a year.
Source: supermarketnews.com
US: Alex Lee to acquire W. Lee Flowers
Alex Lee, Inc. announced it has agreed to acquire W. Lee Flowers & Co. in a deal that brings together two regional distributors that also operate retail stores, according to a press announcement. The terms of the deal were not disclosed. W. Lee Flowers will retain all of its current employees and continue to operate from its Scranton, South Carolina headquarters as a subsidiary of Alex Lee. W. Lee Flowers’ top executives, chairman and CEO Heyward L. King, Jr. and president William Henry Johnson, Jr. will step down after more than 80 combined years with the company. Executive vice president Rick Geary will assume leadership of W. Lee Flowers. North Carolina-based Alex Lee owns and operates the Lowes Foods and Just Save grocery brands, which count 91 total stores, as well as wholesale companies Merchants Distributors LLC and Souto Foods. W. Lee Flowers distributes to 75 stores in the Carolinas and Georgia, including 50 stores it operates under the IGA and KJ’s Market brands.
Source: grocerydive.com
Amazon develops longer-range wireless network for IoT devices
Amazon.com Inc said it is developing a longer-range equivalent to Bluetooth and WiFi wireless protocols that the largest U.S. online retailer hopes third parties will eventually use in smart devices. The Amazon Sidewalk, announced alongside a new range of Echo speakers and a multilingual mode for its Alexa virtual assistant, underscores the firm’s growth expectations for the internet of things (IoT) - where devices and appliances are controlled over networks.
Source: reuters.com
