Coles completes restructure | Meu Super sees rapid growth
Amazon to expand fresh grocery delivery in Italy
South Africa's second-largest supermarket chain tested bitcoin payments earlier this year – but it doesn't plan to roll out the option to its stores anytime soon, according to its CEO. Pick n Pay, which operates in a number of African countries as well as South Africa, piloted a payment system in partnership with startups Electrum and Luno. That initiative was limited to a staff cafeteria, CEO Richard van Rensburg told BusinessDay in an interview, and is no longer active. (coindesk.com)
Brexit could lead to 22% increase in UK food prices: BRC
Shoppers in the UK could be facing higher food prices as a result of new tariffs if a Brexit trade agreement is not reached, according to the British Retail Consortium (BRC). As things stand, the BRC says that the average cost of imported food from the EU could increase by 22%. (esmmagazine.com)
Amazon to expand fresh grocery delivery in Italy
GDOWeek has revealed that Amazon is setting aside warehousing space to enable it to deliver grocery ranges, including fresh fruit and vegetables, in Bologna. Reports suggest that the extension of the service comes after the successful launch of Amazon Prime Now in Milan. (igd.com)
AUS: Coles completes restructure
Coles has created five new commercial business units with the aim to streamline supplier collaboration, plus has appointed a new CFO to assess business development opportunities. It has created new units for grocery, bakery, meat, deli and seafood, fresh produce and non-grocery. All unit heads will report directly into CEO, John Durkan, and will be responsible for total category merchandising. The idea behind the move is to ensure that category development is more customer-centric and that supplier communications and negotiations improve through being more streamlined and consistent. (esmmagazine.com)
Portuguese Meu Super sees rapid growth
Portuguese supermarket chain Meu Super has seen sales grow by over 14 times since starting operations in 2012, according to Jornal Económico. Turnover has being growing steadily at the chain, which is owned by retail group Sonae MC, going from around €7.8 million in 2012 to €113 million in 2016. Meanwhile, the number of Meu Super stores rose from 24 at the end of 2012 to a total of 260 by the end of 2016. (esmmagazine.com)
US: Hurricane Irma challenges Florida grocery pipeline
Hurricane Irma has pushed Florida’s grocery supply line to the brink, leaving shelves empty of staples days after the storm passed. Even a full week after the storm, some stores had empty spaces and shortages of basic items. Click here to read more at orlandosentinel.com.
US: Kroger launches Zero Hunger | Zero Waste plan
Kroger Co. this morning announced an ambitious plan to address what its CEO called the “paradox” of hunger and food waste simultaneously plaguing American communities. Dubbed the Zero Hunger | Zero Waste initiative, Kroger said it was aiming to end hunger in communities where it does business while eliminating food waste across the company by 2025. The effort includes establishing a $10 million innovation fund through the Kroger Co. Foundation to address food waste and hunger; accelerating food donations; improving the quality of donated meals; and advocating for public policy solutions to address hunger. (supermarketnews.com)
Study: Dissatisfaction with online grocery shopping increasing
A recent study from Morgan Stanley shows that the percentage of shoppers who tried online grocery shopping and were dissatisfied grew from 17% last year to 27% this year, according to Quartz. The study also found that 84% of those surveyed preferred to see and choose their own items. This number was unchanged from 2016. (fooddive.com)
Nielsen: Organic products are getting cheaper
Eighty-eight percent of U.S. households purchased organic food and beverages in the last year, according to Nielsen. Organic product sales grew 9.8% and volume increased 11.4%. Organic foods are expanding beyond pricey natural and fresh markets. Supermarkets, mass merchandisers and discount grocery chains now represent a combined 25% of organic sales, making them more widely available to a diverse group of consumers. (fooddive.com)