Amazon is shutting down its Prime Now fast delivery app
Amazon will discontinue its standalone Prime Now app and website by the end of this year, the company announced. The service launched in 2014 as a way for Prime members to get one- or two-hour delivery on a range of goods, from household essentials and books to toys or groceries. Shoppers will still be able to get fast delivery on the Amazon app or site.
Source: cnbc.com
US: Instacart delivery expands to 6,000 7-Eleven stores
Eight months into their partnership, Instacart and 7-Eleven have rolled out same-day delivery to nearly 6,000 of the convenience retail giant’s U.S. stores. San Francisco-based Instacart said that the expansion brings its service to almost 4,000 new 7-Eleven stores nationwide.
Source: supermarketnews.com
US: Albertsons ‘still behind’ the competition on digital penetration
While Albertsons Cos.’ digital and e-commerce platform has been a strong driver of growth through the pandemic – increasing 258% in 2020 – despite the escalation, the Boise, Idaho-based grocer remains behind the competition in the channel, revealed its President and CEO Vivek Sankaran during BMO Capital Markets’ Farm to Market virtual conference call.
Source: winsightgrocerybusiness.com
US: Kroger to improve security and stability of future pension benefits for associates
RTTNews reported: “Kroger Co. said that it has reached an agreement with local unions to improve security and stability of future pension benefits for associates. Certain associates within the Fred Meyer and QFC divisions have ratified an agreement with 4 local unions for the transfer of liabilities from the Sound Retirement Trust to the UFCW Consolidated Pension Plan, Kroger said in a statement.”
Source: nasdaq.com
US: Google to open its first physical store
This summer, Google will open its first-ever physical shop in New York. Customers will be able to go there to buy the tech giant’s hardware products and get support. In the Google Store, customers will be able to browse and buy a wide selection of products from the technology giant, ranging from Pixel phones to Nest products, Fitbit devices and more. They will also be able to collect their online orders and have broken products repaired. Customers will also be able to get in-store technical support.
Source: retaildetail.eu
France: Carrefour renews Alexandre Bompard’s mandate as chairman and CEO
Reuters reported: “Carrefour said it had renewed the mandate of Chairman and Chief Executive Alexandre Bompard for another 3 years to lead the French retailer’s turnaround. Europe’s largest food retailer is in the midst of a 5-year plan launched in January 2018 to cut costs and boost e-commerce investment to revive sales and profits and fend off competition from Amazon”.
Source: nasdaq.com
India: BigBasket reports 80% growth, achieving US$1.1bn sales
BigBasket maintains its lead among the online grocery start-ups in India, reporting 80% growth from the previous year. It is expected to continue growing in 2021, with the demand for online grocery accelerated by the second wave of COVID-19 infections in India. Growth will also come from the Tata Group’s acquisition of BigBasket, forming a super app together with its other services.
Source: retailanalysis.igd.com
GS25 to enter Mongolia
South Korean convenience store chain GS25 has announced to open 3 stores in Ulaanbaatar, the capital of Mongolia, in the first half of this year. The launch in Mongolia marks GS25’s second international expansion after Vietnam. The company signed a franchise agreement with Mongolian company Shunkhlai, under which GS25 will receive royalties.
Source: retailanalysis.igd.com
Australia’s supermarket satisfaction: Aldi, Coles, Woolworths, IGA and more
Choice reported: “Although online grocery shopping is on the rise, most people still prefer to shop in the bricks-and-mortar branches of supermarkets – mainly because they like to check the quality of fresh produce (like fruit, vegetables, meat and fish) before they buy. It’s easier to browse and compare different products instore, according to our survey respondents. Between them, Coles and Woolworths have almost 67.5% of Australia’s grocery market. This duopoly certainly dominates in terms of the number of stores and geographical distribution, but does sheer presence (and the convenience this offers) translate to satisfied instore customers?”
Source: choice.com.au
UK: Asda and Engie roll out EV charging points at stores in West Yorkshire
Asda will provide customers with free to use electric vehicle (EV) charging points in some of its West Yorkshire stores thanks to a new partnership with Engie. Customers will have 24/7 access to the free charging points across 19 stores including Bradford, Killingbeck, Wakefield, Huddersfield and Middleton, Asda’s sustainability store, rolling out over the next 12 weeks.
Source: corporate.asda.com
India: Kiranas on Flipkart’s network get 30% rise in delivery income
Flipkart has shared that its traditional retail partners (called Kiranas in India) have registered a 30% increase in their average monthly delivery revenue in 2020. The Walmart-owned ecommerce firm has reported that these results show its commitment to grow together with India’s oldest form of retail, supplementing the income of these small enterprises.
Source: retailanalysis.igd.com