US: Liz Zolcak named president of Fresh Thyme Market
Liz Zolcak has been named the new President of Fresh Thyme Market, succeeding Gerald Melville, who has announced his retirement after a 43-year retail career. Melville became President of Fresh Thyme Market in 2019, joining the retailer from Meijer, the Grand Rapids, Michigan-based supercenter chain.
Source: prnewswire.com
Brambles drops investment in plastic pallets for Costco suppliers
Australia’s Brambles Ltd said it would not invest in the plastic pallet pool for customers who supply to U.S.-based big box retailer Costco Wholesale Corp, as the companies failed to agree on pricing and commercial terms. Costco in 2019 announced plans to migrate all pallets used in its supply chains to plastic pallets over time from wood. Brambles said last year it would invest in Costco’s move to plastic pallets only if return on capital invested (ROCI) was over 15%. However, in light of current market volatility, a conversion to plastic pallets was deemed “commercially prohibitive” by Costco’s suppliers and, without adequate cost recovery, dilutive to Brambles’ ROCI, Brambles said in a statement.
Source: reuters.com
US: H-E-B expanding in Temple, Texas with planned frozen distribution center
Temple Economic Development Corporation (Temple EDC) announced that H-E-B, the San Antonio based supermarket chain, will be expanding their Temple, Texas distribution facilities with a new automated frozen distribution line. Pending final negotiations with Temple EDC and the City of Temple the project will grow H-E-B's current facility footprint by 325,000 sq. ft. and will add over 100 jobs to the local economy.
Source: prnewswire.com
Amazon reportedly planning a second Prime Day
While online shoppers around the world are bracing themselves for the traditional summer Amazon Prime Day - this year a two-day event on 12 and 13 July - the online giant may be preparing a second bargain festival in the autumn. This is the conclusion of Business Insider based on leaked messages from Amazon to its platform partners.
Source: retaildetail.eu
Just Eat Takeaway shares fall 19% to all-time low on doubts over Grubhub
Shares in Europe's largest online meal ordering company Just Eat Takeaway.com hit an all-time low amid dual doubts the loss-making company will successfully sell its U.S. Grubhub operation, and whether it will be able to reach profitability without additional funding.
Source: reuters.com
Lidl outperformed French grocery market in May-June period: Kantar
Lidl was the best-performing retailer in the French grocery market in the period from 16 May to 16 June, according to the latest data from Kantar, with the discounter reporting a 0.4 percentage point gain in the period. According to the data for the 'P6' period, Lidl now stands on 8.1% market share, with its performance boosted by an increased number of shoppers (+784,000) visiting its stores.
Source: esmmagazine.com
Ireland: ALDI unveils its newly renovated the Elysian “Project Fresh” store
ALDI’s Elysian, Cork City “Project Fresh” store has reopened its doors to customers following an extensive renovation project worth almost €1mln. The newly refurbished store has received a full makeover in line with ALDI’s award-winning Project Fresh design, which was recognised at the National Grocery Retail Awards when ALDI scooped the Discounter Store of the Year award for its Killaloe store, thanks in part to its superior quality of display across its fresh fruit and vegetable offering.
Source: aldipresscentre.ie
UK supermarket Morrisons sales dip in 'fragile' market
British supermarket group Morrisons reported a 6.4% decline in underlying sales over its latest quarter, in what it called "a very fragile and difficult consumer environment". Morrisons said its total revenue including fuel rose 2.6% to 4.6bln pounds ($5.6bln) over the 13 weeks to May 1, its fiscal second quarter, primarily due to a recovery of fuel sales, which increased 54%.
Source: reuters.com
Ocado extends partnership with France's Groupe Casino
Ocado has extended its partnership deal with French retailer Groupe Casino, the British online supermarket and technology group said. The agreement follows a Memorandum of Understanding announced in February.
Source: reuters.com
Spain: Grupo IFA sees turnover exceed €33bln in FY 2021
Spanish retailer Grupo IFA has reported a 3.1% increase in turnover to €33.2bln in its financial year 2021. The company attributed this growth to its good performance in the Spanish, Portuguese and Italian markets, with Spain accounting for €15.1bln in sales.
Source: esmmagazine.com
UK: Poundland boosts £1 items in battle for shoppers
Poundland is increasing the number of products it sells for a pound as retailers battle for customers. Around half of its products are priced at a pound, but the business says by the end of this week 60% of what it sells will be a pound or less. The discount chain says it is seeing a rise in customer numbers as people seek savings as the cost of living rises.
Source: bbc.com
German retail sales inch up in May
German retail sales increased slightly in May, even as high inflation continued to weigh on consumers, data showed. Retail sales rose by 0.6% in real terms compared to the previous month, the Federal Statistical Office reported.
Source: reuters.com
British retailer B&M's sales drop in first quarter
British discount retailer B&M reiterated its outlook for fiscal 2023 core profit and reported a dip in first-quarter group sales, reflecting a tough comparison with a year-ago period when consumers stocked up during lockdowns. The FTSE 100-listed firm said its group revenue dropped to 1.16bln pounds ($1.41bln) in the first quarter ended June 25, down from 1.19bln pounds a year ago.
Source: reuters.com