New CEO for Asda

France: Auchan to open their first organic store
LSA-conso reports that Auchan is to open their first organic store, Auchan Bio, on the 8th November on the ground floor of a shopping mall in Marquette-lez-Lille (above Lille). The 450m2 store is important for Auchan Retail France, who are behind their competitors in both the organic and local sectors. (lsa-conso.fr)

Slovenia: Mercator returns to Bosnia and Herzegovina
Slovenian retailer Mercator has announced its return to Bosnia and Herzegovina with the opening of two shopping malls in Sarajevo and Banja Luka. The refurbishment of the shopping malls and the network consisting of 83 stores is the result of a rebranding operation which will see former Konzum stores reopen as Mercator outlets, a move aims to improve the positioning of Agrokor, the ailing Croatian food and retail concern and parent of the Konzum brand. (esmmagazine.com)

UK: Asda gets new CEO
Asda has promoted head of operations Roger Burnley to become CEO, replacing Sean Clarke after just 18 months and tasking him with building on the firm’s nascent recovery in the face of brutal competition. The retailer said on Monday that Burnley would succeed Sean Clarke as Asda president and chief executive on Jan. 1. Burnley is currently chief operating officer and deputy CEO. (Reuters)

AUS: Woolworths leaves Coles behind in supermarket wars
Woolworths unveiled strong first quarter food sales that continued to outpace the growth of rival Coles. Its comparable first quarter food sales at its Australian supermarkets rose 4.9% to $9.63bln, compared to Coles’ 0.4% lift in first quarter comparable sales, released last week. The retail giant said the comparable sales growth was achieved despite sharply lower fruit and vegetables prices, including “major” price reductions for tomatoes, lettuce and berries due to favourable growing conditions. (thewest.com.au)

Peru's retail sector ranks 9th worldwide
Peru is the fastest-growing country in terms of retail sales in Latin America and the 9th worldwide, the 2017 Global Retail Development Index revealed. According to Lima Chamber of Commerce, Peru's retail sector may expand up to 4.4% in 2017 and 6% in 2018. Please click here to read more at andina.com.pe

Kenya’s Nakumatt files for administration
Kenya’s Nakumatt has filed for administration after a slew of petitions from creditors owed millions of dollars by a company that started life more than 25 years ago as a small Rift Valley bed shop and became East Africa’s biggest supermarket chain. One source close to the company said Nakumatt, whose flagship Nairobi store was destroyed in the 2013 Westgate attack by Somali militants, said it owed creditors including landlords and suppliers as much as 20bln shillings ($193mln). (Reuters)

Amazon working on new grocery format
Amazon CFO Brian Olsavsky told analysts and investors on Amazon's Q3 conference call that the Seattle-based ecommerce giant is working on developing new grocery store formats as part of its integration of the Austin, Texas-based natural and organic grocer Whole Foods. (progressivegrocer.com)

US: Bristol Farms readies new concept store
California grocery chain Bristol Farms is poised to open a new concept store in the Los Angeles area that will feature an all-new food hall format, combined with several epicurean market stations and innovative taste experiences. Scheduled to open Nov. 11, the store will offer one-stop shopping for food and everyday needs at competitive pricing, while evolving Bristol Farms’ product offerings and implementing in-store programming. The concept store is described by the company as “a true culinary destination for families, foodies and everyday shoppers.” (progressivegrocer.com)