METRO to connect customers with suppliers

French organic chain NaturéO turnover up 42%
French organic supermarket chain NaturéO saw its turnover rise by 42% to reach €92m in 2016, according to LSA-Conso.fr. It opened 11 supermarkets over the calendar year, taking its total number of outlets to about 30. It plans to augment this with a further 20 or so openings over 2017, during which it will celebrate its tenth anniversary. (esmmagazine.com)

Walmart: sales increase in Mexico and China
Within Walmart’s international operations, sales increased by 3.0% on a constant currency basis. Ten of Walmart’s 11 markets delivered positive comp store sales, with growth led by Walmex and China, with comp store sales up 7.3% and 2.3% respectively. China continues to be a major area of focus for Walmart following the signing of a strategic partnership with JD.com. (igd.com)

CA: METRO to connect customers with suppliers
Canadian retailer METRO announced the adoption of its Responsible Procurement Framework and Supplier Code of Conduct for responsible procurement. These new initiatives will enable METRO to provide its customers with the responsible products they are looking for and to communicate its expectations and requirements to their suppliers to better meet the challenges in its supply chain. The Responsible Procurement Framework will first apply to METRO’s food-related activities and will be extended to other sectors in coming years. (eprretailnews.com)

Lidl opts for natrefs in Spanish logistics centre
Lidl’s biggest and most sustainable logistics centre in Europe features an NH3/CO2 cooling system from Cofrico, which designs, manufactures, installs and maintains refrigeration systems in Spain, France and Morocco. The German retailer commissioned Cofrico to provide the cooling system at the 12,000 m2 logistics centre in Alcalá de Henares, Spain. (ammonia21.com)

E.Leclerc begins delivery service in Slovenia
French retailer E.Leclerc has expanded its online platform in Slovenia through the creation of a delivery service. This complements the click-and-collect service offered by the supermarket chain in the Eastern European country, which operates two collection points, in Rudnik and Moste. For its food delivery channel, it has enlisted parcel distributer DPD Slovenia, part of the DPDgroup. The company delivers 3.6m parcels in over 230 countries daily. (esmmagazine.com)

Shoprite's Wiese says he'll learn from ended Steinhoff talks
Shoprite Holdings Ltd. Chairman Christo Wiese kept the door open for future cooperation with Steinhoff International Holdings NV, saying the two retailers had learned more about each other from failed merger talks. (Bloomberg)

Alibaba joins with Bailian to merge bricks and clicks
Online giant Alibaba has joined forces with Bailian – a large Chinese retailer with 4,700 outlets – to boost integration between traditional retailing and ecommerce. Sharing each other’s ecosystems, the businesses will launch a string of new tech initiatives. They will collaborate on the design of new stores that support cross-channel operations and ordering systems. (retail-week.com)

CA: Wal-Mart to focus more on everyday low pricing initiative
Wal-Mart Canada Corp. is going back to the future in its discount-pricing practices. The retailer is focusing more than ever on so-called everyday low pricing (EDLP), which was a foundation of its low-cost business model. In past years, it occasionally drifted to shaving weekly prices on a short-term basis and then raising them again. “We’re taking prices down on a more permanent basis for a minimum of at least six months, which is as permanent as you’re going to get in a price environment with inflation and deflation,” CEO Lee Tappenden said in an interview. (theglobeandmail.com)

US: Label Insight announces partnerships with Albertsons
Label Insight is partnering with Albertsons, Conagra Brands, Reily Foods and King’s Hawaiian to power up their transparency initiatives via SmartLabel, according to a company release. There is large consumer demand for more product transparency. A 2016 study the company conducted showed that information on the product label alone is not sufficient for most shoppers. (fooddive.com)

US: Jet.com to sell Wal-Mart in-house brands
Jet.com has started offering Wal-Mart’s in-house brands including Great Value, Equate and Sam’s Choice now that the companies’ online order-fulfillment centers have been linked up, a spokesman confirmed Tuesday. The move represents a small but significant step toward integrating last year’s $3.3bn acquisition of Jet.com, part of a push to challenge Amazon.com Inc. in e-commerce. (Bloomberg)

Walmart increases land purchase for New Florida DC
Walmart is doubling down on its East Coast distribution, spearheaded by one particular land purchase. Walmart now plans to purchase 271 acres for its refrigerated warehouse for a Central Florida facility, rather than its initial plans for 130 acres. Walmart has not stated whether this increase in land will change its proposed plans for the 600,000-square-foot facility which is also to store perishables. (delimarketnews.com)

Walmart China eyes up to 40 new stores
Walmart Stores says it plans opening between 30 and 40 new stores in China this year. Included in that number will be up to five new Sam’s Club outlets. In China, Walmart is seeking to develop new retail models to cater to consumers’ changing shopping habits. Walmart China will invest a further RMB300m (US$43.4m) in upgrading and refurbishing about 50 of its existing stores and improving its supply chain operation. (insideretail.asia)

Maxima LT launches ‘Low Price Guarantee’ campaign
Maxima LT, the Lithuanian business of Maxima Grupé has announced the commencement of a ‘Mažos Kainos Garantija’ (Low Price Guarantee) campaign that the retailer says will offer discounts on 1,000 of the group’s best selling products. If a product is available for cheaper in its rival stores, Maxima will reduce the price of this product. (esmmagazine.com)

Why Shoprite’s Nigerian expansion slows despite huge sales – Official
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Singapore online grocery market to grow by more than triple in 2020
There is no stopping the growth in the online grocery market in Singapore, as the new study by research firm IGD revealed. By 2020, the market is set to grow more than triple, from $130m to $500m. According to IGD, online grocery has a 1.2% share of the Singaporean grocery market. The firm forecasts online to take a 4% share of Singapore's grocery market by 2020, with a compound annual growth rate of 39%. (sbr.com.sg)

Portugal: Jerónimo Martins posts 7.2% sales increase in 2016
Portuguese retailer Jerónimo Martins has announced an increase of 7.2% in like-for-like sales for the year 2016. Group sales reached €14.6bn, 6.5% over 2015 (taking currency fluctuations into account). Revenue (in local currency) increased for all five of its banners: Polish banners Biedronka (+9.5% like-for-like) and Hebe (+27.5%); Portuguese stores Pingo Doce (+1.2% like-for-like, excluding fuel) and Recheio (+5% like-for-like); and Ara in Colombia (+110.2%). Net profit totalled €593m, up 14.5% on 2015, excluding the impact of the sale of its Monterroio manufacturing and services subsidiary. (esmmagazine.com)

South Africa's Massmart reports 16% jump in full-year profit
South African retailer Massmart reported an almost 16% rise in full-year profit on Thursday, as the firm controlled costs and closed some of its less profitable stores in a tough economic environment. Food and liquor sales increased by 11.7%, outpacing general merchandise sales growth of 1.5%, Massmart said. (Reuters)