Sainsbury’s takeover of Nisa grinds to a halt

India: Grofers increases size of sales basket
Online grocery startup Grofers said it has doubled its gross sales in the past four months, with current annualised sales of about $120m or Rs 768 crore, as it revs up its sales in the online retail segment, which is expected to see consolidation. (economictimes.indiatimes.com)

Sheng Siong to test waters in China
Singapore supermarket giant Sheng Siong could be looking for an alternate source of growth with its joint venture store in China. According to DBS Group Research, Sheng Siong's first store in Kunming, which spans 40,000 sq. ft, is expected to commence operations this year. "We believe Sheng Siong’s JV in China is a wildcard. If operations prove to be successful, in time to come, China can provide an alternate source of growth," analyst Alfie Yeo said. (sbr.com.sg)

Aldi to convert all fridges in UK
Aldi is to convert all its UK stores to use CO2 refrigeration, the German discount supermarket chain has announced. Up to 100 of its stores are set to be converted by the end of 2018, at a cost of around £20m. (coolingpost.com)

7-Eleven tops 10,000 stores in Thailand
CP All, operator of 7-Eleven stores in Thailand, has just reached a new milestone with 10,007 stores as of June 2017. The company posted gains in both revenue and net profit for Q2 due to aggressive store expansion, although same-store growth has declined. Convenience store sales grew 5.7% to THB 69.4bn (US$ 2bn) thanks to new store openings, while same-store sales declined by 1%. (igd.com)

Sainsbury’s £130m takeover of Nisa grinds to a halt
Sainsbury’s has put its exclusive £130m acquisition talks with Nisa on hold until it has a better understanding of how the country’s peak competition authority would handle the deal. The decision follows concerns expressed by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) over the proposed £3.7bn merger between Tesco and grocery wholesaler Booker. According to The Guardian, Sainsbury’s is still interested in Nisa, but sources said the pause in the talks had led to Nisa reopening talks with the Co-op, which had previously expressed an interest in a deal. (retailgazette.co.uk)

China’s fresh food e-commerce soaring
China’s fresh food e-commerce has recorded strong growth with trading volume soaring 80% YoY to RMB 91.3bn in 2016 (in Chinese), increasing steadily from RMB 4.05bn in 2012, according to a report by China E-commerce Research Center (CECRC). This figure is expected to jump to RMB 150bn in 2017. (mp.weixin.qq.com)

Scotland: Food sector helps retail sales return to growth
Scottish Food sales helped drive the 1.3% increase on a like-for-like basis, which excludes new store openings, compared to July 2016. Food sales were up 4.2% year on year, while non-food sales fell by 2%. (eveningexpress.co.uk)

Walmart Chile signs deal with workers, avoiding strike
Lider, Wal-Mart Stores Inc's main supermarket chain in Chile, has signed a new work contract with its employees, averting a possible strike, the union said on Monday. (Reuters)

Big C Thailand Q2: total revenues decline
Big C’s total revenues from retail sales, rental and service income, and other income, for the quarter reached THB 30,257m (US$ 909m), representing a decline of 10.7% over the same quarter last year. Negative same stores sales of 15.2% for the quarter pulled down the retail sales. This continues to be driven by the retailer's focus on quality of sales rather than absolute sales volume. Net income decreased by 27.9% to THB 1,609m (US$ 48.3m) for the quarter. (igd.com)

Sweden’s ICA posts profits increase in Q2
Swedish retailer ICA Gruppen has seen its profit for the second quarter of the year rise 23% to SEK 1.02bn (€110m), according to figures published today.This figure includes capital gains on sales of non-current assets and impairment losses totalling SEK 165m, the company said. The sale of ICA Real Estate in Norway, its InkClub business and the integration of IKI in Lithuania all affected the company’s operating profit during the period. Consolidated net sales for the period amounted to SEK 27.2bn an increase of 3.7%. (esmmagazine.com)

Inmar: Dim future for traditional supermarkets
Nearly one in four traditional grocery stores won’t be around in five years, according to the Future of Food Report released Monday by Inmar. Dollar share for traditional supermarkets will also continue to decline though 2021, Inmar projected, while most other formats including fresh stores, limited assortment stores and “super warehouse” stores will gain share and store count in the years ahead. Food e-commerce will also grow at a rapid pace, the report said. (supermarketnews.com)

Please, click here to enlarge.

Source: Inmar

Metro CEO: Grocery industry will be pressured by Ontario wage hike
The CEO of Metro says the grocery industry is facing “significant pressure” from the Ontario government’s plan to raise the province’s minimum wages next year. Eric R. La Fleche says the Montreal-based company will be exercising “strong control” over its operating expenses while striving to continue on a growth path — but didn’t say what measures it will take. (coolingpost.com)

US: Regional grocers struggle
Regional grocers are struggling to stay afloat in an increasingly competitive industry, creating an opportunity for national chains to buy up brands and shuttered stores, according to The Wall Street Journal. Marsh, Central Grocers and small chains like Brennan’s and Gordy’s have either closed stores or sold to national competitors of late. Kroger and Fresh Encounter recently bought 26 of the 44 Marsh stores for sale. Last year there were 25,380 full-service grocery stores with $2bn in yearly sales — a 6% drop from the year prior, according to research and consulting firm Inmar Willard Bishop. By 2021, the firm expects that number to drop to 19,000. (fooddive.com)

Amazon’s new two-minute ‘Instant Pickup’ service
Amazon is rolling out ‘Instant Pickup’ points in the US, where Prime members can retrieve their order in two minutes or less. The new ‘Instant Pickup’ service allows Prime and Prime Student members to shop for essential items such as food, cold drinks, personal care items and electronics. Shoppers order via the Amazon app at the pickup location, and then retrieve their goods from a self-service locker within two minutes or less. Each location with instant pickup will have a curated inventory on-site at all times, enabling the fast fulfilment time. (igd.com)