Ocado expects overseas deal while Q3 sales rise

AU: Spar expands cooperation with farmers from Tirol
Spar expands its organic image and the close cooperation with the regional farmers. A total of 3,600 products from 115 producers from Tirol are available in SPAR stores. Georg and Maria Pfurtscheller have an organic farm of about 10 hectares north of Terfens. The couple supplied the first Tyrolean organic carrots, which are exclusively grown for SPAR. And the fresh vegetables go directly from the field to the SPAR stores. (presse.spar.at)

Singapore: Honestbee & NTUC FairPrice partnership announcement
NTUC FairPrice and concierge shopping service Honestbee have announced a partnership that enables customers to have quality FairPrice products delivered quickly to them. (businesswire.com)

Botswana ranked second in 2015 African retail development index
Botswana has been ranked second in the retail market in Africa by the African retail development index with Gabon occupying the 1st spot, APA learnt here on Monday.The 2015 African retail industry index states that Botswana is often cited as a good example of what an economy can achieve in Africa. (en.starafrica.com)

UK: Ocado beats sales expectations and expects to sign overseas deal
British online grocer Ocado remains confident of signing its first technology deal with an overseas retailer this year and remains in talks with "multiple partners", it said on Tuesday. Ocado signed a third-party deal with British grocer Morrisons in 2013. That helped the firm in February to report the first annual pretax in its 15-year history. It said at the time that it aimed to agree an overseas technology partnership in 2015. "We’re still targeting to sign one this year," CFO Duncan Tatton-Brown told reporters. "It's been a busy summer as it would need to be if we're going to achieve the target that we set out," he said. The company has previously talked about looking to north America and western Europe for a deal that would see it licence its technology. Tatton-Brown was speaking after Ocado updated on third quarter trading. The firm said its gross retail sales rose 15.3% to £252m in the 12 weeks to August 9, having increased 15.7% in its first half. "We are pleased with the continued steady growth of our business in a retail environment that remains tough," said CEO Tim Steiner. Ocado's average orders per week rose 16.6% to 190,000, though average order size dipped 1.1% to £110.46. (Reuters)

UAE supermarket chain Lulu to spend $300m on Indonesia entry
UAE-based supermarket chain Lulu Group plans to enter the Indonesian market and will spend $300m by the end of 2017 opening stores and a central distribution network, the firm said on Monday. Lulu Group, which operates 117 stores across the Middle East, Egypt and India, will open its first Indonesian store in Jakarta by the end of this year. (arabianbusiness.com)

Morrisons' turnaround: fresh food offer 'has key role'
Morrisons’ focus on fresh food, with its Market Street concept, has a key part to play in its six-point turnaround plan, according to leading analysts. Please, click here to read more at foodmanufacture.co.uk.

Canada: Sobeys suffers in Q1
The Sobeys chain admitted that it may have rushed the integration of Safeway Canada, after reporting a drop in first-quarter profit. For the three months to 1 August, net profit was down 11.6% to C$108.8m, while adjusted profit was down 5.7%. Sales were flat at C$6.2bn, although like-for-like sales were up 1.2% (excl. fuel). (kamcity.com)

AU: ACCC reviews Coles proposal to acquire Supabarn supermarkets
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission has reviewed and released a Statement of Issues on Coles’ proposal to acquire nine Supabarn supermarkets in NSW and ACT. (ibtimes.com.au)

Brazil: GPA testing new format
GPA is testing a new small store format, according to Brazilian press reports. The new format, whose name has not been revealed, would fill a gap between Minimercado Extra and Minuto Pão de Açúcar. The stores will be located in suburban neighbourhoods and are likely to sell between six and ten thousand products. (igd.com)

Indonesian online grocery startup raises $12m for expansion
HappyFresh, a Jakarta-headquartered company that allows consumers to buy groceries online, has raised $12m of funding, solidifying the service's expansion plans across Southeast Asia. In a statement on Monday, the company announced that it has completed a Series A financing round — funding given to startups already generating some revenue — which was led by Sinar Mas Digital Ventures, the venture arm of local conglomerate Sinar Mas Group, and Singapore's Vertex Ventures, the venture arm of state-controlled Temasek Holdings. (jakartaglobe.beritasatu.com)

Carrefour's multichannel strategy
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Haggen receives millions after filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy
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Faustian bargain: Regret awaits Metro/Alibaba deal
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