US: The Fresh Market dives into omnichannel specialty food experiences
The Fresh Market has embarked on a multiphase partnership with Firework, a live commerce and omnichannel digital transformation platform. The partnership brings Firework’s full suite of live commerce and short-form shoppable video capabilities to The Fresh Market’s owned media channels. The specialty grocer 1st teamed with Firework as part of a digital transformation initiative launched in Q4 2021, with the aim of positioning itself for continued growth in the digital-first era.
Source: progressivegrocer.com
US: UNFI gets Q2 boost from independents, Whole Foods
Across-the-board gains in United Natural Foods Inc.’s (UNFI) business segments lifted the grocery wholesaler to record net sales in its fiscal 2022 2nd quarter. For the quarter ended January 29, net sales totaled $7.42bln, up 7.5% from $6.9bln a year earlier, Providence, Rhode Island-based UNFI reported. Including a 7.1% uptick in the 2021 2nd quarter, sales were up 14.6% on a 2-year stack, the company said. UNFI is relaunching its Wild Harvest free-from private brand with an updated logo and packaging and new items, starting with a plant-based meat collection.
Source: supermarketnews.com
US: Stater Bros. Markets expands ReposiTrak partnership to lower out-of-stocks
1 year after Southern California supermarket chain Stater Bros. Markets chose ReposiTrak to help it address out-of-stocks, especially in the direct store delivery (DSD) categories that were the most problematic, out-of-stocks are substantially reduced, and Stater Bros. is expanding the program to include even more of its DSD suppliers.
Source: progressivegrocer.com
Amazon to secure unconditional EU approval for $8.5bln MGM buy - sources
Amazon is expected to win unconditional EU antitrust approval for its $8.5bln buy of U.S. movie studio MGM, people familiar with the matter said, a move that is set to ramp up competition with streaming rivals Netflix and Disney+. The European Commission, which is scheduled to decide on the deal by March 15, declined to comment.
Source: reuters.com
Pandamart partners sharing app OLIO to give away edible, surplus food to S’poreans for free
Homegrown online grocery platform pandamart - a brand under food delivery giant foodpanda - announced that it is partnering free-sharing app OLIO. Under this partnership, pandamart will give away unsold food, which includes perishables that are nearing expiry date and canned goods with minor packaging defects.
Source: vulcanpost.com
UK: Morrisons makes salad bars greener by introducing 'rentable boxes'
Morrisons is introducing new ‘rentable’ boxes on its Salad Bar in 4 trial stores to allow customers to lunch more sustainably. It has also removed plastic cutlery from all stores. The Refill a Box scheme is the 1st of its kind to be trialled by a UK supermarket. Each ‘rentable’ box will replace Morrisons large salad box and is made from fully recyclable polypropylene. The boxes are designed to be used 400 times to prevent disposable plastic containers from being used.
Source: morrisons-corporate.com
UK: Waitrose reports full-year sales on a par with previous year
Retailer Waitrose & Partners has reported sales of £7.5bln (€8.9bln) in its financial year 2020/21, which is up 1% on a like-for-like basis, and down 1% on a reported basis. The retailer's performance was outlined in the full-year results of its parent company, John Lewis Partnership. On a 2-year basis, Waitrose saw sales up 11% on a like-for-like basis, and up 9% reported.
Source: esmmagazine.com
UK: John Lewis resumes bonus payout amid turnaround
John Lewis Partnership Plc said it will once again pay employee bonuses as the U.K. retailer’s turnaround efforts start to show small signs of progress. The department store group, which also owns the upmarket Waitrose supermarket chain, said that a return to profit on an underlying basis means it will reinstate a payout which was suspended last year for the 1st time in more than 70 years. Staff, who co-own the business, will receive a bonus of 3%, equivalent to 1.5 weeks’ pay, and amounting to 46mln pounds, John Lewis said. It has also awarded its staff a 2% pay rise this year.
Source: bloombergquint.com
France: Carrefour opens a new home delivery logistics site in Aix-en-Provence
Carrefour has opened a new home delivery logistics site in Aix-en-Provence that will cover 124 towns, including communities with fewer than 10,000 residents. It has entrusted its logistics partner STEF - which owns the building - with all of the logistics operations (order reception, storage and preparation). This new Aix-en-Provence-based logistics site will give a boost to Carrefour's e-commerce services in the region. Same-day delivery will now be available (3 hours after order submission), 6 days a week, from 8 AM to 10 PM.
Source: carrefour.com
Jerónimo Martins sees Q4 profit jump, warns on inflation
Portugal's 2nd-largest retailer Jerónimo Martins reported a 49% jump in 4th-quarter net income as its key Polish market led a rise in consolidated sales, but warned on the impact of rising inflation and the conflict in Ukraine. The company booked a net profit of €139mln between October and December, up from €93mln a year earlier, after Portugal and its top market Poland lifted most restrictions to control the COVID-19 pandemic.
Source: esmmagazine.com
Epic Partners suspends collaboration with Magnit
European retail alliance Epic Partners has decided not to conduct joint negotiations on behalf of Russian retailer Magnit in response to Moscow's invasion of Ukraine. The alliance includes EDEKA (Germany), Migros (Switzerland), Jerónimo Martins (Portugal and Poland), ICA (Sweden, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania), Magnit (Russia) and Picnic (Netherlands, Germany).
Source: esmmagazine.com
Buyout group Pamplona seeks to cut ties with Mikhail Fridman's LetterOne
Buyout firm Pamplona Capital Management said it had begun the process of disentangling itself from Mikhail Fridman's investment group, LetterOne, amid growing pressure on companies with connections to the sanctioned Russian tycoon. LetterOne has a large portfolio of direct investments in Western companies spanning Spain's Dia supermarkets and British health food retailer Holland & Barrett.
Source: reuters.com
UK: Asda plans massive change to fresh food that will affect 250 stores from April
Supermarket giant Asda is set to expand the number of in-store greengrocers across its UK branches, expecting to offer the specialist service across 250 stores from April. Back in September 2021 the supermarket 1st announced it would be introducing greengrocers to 150 stores across the country. But in a new interview with The Sunday Times this weekend, the billionaire Issa brothers and owners of Asda confirmed this service would be available in a further 100 stores. It would take the total number of branches with in-store greengrocers to 250 from April.
Source: mylondon.news