Woolworths sets up unit to specifically rival Amazon Fresh

India: Demonetisation powers online food delivery -
While demonetisation and the sudden rupee note cancellation may have led to a decline in sales of e-commerce firms due to the slowdown in cash-on-delivery orders, it has seen a rise in sales for companies which are into the online food delivery business. For instance, foodpanda.in CEO Saurabh Kochhar said his firm has seen the number of orders going up by 40-50% since November 8. (financialexpress.com)

Co-op sets 80% recyclable packaging target
The Co-op has announced its ambition to have 80% of all its packaging recyclable by 2020 and is calling on other retailers to follow its lead on developing new packaging and working with local authorities to improve recycling levels, the company says in a press release. Two thirds of all plastic packaging used for consumer products in the UK is being sent to landfill or incineration, with only one third being recycled, according to figures from the Co-op.

AU: Woolworths is preparing for Amazon Fresh arrival
The company said it has set up an independent unit to respond to competition from online and grocery retailer Amazon, when it reportedly launches in Australia next year. New Woolworths board member, and former US retail executive, Kathryn Tesja, advised that the company has decided to establish a force, separate from those staff tasked with responding to competition from Coles and Aldi, to specifically respond to the threat from Amazon’s grocery arm, Amazon Fresh, according to The Australian. Woolworths has already begun rolling out its strategy by ramping up the quality of its fresh produce and local supplies. (powerretail.com.au)

Russia's Lenta recognised in supplier survey
Russian retailer Lenta has been rated as the number one partner for suppliers in the country, in a study carried out by Advantage. The survey of 164 suppliers ranked nine retail chains across five performance areas, with Advantage conducting 200 phone interviews and 1,345 completed questionnaires from leading management. Lenta scored an average of 46 points across all categories, seven points higher than the next best performers. The average score in the survey was 20. (esmmagazine.com)

7-Eleven Malaysia committed to store expansion
7-Eleven Malaysia is committed to further store network expansion, despite the economic headwinds in the nation. Releasing the company’s third quarter results, CEO Gary Brown said the network, now numbering 2057 stores, achieved sales growth of 5.5% in the three months to September 30, despite a sluggish retail market. However there was a “significant negative impact” from the increase in the minimum wage from July 1 on third-quarter profit. (insideretail.asia)

Sweden: Coop’s record online growth
Coop has revealed that online food sales increased by 58% in the first nine months of 2016. Coop attributed this to its partnership with Gastrofy, which combines the popular grocery bag service and online grocery shopping. Commenting on the development, Fredrik Johanson, Business Area Director for Online said, ‘We see that there is a service that our customers appreciate and makes them more loyal, which in turn means that our growth is accelerating … We have also expanded our customer base by making it easier to shop for groceries online’. (igd.com)

Lidl becomes first grocer to pay workers Living Wage
Lidl has announced it will adopt the new Living Wage Foundation rate in a pay boost for 5,500 of its workers, making it the first supermarket in Britain to do so this year. (independent.co.uk)

Brazil: Groupe Casino to focus more on food
Retail giant Groupe Casino has announced that it is to dispose of its Brazil-based furniture and electronics retail business, Via Varejo. According to the group, its board of directors were called on to 'evaluate potential strategic alternatives' for the disposal of the business, operated by its Brazilian affiliate CBD, in order to focus more on food. (esmmagazine.com)

European performance helps lift Couche-Tard in Q2
International forecourt and convenience business Alimentation Couche-Tard has posted a profit of US$324m in the second quarter of the year, a 22% decline on the same period last year. However, the Canada-based group said that its burgeoning European business is gaining traction. Same-store sales were up 3.4% in Europe, compared to +2.3% in the US and +1.2% in Canada. "Our global Circle K brand continues to gain momentum on both continents," said Brian Hannasch, President and CEO, Alimentation Couche-Tard. (esmmagazine.com)

Mid Europa Partners acquires Romanian supermarket chain Profi Rom Food
Mid Europa Partners, a private equity firm focused on Central and South Eastern Europe, said it has signed a deal for the acquisition of 100% of the shares of Romania's largest supermarket chain, Profi Rom Food, from Polish Enterprise Fund VI, for an undisclosed price. The transaction is subject to anti-trust clearance and is expected to close in the first quarter of next year, Mid Europa said in a press release on Wednesday. (seenews.com)

The Bank of Japan can't keep stores from cutting prices
While Gov. Haruhiko Kuroda’s vow to overshoot the Bank of Japan’s 2% inflation target caused a stir among monetary policy watchers in September, it’s yet to have an impact among retailers. Stores as diverse as supermarket operator Aeon, Mister Donut and Wal-Mart have all announced price cuts since Kuroda’s pledge, underscoring the weakness in Japanese consumer spending and the difficulty of overcoming the “deflationary mindset” that the BOJ set out to eradicate. Consumer prices fell for an eighth straight month in October, a government report showed Friday. (japantimes.co.jp)

Report predicts boost for foodservice offering 'Experience'
A consumer trend report by market research firm Euromonitor International has predicted an increase in the demand for foodservice outlets offering global cuisine and 'dine-in' meal kits, as well as more innovative food-retail spaces, such as Food Markets. The demand will be driven by consumers who increasingly shop for food with an 'experience' in mind rather than a meal. (esmmagazine.com)

Iceland takes on UK supermarket chain
The government of Iceland is taking legal action against the U.K. supermarket chain Iceland Foods, arguing that its appropriation of the country’s name has caused harm to local businesses. In a statement on Thursday, the Foreign Ministry in Reykjavik said it would ask the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EU-IPO) to “invalidate this exclusive registration on the basis that the term ‘ICELAND’ is exceptionally broad and ambiguous in definition, often rendering the country’s firms unable to describe their products as Icelandic.” (Bloomberg)

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