Publix reports lower profits | Little sales increase for Metro

Publix stock price drops again after slow quarter
Publix's stock price dropped for the second straight quarter after the Lakeland-based supermarket chain reported moderate sales growth and lower profits for the second quarter. The grocery chain's second quarter sales were up 2.1% to $8.1bn, while same-store sales were up just 1.1%. Net income dropped $4.5m to $478.2m, a 0.9% decrease. (orlandosentinel.com)

Montenegro’s new DC to help agricultural producers
Montenegro’s leading food retailer Voli is investing €10m to build a modern distribution centre, which will be completed in 2017. Voli's owner said: 'Montenegrin agriculture producers will for the first time have guaranteed product placement, while customers will be provided with quality and standardised agricultural products'. (esmmagazine.com)

Metro Group sees marginal sales increase
Germany's Metro Group posted a like for like sales increase of 0.2% in the nine months to Q3, the retailer announced this morning. It said that its performance was 'on a par' with that reported last year, with its EBIT increasing 'significantly' from €487m to €1,170m in the nine month period. (esmmagazine.com)

Sweden: Axfood launches grocery bag service
Following an announcement earlier this year, Sweden's Axfood has introduced its new grocery meal bag service, with products available for home delivery. The new service, developed in partnership with Middagsfrid, offers five different options, including vegetarian, lactose-free and child-friendly meal solutions. These grocery bags also contain fresh produce. According to the retailer, ‘all bags have a high proportion of organic products. (igd.com)

Thailand's Central declares $89.6 mln tax on Big C Vietnam deal: report
Thai retail giant Central Group has declared around US$89.6m in tax on its acquisition of Vietnam's biggest foreign-owned supermarket chain Big C, local media reported. Big C Vietnam, which declared the tax on behalf of its new owner, has paid $17m of the amount, Tuoi Tre newspaper said on Monday, citing an unnamed source from the Ministry of Finance. The rest is expected to be collected later. The source did not comment on why the sum was much lower than the official estimate of $159m by the ministry's General Department of Taxation. In June the department sent letters to Central Group and France's Casino Group, the chain's former owner, demanding them to pay tax on the $1.04bn deal and threatening to block the ownership transfer. (thanhniennews.com)

US: Supervalu reports Q1 earnings
Supervalu reported its results for fiscal 1Q17. The company reported a 3.9% YoY (year-over-year) decline in its top line since its wholesale and retail businesses posted disappointing results. Supervalu’s total sales stood at $5.2bn, missing average Wall Street estimates by $100m. (streetreport.co)

Portuguese retailers challenge food security tax
The Portuguese Association of Distribution Companies (APED) has said that it will challenge the food security tax, created in 2012 by the Government, before the European authorities. Since its introduction four years ago, the tax has been challenged by both supermarkets and hypermarkets in court. Despite the controversy, almost all food distribution companies have paid the fee annually. (esmmagazine.com)

US: Raley’s to teach how to eat healthy.
Raley’s Supermarkets has introduced “Let’s Begin,” a multi-dimensional effort inviting customers to take small steps toward a healthier lifestyle through education, personal goal setting and sharing. Raley’s hopes to educate customers and help them select healthier choices. (supermarketnews.com)

UK: Tesco on the hunt for fourth marketing boss
Tesco’s CCO Robin Terrell is set to depart the supermarket after less than two years in charge of marketing. A Tesco spokesman has confirmed a “successor will be revealed in due course”. (marketingweek.com)

Ahold Delhaize become member of AMS and Coopernic
Following a period of speculation that once merged Ahold Delhaize would join AMS, with Delhaize re-joining the alliance, and therefore leaving Coopernic, it has been announced by both AMS and Coopernic that Ahold Delhaize will become a member of both. (igd.com)

Lithuania’s Maxima Grupė acquires Bulgarian stores from Penny Market
Maxima Grupė subsidiary Maxima Bulgaria has announced that it has acquired 12 stores from Germany’s Penny Market, part of the Rewe Group. The stores, located in Bulgaria, are scheduled to become part of Maxima’s T Market chain in the coming months, and will increase the retailer’s presence in the country to 60 stores. The acquisition, reconstruction and investment will cost approximately €7.6m, the company said, while the new stores will create more than 200 jobs. (esmmagazine.com)

UK: BIG4 to keep costumers by cutting petrol prices
Britain's biggest supermarkets are cutting the cost of filling up at the pumps, after facing criticism for failing to pass on falling wholesale costs to consumers. Supermarkets are dropping the price of petrol and diesel by up to 2p per litre. (igd.com)

Leaders urge closer bonds between retailers and suppliers
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