US: Grocery supply chain disruption possible as regional work stoppage looms
Safeway grocery distribution throughout the Puget Sound area is in danger of grinding to a halt as soon as 12:01AM on Sunday morning, as a group of around 175 members of Teamsters Local 174 and 500 members of Teamsters Local 117 are on the brink of a strike. The group consists of all the Safeway tractor-trailer drivers who deliver groceries from Safeway’s Auburn distribution center to Safeway/Albertsons stores, all warehouse workers in the Auburn, Bellevue, and Kent Distribution Centers, dispatchers, and Recycling Center workers. A strike by the entire group would make it all but impossible for Safeway to load and deliver groceries to stock shelves at Safeway/Albertsons and Haggen stores throughout Western Washington.
Source: prnewswire.com
Amazon to nearly double online edible grocery sales by 2026
Over the next 5 years, Amazon will nearly double its online food and beverage sales globally, holding its grocery e-commerce lead over rival Walmart, CPG market researcher Edge by Ascential predicts. Amazon’s online edible grocery sales are projected to climb to $26.7bln worldwide in 2026 from $14.5bln in 2021, a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 13%, according to the latest Food and Beverage Sector Report from Edge Retail Insight, Edge by Ascential’s retail research arm. Walmart also will see strong growth, but not enough to overtake Amazon. Edge Retail Insight forecasts a 14.1% CAGR for Walmart’s edible grocery e-commerce sales over the next 5 years, from $10.1bln globally in 2021 to $19.5bln in 2026.
Source: supermarketnews.com
Canada: Inabuggy expands its virtual shopping experience with a Toronto institution
Following a 2020 pilot program with McEwan Don Mills that it describes a “a huge success”, grocery delivery service Inabuggy is expanding its 3D virtual grocery shopping portal to include Toronto’s St. Lawrence Market. The service will enable Torontonians to virtually “walk through” the famed Market and shop with approximately 25 vendors using the service’s app and website. Users navigate through a 3D environment featuring clickable links to specific products such as meats, fish, produce, baked goods and dairy products.
Source: canadiangrocer.com
US: C&S Wholesale Grocers to acquire Piggly Wiggly Midwest
C&S Wholesale Grocers, the nation’s largest grocery distributor, plans to buy fellow food wholesaler Piggly Wiggly Midwest. Keene, New Hampshire-based C&S said that it has entered into a definitive agreement with the intent to purchase Piggly Wiggly Midwest, whose headquarters is in Sheboygan, Wisconsin. Financial terms of the planned transaction weren’t disclosed.
Source: supermarketnews.com
Invafresh sets global standard for fresh retail sustainability with Price Chopper/Market32 partnership
Invafresh, the market leader in Freshology™ for the fresh food retail industry, marks a sustainability milestone in its partnership with U.S. supermarket chain Price Chopper/Market 32 (Price Chopper), a banner of The Golub Corporation. With the help of the Invafresh fresh food retail platform, the regional supermarket chain prevents 20 tons of fresh food from being wasted each week and is projected to prevent more than 3,000 tons of food waste over the next 3 years across its 131 stores in the northeastern United States.
Source: businesswire.com
US: Wholly Veggie launches cult favorite Buffalo Cauliflower Wings nationwide at Whole Foods
Wholly Veggie’s Buffalo Cauliflower and Ranch Cauliflower Wings will be found at 480 Whole Foods stores across the United States in the frozen, meat alternative set. To help facilitate the launch, the brand will be setting up its U.S office in Austin, Texas, and will be partnering with Presence Marketing.
Source: newswire.com
Record loss for Just Eat Takeaway despite order increase of 50%
Just Eat Takeaway received 61% more orders in the past 6 months and had a gross turnover of 14.1bln euros as a result. Since 15 June, the American industry colleague Grubhub has officially been part of the originally Dutch concern. Together, this resulted in a 51% increase in orders. Collectively, the 2 companies form “one of the largest online food delivery companies in the world”, says CEO Jitse Groen proudly. However, the company’s EBITDA losses have peaked. In the United States and Canada, the meal delivery company has had to lower its commissions due to the Covid crisis, while large investments have also led to results in the red.
Source: retaildetail.eu
Beyond Meat opens JD.com store amid China consumer caution on meat substitutes
Beyond Meat said it has launched an online store in China on JD.com’s ecommerce platform, as the plant-based meatmaker aims to boost sales in the world’s biggest meat market where consumer interest in meat alternatives is low.
Source: reuters.com
Ireland: Lidl opens new €10mln store in Thurles
Lidl Ireland announced the opening of its new store on Slievenamon Road in Thurles, Co Tipperary. The new store brings an investment of €10mln to the locality and up to 10 new jobs with the retailer over the next year.
Source: checkout.ie
Russian retailer Magnit to buy fewer Dixy stores to comply with competition law
Retailer Magnit’s purchase of rival Dixy was approved by Russia’s competition regulator with the provision that 142 convenience stores be left out of the deal, the company said. Magnit agreed in May to pay 92.4bln roubles ($1.25bln) to add Dixy’s 2,651 stores and 5 distribution centres in Moscow, St Petersburg and other regions to its portfolio and has said it still has room to make other acquisitions.
Source: reuters.com
Germany: Lidl grows by 10% thanks to and despite Covid
The German Schwarz Group, which includes Lidl and Kaufland, had a healthy 2020. Its turnover rose by 10% to 125.3bln euros. Lidl recorded a 9.9% growth in the 2020 financial year to a total of 96.3bln euros; sister company Kaufland also did very well with a +7.5% increase to 25.5bln.
Source: retaildetail.eu
Pepco could benefit from inflation, CEO says
Warsaw-listed discount retailer Pepco Group could benefit from inflationary pressure in the coming quarters as people become more price-sensitive, its chief executive said. The group, which listed in May with a €5bln ($5.92bln) valuation, owns British discount retailer Poundland as well as the PEPCO and Dealz brands in Europe. It trades from almost 3,400 stores across 16 countries and is led by CEO Andy Bond, former boss of British supermarket group Asda.
Source: esmmagazine.com