Ahold and Delhaize profit up | Costco profit down

UK grocery prices continue to fall
Grocery prices in the UK have fallen to their lowest level in more than a year, according to research conducted by MySupermarket.co.uk. The mySupermarket Groceries Tracker monitors the cost of a basket of 35 grocery products on a monthly basis, and in February the basket cost £84.83, a fall of 4% compared to its cost a year earlier. Carrots and onions fell the most in price compared with January, both dropping 6%. Mushrooms and broccoli have both decreased by more than 13% since the beginning of 2015, while onions, bananas and cucumbers have also fallen by more than 10% in that period. (esmmagazine.com)

Target 'doubling down' on food, but effort will take time
Target CEO Brian Cornell said Wednesday that the retailer was "doubling down" on efforts to transform its food business, but cautioned it would be a long ride. "We're better off getting it done right than getting it done fast," Cornell said during a presentation for investors in New York. The CEO noted that food — which he described as an $18.5bn business at the 1,800-store retailer — had huge potential for growth at Target. (supermarketnews.com)

Ahold and Delhaize reports rise in fourth quarter profits
Two of Europe’s major supermarket chains, Royal Ahold and Delhaize Group, today announced rise in fourth quarter profits. Ahold and Delhaize, working closer to a merger, have raised their dividends as well. Netherlands-based Ahold made a 16% rise in profits contrasted to the previous year, making a net profit of $276m in the last three months of 2015. The company also has announced. Meanwhile, Belgium based food retailer Delhaize reported a a net profit of €114m in the fourth quarter. The company’s revenue rose 9% to €6.3bn. This is up from a net loss of €55m in the same period a year earlier. (internationalsupermarketnews.com)

More ugly produce coming to Loblaw stores across Canada
Ugly food can mean a pretty profit. At least, that’s the bet Loblaw is making with its ugly duckling line of produce aimed at shoppers looking to save money on the sky-rocketing cost of fresh food. The company launched its Naturally Imperfect line last March, offering ugly apples and potatoes to Ontario and Quebec shoppers as part of a trial run that later expanded to select stores in other provinces. (thechronicleherald.ca)

High grocery prices not to blame for Loblaw's profit fall
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Costco Wholesale Q2 profit down
Costco Wholesale Corp. reported that its net income attributable to the company for the second-quarter declined to $546m from $598m last year. Net sales for the quarter increased 3%, to $27.57bn from $26.87bn last year. Total comparable sales for the quarter increased 1%, while quarterly comparable sales, excluding the negative impacts from gasoline price deflation and foreign exchange, was up 5%. (rttnews.com)

US: Meijer shares $400M expansion plans
Meijer on Wednesday said it would invest more than $400m in new and remodeled stores this year across its six-state footprint. The investment includes the construction of nine new Meijer supercenters and 32 remodel projects. “We are pleased to continue to grow and invest in the Midwest communities that have supported us for so long,” CEO Hank Meijer said in a statement. “By keeping prices low and ensuring a great shopping environment, we are keeping our promise to our customers that we will provide the best one-stop shopping solution.” (supermarketnews)

US: Village Super Market posts 2Q profit
Village Super Market Inc. on Wednesday reported fiscal second-quarter profit of $6.3m. The supermarket chain posted revenue of $420.2m in the period. (cnbc.com)

Ukrainian Metro Cash & Carry supplies food to armed forces
The Ukrainian Ministry of Defence and the wholesaler Metro Cash & Carry signed a contract for the supply of food for the armed forces of the Western Naval Base Naval of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in Odessa, reports retailstudio.org. The Defence Ministry press service stated that an experiment on introducing an alternative military supply system has been successfully running for several months. It is expected that a contract will be signed this week concerning the supply of food to the National Academy of land forces in Lviv.

Sainsbury's bid for Argos takes a twist
The bidding war for Argos took a twist yesterday when the South African furniture group hoping to snap up the store made a bid for a French retail giant. Sainsbury’s has been given until 18 March to consider whether it will return with a new bid for Home Retail Group. (theguardian.com/ thisismoney.co.uk)

Turkey: Private-label pushes Migros Ticaret sales
Turkish retailer Migros Ticaret has reported a 16.6-per-cent domestic sales-growth increase for 2015, as well as consolidated top-line growth of 15.6%, amounting to TL 9,390m (approximately €2942m). The company says that its private-label fresh category strategies and focus on brand variety have all been instrumental in helping to improve its competitive position and, ultimately, its sales performance over the last two years. (esmmagazine.com)

China: Walmart to build eight new stores in Dongguan
Walmart recently signed a strategic cooperation memorandum with the southern Chinese municipal government of Dongguan to build eight new stores and a logistics distribution center that will cover the entire South China region in the city. (chinaretailnews.com)

No bids for Israeli supermarket chain Mega
While some parties that had previously expressed interest have decided to forgo bidding, sources believe that some potential buyers are waiting until the last minute to make an offer. (haaretz.com)

Online grocer HappyFresh enters the Philippines
Regional online grocery platform HappyFresh is debuting into the Philippine market in a bid to serve a growing urban workforce, especially working mothers who have little time to do their regular grocery shopping or simply want to avoid being hassled by traffic jams. (business.inquirer.net)

Billa Romania Competition Council examines takeover by Carrefour
Competition Council examines the economic concentration by which the group Carrefour takes control of retail business operated in Romania under the brand ‘Billa’ group Rewe. Rewe Group will maintain its other retail activities in Romania, focusing on its network of discounter stores. (internationalsupermarketnews.com)