Rising food prices in focus: US tries to stop Kroger deal
The U.S. Federal Trade Commission argued in federal court that Kroger’s $25 billion merger with rival grocer Albertsons was harmful to customers. The case underscores growing concerns about rising grocery prices. The FTC and several states went to court in Portland, Oregon, to block the deal, saying it would mean higher prices for consumers and less bargaining power for unionized grocery workers.
Source: reuters.com
USA: Tony’s Fresh Market opens remodeled store outside Chicago
Tony’s Fresh Market has announced that its Waukegan, Illinois location will reopen at 7:00 a.m. on Wednesday, August 28. The grand reopening will feature the store’s new, modern layout, which includes: a produce department with a wide selection of ripe, seasonal fruits and vegetables from the United States and Latin America.
Source: progressivegrocer.com
USA: HEB’s Favor Delivery is ultra-fast
HEB’s in-house delivery service Favor is getting into the ultra-fast delivery business. Favor Delivery has launched HEB Now, promising delivery of up to 15 items in 45 minutes or less with no delivery or service fees on orders over $25 by the end of the year. Shoppers at Texas-based HEB can access HEB Now through Favor’s app.
Source: supermarketnews.com
First Amazon Fresh store in Northern California opens its doors to the public with Dash Carts and Amazon One
Amazon has opened a new Amazon Fresh store in Roseville, California, featuring the retailer’s Dash Cart, a smart shopping cart that lets customers skip checkout lines and see their spending in real time, and the Amazon One biometric payment system.
Source: retailtechinnovationhub.com
Germany: Christina Rüter strengthens management at Alnatura
The organic retailer Alnatura announces the appointment of Christina Rüter as the new Managing Director for Strategic Brand Management and Product Management. She will take up her new role on October 1st. Alnatura’s management team currently consists of six members.
Source: esmmagazine.com
Australia: Coles profit rises to $1.1 billion as shoppers grapple with cost of living crisis
Coles reported a jump in grocery sales, boosting supermarket profit margins to their highest since the start of the pandemic, even as consumers grapple with rapidly rising household costs. The sales increase underpinned a strong rise in annual profit to $1.1 billion.
Source: theguardian.com
Study shows big differences in food shopping behavior in the Balkans
A new study has revealed significant differences in the grocery shopping behavior of consumers in Slovenia, Croatia and Serbia. The study, conducted by Mediana Market and the Media Research Institute, found that Serbian shoppers visit stores the most often: 36% shop daily. Slovenians and Croatians, on the other hand, shop less often: the majority shop two to three times a week.
Source: esmmagazine.com
S Group operating result at previous year’s level – strong investments in Finland and services continued
S Group’s operating result for January-June was based on an increase in sales and the number of customers, as well as good dynamics, especially in supermarket retail and at S-Bank. The total operating result (FAS) of S Group’s regional cooperatives, SOK and its subsidiaries, amounted to EUR 152 million in January-June 2024. Retail sales excluding taxes of regional cooperatives, SOK and its subsidiaries increased by 1.1% in January-June and amounted to almost EUR 7 billion.
Source: s-ryhma.fi
Pick n Pay closes branches across South Africa
Pick n Pay released a trading statement that revealed weak sales due to the closure of numerous stores over the past five months. In the first 21 weeks of the financial year, Pick n Pay closed 16 supermarkets, including four corporate stores and 12 franchise stores. Pick n Pay said company-owned supermarkets in South Africa, which account for most of its reported sales, have significantly underperformed in recent years. “Due to improved retail disciplines, comparable sales for this segment increased from -0.5% in the second half of FY2024 to 3.6% for the period,” Pick n Pay said.
Source: dailyinvestor.com
UK: Aldi launches back-to-school fund to support parentsts
Aldi has set up a back to school fund to support families as around three quarters (73%) of parents admit they are worried about how they will cover costs at the start of the school year. As part of the fund, the supermarket is giving away £100 Aldi vouchers to parents throughout September to help them with the cost of everyday essentials after back to school. In addition, the supermarket is donating £20,000 to good causes focused on supporting children, including schools and nurseries through their community giving platform Neighbourly, to provide essentials to families who need it most. Aldi has a long-standing partnership with Neighbourly as part of its commitment to making fresh, healthy food accessible to all.
Source: aldipresscentre.co.uk
UAE: Majid Al Futtaim announces half-year results
Majid Al Futtaim (“the Group”), a leading pioneer in shopping malls, communities, retail and leisure in the Middle East, Africa and Central Asia, announced its operating and financial results for the period ended 30 June 2024. Key Highlights: Net profit of AED 1.6 billion on asset growth of 2% year-on-year. Revenue reportedly decreased 6% to AED 16.7 billion and EBITDA decreased 2% to AED 2.1 billion in H1 2024, due to ongoing regional geopolitical conflicts and currency devaluations.
Source: majidalfuttaim.com
