Tesco criticised for fake British fruit and veg products
Publix hopes to 'aggressively' expand in Virginia
The organization that represents Canada’s major grocery chains says it has full confidence in selling genetically engineered foods such as the Innate potato and Arctic apple that have been approved by Health Canada and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency. “We have confidence in the regulatory process and CFIA to ensure that (genetically engineered foods) are safe for consumption and only products that are safe for consumption are approved,” said David Wilkes, senior vice-president of government relations and grocery division for the council. There is no requirement for labelling at this point in time, so the government does not indicate that (genetically engineered foods) would be labelled.” (news1130.com)
US: Publix looking to expand 'aggressively' in Virginia
Publix, a popular grocery chain based in Florida, wants to open new locations in the D.C. area, according to a report from the Washington Business Journal. Publix spokesperson Kim Reynolds confirmed to FOX 5 “that we are looking at the entire state of Virginia to grow aggressively.” That could eventually include opening stores in Northern Virginia. According to the Washington Business Journal: “The company had a booth at the International Council of Shopping Centers’ Mid-Atlantic Dealmaking and Conference event last week at National Harbor. It was the first time Publix has had a presence at the event, which connects landlords with potential retailers.” According to WBJ, Virginia is the first new state Publix has entered in four years and the chain currently has more than 1,100 stores in six states. (Source: Washington Business Journal / FOX 5 / nbcwashington.com)
Tesco criticised for fake British fruit and veg products
Tesco is facing heavy criticism for its new “farms” range, which uses British-sounding farm names to sell fresh produce from abroad as well as the UK. The seven new brands have been named after farms that either don’t exist, or which Tesco said had “historically been operating farms”. The new brands are “Rosedene Farms” (fruit), “Nightingale Farms” (salad vegetables), “Redmere Farms” (field vegetables), “Suntrail Farms” (imported fruit such as lemons and oranges) and some more meat brands. Products from British suppliers clearly display the Union flag, but the same farm name is being used to sell produce from several countries – although the country of origin is marked on packs. The farming industry has reacted angrily to the branding, accusing the retailer of misleading consumers and riding on the coattails of the trust UK farmers have built. (fwi.co.uk)
Aeon Mall plans bold Asean expansion
Japanese Aeon Mall aims to create a strong footprint in Asia and become the No-1 retailer in Asean by investing in about 10 new shopping malls in the region, including one in Thailand, by the end of the decade. "Under our 2020 strategy, we are planning to open five new shopping malls in Jakarta, after entering the 250-million-strong market with our first Aeon Mall in Indonesia last year. Meanwhile, the company is also adding three more branches in Ho Chi Minh City, and another in Hanoi," Mitsugu Tamai, director and executive general manager for Aeon Mall's Asean division, said yesterday. The company is also studying the feasibility of business development in Thailand, Laos and Myanmar, and hopes to have its first Aeon Mall property in Thailand by 2020, he said. (nationmultimedia.com)
EBRD loans $39.5 mln to Carrefour franchise holder in Georgia
The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) has allocated a loan of up to $39.5m to the Georgian subsidiaries of Majid Al Futtaim, the holder of exclusive rights to the Carrefour franchise, the EBRD said on Friday. The EBRD loan will be invested to open and operate new Carrefour retail stores across ex-Soviet country of 3.7m. (fox5dc.com)
Analyst: too much, too soon from Tesco?
A leading retail analyst has suggested that UK retailer Tesco might be doing ‘too much, too soon’ in terms of seeking to turnaround its performance in its home market. Stifel’s James Collins said that it was downgrading its recommendation on Tesco from Hold to Sell, saying, “We think Tesco is executing far better in UK stores, with a significantly improved value proposition, and that this is likely to sustain the recent improvement in trading. “However, we think the market has become too optimistic about how quickly this might translate into meaningful profit improvement.” (esmmagazine.com)
US: Instacart launches with H Mart
Asian supermarket chain H Mart on Wednesday said it has launched online ordering and delivery through Instacart in Philadelphia, and would expand to six additional markets in the coming weeks. Instacart H Mart delivery will be available soon in select ZIP codes throughout Orange County, Calif., Washington, D.C., suburbs, Atlanta, Chicago suburbs, Los Angeles and Houston. Instacart prices will match H Mart's in-store prices, the companies said. (supermarketnews.com)
Cambodia low on retailers’ wish lists
A new report from US real estate corporation CBRE puts Cambodia at close to the bottom of desirable destinations for foreign retail investment in Southeast Asia. The results are based on the seventh edition of the company’s ‘How Active are Retailers Globally?’ report, which showed that 26% of retailers worldwide who were surveyed identified Southeast Asian countries as target markets for 2016. However, Cambodia was identified as a potential target market by only 2% of those retailers surveyed. This was higher than Laos, which was of interest to only 1% of retailers. Every other country in the region recorded a considerably higher number. (phnompenhpost.com)
“Sainsbury’s and Argos tie-up can create an Amazon rival"
Delivery specialist Fastlane International believes that the merger of Sainsbury’s and Argos will create a “powerful retail force” that will “combine multi-channel sales with class leading delivery options”. Please, click here to read more.
Indonesian Matahari FY2015: sales up and profits plummet
Matahari Putra Prima, a multi-format modern retailer in Indonesia, has reported net sales of IDR 13.9tn (US$1.1bn) in FY2015, up 2.5% from the previous year. However, its net income dropped by 67% to IDR 183bn (US$13.9m). (igd.com)
AU: Effects test could drive up grocery prices, Coles boss warns
Customers could pay more for their groceries if the federal government goes ahead with an “effects test”, says supermarket giant Coles. Coles managing director John Durkan says the effects test could inhibit the ability of the big supermarket operators to offer discounts on groceries. (news.com.au)