US: Kroger’s Home Chef promotes Erik Jensen to president
Meal kit provider Home Chef, a subsidiary of The Kroger Co., has elevated chief product officer Erik Jensen to president. Chicago-based Home Chef said Jensen will report directly to founder and Chief Executive Officer Pat Vihtelic. The company, which sells meal kits by subscription for home delivery as well as in retail stores, noted that Vihtelic will continue as CEO and support Jensen in his new role, while aligning long-term strategy with Kroger’s e-commerce growth plans.
Source: supermarketnews.com
US: The Giant Company goes chainwide with Flashfood
Customers of Giant and Martin’s supermarkets have embraced the idea of reducing food waste while reaping savings. The Giant Company said that it has begun a chainwide rollout of the Flashfood app, which enables shoppers to buy fresh food – including produce, meat, deli and bakery items – nearing its “best before” date at much lower prices, in turn reducing store-generated food waste.
Source: supermarketnews.com
US: Hy-Vee and Google Cloud partner to enhance retailer’s digital capabilities
Hy-Vee, Inc. has signed a multiyear partnership with Google Cloud to stay on the cutting edge of digital technology and drive new and unique innovation for its customers – both in store and online. The company is utilizing a suite of services powered by Google Cloud to make online shopping easier for customers who use its Hy-Vee Aisles Online services, to integrate Hy-Vee’s virtual dietitian services, and to enable customers to schedule vaccinations online including the COVID-19 vaccine, among other offerings.
Source: hy-vee.com
Amazon will overtake Walmart as the largest U.S. retailer in 2022, JPMorgan predicts
Amazon is on track to surpass Walmart as the largest U.S. retailer by 2022, JPMorgan analysts wrote in a note. Amazon’s U.S. retail business is the “fastest growing at scale,” the analysts wrote.
Source: cnbc.com
Ireland: Tesco to recruit 225 drivers for home shopping expansion
Tesco is set to recruit 225 new drivers in Ireland as it expands its grocery home shopping services. The supermarket chain said the services, including both home delivery and collection, had seen “unprecedented” changes in demand due to the Covid-19 pandemic. After already offering thousands of additional slots to customers and opening 11 new “Click & Collect” sites throughout 2020, the company is now adding 100 new delivery vans to its fleet.
Source: breakingnews.ie
Norway: Coop pledges to evaluate corporate governance model following criticism
Coop Norway has announced that it plans to re-evaluate the structure of its corporate governance model, following criticism that the group’s members are not represented well enough at its top level. Talking to Norwegian media outlet Nettavisen, Tore Tjomsland, chairman of Coop Norge, and general manager of Coop Øst, said that the retail group is to “set up a committee” to evaluate its governance model and structure, and explore potential improvements.
Source: esmmagazine.com
UK: Sainsbury’s to share progress against new plan
One year on from his appointment as Chief Executive, Simon Roberts is set to reveal how his new plan for Sainsbury’s is being implemented. He will be joined at the Sainsbury’s IGD trade briefing on 30 June by his senior leadership team to update food and consumer goods stakeholders on the retailer’s trading priorities, followed by a live Q&A.
Source: kamcity.com
UAE’s ADQ to invest $500mln in Flipkart
Abu Dhabi sovereign fund ADQ is in talks to invest about $500mln in India’s Flipkart, according to people familiar with the matter, as the Walmart Inc.-backed e-commerce firm raises funds ahead of a potential initial public offering next year.
Source: livemint.com
IGD helps mobilise industry towards new sustainable packaging ambition
IGD has convened a wide range of stakeholders to create a new shared ambition for the industry, to halve the environmental impacts of all packaging systems by 2030. Over the last year, IGD has brought together stakeholders from across the food and consumer goods industry, packaging manufacturers, waste industry and industry associations to form a sustainable packaging systems working group to create this new shared ambition for the industry. This ambition maintains momentum beyond the forthcoming legislation and is a stepping-stone to collective action and change.
Source: igd.com
Amazon risks fines in UK and EU
The British competition watchdog is about to launch an investigation into Amazon. Meanwhile, the European Union is threatening the e-commerce giant with a hefty fine. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) would like to start a formal investigation into Amazon, writes Charged Retail. Allegedly, the British competition authority has kept a close eye on the American company for several months.
Source: retaildetail.eu
Tesco to wind down international wholesale businessTesco has begun to wind down its international wholesale business and plans to close it down completely by mid next year according to reports in Retail Week. Although the business is understood to have performed well during 2020, Tesco has apparently decided taken the decision after a “thorough consideration of its scale and growth potential”. The division exports Tesco’s private label ranges to around 20 partners globally in markets including Australia, Saudi Arabia and Europe. Commenting, Tesco’s group chief product officer Ashwin Prasad said “This was a difficult decision to make, but we believe it’s the right one, and we are committed to supporting our partners through the transition period ahead.”
Source: retailanalysis.igd.com