Profi extends network in Romania
German Aldi launches new restaurant concept
Portuguese retailer Jerónimo Martins has ended the first nine months of 2017 with a net profit of €285 million, down 43% year-on-year. However, if the sale of subsidiary Monterroio is excluded, the retailer's net profit was up by 7.1%. Consolidated sales increased 11% to €11.9 billion, boosted by activities in Poland, where the company operates the supermarket chain Biedronka. (esmmagazine.com)
Spain: DIA domestic sales slip back
Spanish retailer DIA has seen its gross sales under banner in its home market of Spain drop 4.0% (ex-FX effects) in the first nine months of the year, with its Iberia business (including Portugal), recording a 3.4% dip. The group said that the decline in sales was due to its current store remodelling programme. In the first nine months of the year, the company remodelled 500 DIA Market, DIA Maxi, and La Plaza de Dia stores; a total investment of around €75 million. (esmmagazine.com)
Finland: Kesko posts 9% sales increase
Finnish retail group Kesko has recorded sales of €8,058 million in the first nine months of the year, representing an increase of 8.7%. Operating profit grew to €267.7 million and diluted earnings per share rose to €2.16. (esmmagazine.com)
Profi extends network in Romania
Romanian supermarket chain Profi now operates stores in over 350 localities in the country, following its latest series of store openings this week. The retailer opened a new supermarket in the city of Victoria, as well as three new Loco stores in Smeeni, Vama, and Ciacova, and two City format stores in Botoşani and Dudu. (esmmagazine.com)
UK: Sainsbury's opens four new Habitat concession stores
UK retailer Sainsbury's is launching four new Mini Habitat concession stores in its supermarkets this month. The new outlets will be opened in Sainsbury's supermarkets in York, Manchester, Newcastle and London, taking the total number to ten. The retailer says that the new 2,000 square foot stores will follow the same footprint as the brand's current in-store formats, featuring a range of over 600 products, including furniture, upholstery, lighting, homewares and textiles. (esmmagazine.com)
German Aldi launches new restaurant concept
Aldi Süd has launched a pop up restaurant in the Old Academy, a historic building in Munich. This is not the retailers first foray into the restaurant business. Earlier this year it opened a pop up restaurant concept in Cologne for three months, with hot and cold meals served. All dishes were made freshly, using products from Aldi and the recipes were also available for customers to take home and try themselves. (igd.com)
South African Pick n Pay focuses on shoppers
Pick n Pay is continuing to find new ways to engage its shoppers and differentiate itself from competitors. They announced in its interim results that it had invested ZAR500m (US$37.3m) to lower prices across 1,300 items. This has mainly been on everyday groceries and fresh. The retailer has built on these price cuts by announcing a further 500 reductions. The cuts will focus on health and beauty products. There will also be a 20% off promotion on over 2,000 retailer brand products. Its range of retailer brands continues to evolve as it launches new baking and cleaning products. (igd.com)
Online strategy for Carrefour in Poland
Carrefour has launched the beta version of its online marketplace in Poland. The store will massively increase the size of its range enabling both its own and third-party retailers to sell through the site. Shoppers using the site will be able to have orders delivered to home or made available through click and collect counters in-store. (igd.com)
Poland: Leclerc cautious about online prospects
Leclerc Poland’s chief executive, Jean-Philippe Magre, said Leclerc is more cautious about online’s prospects in the country. Magre feels demand for ecommerce is not as established as it is elsewhere in Europe, but noted that Leclerc will develop an ecommerce solution at some point. The process to unify all its stores and develop a process to operate online is expected to take two years. (igd.com)
Amazon launches within 12 months in Sweden
Amazon will launch in Sweden. This rumor has been going around for quite some time, but now it’s just a matter of when, not if, Amazon will open Amazon.se to the Swedish public. Now the CEO of comparison site Pricerunner says Amazon will launch in Sweden very soon. “It’s happening in the next 1 to 12 months.” (ecommercenews.eu)
US: Kroger changes its Executive Vice President of Retail Operations
After 31 years of dedicated service to Kroger and 44 years in the food industry, the company’s Executive Vice President of Retail Operations Fred Morganthall is set to retire from the established company, effective November 30. Mike Donnelly, Kroger’s Executive Vice President of Merchandising, will take on Morganthall’s responsibilities. As of November 1, Donnelly will take on the joint duties of the two positions with the new title of Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer. (delimarketnews.com)