Carrefour teams up with Barilla to fight food waste in Italy
Carrefour Italia has partnered with Italian pasta and sauces producer Barilla to reduce food waste in the country. The two companies have said that they are working together to educate their customers, encouraging them to use leftover vegetables with pasta, rather than throwing them away. (esmmagazine.com)
Former Asda chief calls for ban on plastic packaging
Supermarkets should stop using plastic packaging because the vast majority ends in landfill, the former head of Asda has said. Andy Clarke, who was chief executive of the supermarket for six years, says that billions of pounds of investment in recycling has failed to resolve the world’s problems with plastic pollution. He is calling on the industry to abandon plastic entirely in favour of more sustainable alternatives such as paper, steel, glass and aluminium. (thetimes.co.uk)
Italy’s Gruppo abate rolls out new store format in Sicily
Italian regional grocery retailer Gruppo Abate has rolled out a new store format located in Misterbianco, near Catania, Sicily. The retailer says that the new concept, Grande A, introduces an innovative shopping experience with the aim of radically evolving customer-acquired purchasing habits, providing greater simplicity and concrete savings. (esmmagazine.com)
Lidl to create 500 jobs in UK expansion
Discount supermarket Lidl UK said on Monday it would create 500 jobs with a new warehouse in Peterborough, central England, as it continues its rapid expansion in Britain. The firm said the new warehouse, which requires planning consent, forms part of its plan to invest £1.45 billion ($1.93 billion) in Britain in 2017-18. (irishtimes.com)
French Carrefour customers deliver groceries through Merci Voisin
Supermarket group Carrefour launched a new platform in France, called Merci Voisin (Thanks neighbour). This allows customers to have their online orders delivered at home for a small fee by other customers. (retaildetail.eu)
Three quarters of UK shoppers opt for most convenient food retailer
Almost three quarters of UK shoppers say that they usually choose the food retailer that is most convenient for them to use, according to new research from retail marketing agency Savvy. The organisation's survey also reveals that 71% of consumers feel convenience is more important to them now than it was five years ago. (esmmagazine.com)
Retailer Amazon steps up UK expansion drive
Retailer Amazon said on Friday it would open a new distribution center in Bolton, northwest England, in 2018, stepping up its expansion drive in its third-largest market outside North America. It said that, including operating costs, it had invested 6.4 billion pounds ($8.3 billion) in Britain since 2010 in logistics, order filling, research and development and head office functions. (Reuters)
US: Costco is 58% cheaper than Whole Foods, JPMorgan finds
JPMorgan's latest price checks point out that Whole Foods' value proposition still contrasts that of Costco. Prices at Costco, on a per-unit basis, are 58 percent cheaper than those at Whole Foods, the firm found. Costco was the least expensive option when JPMorgan looked at perishable groceries, dry goods and household items of various grocers. Please, click here to read more at cnbc.com.
US: Kroger to expand local and natural brands
Kroger hosted its first natural food innovation summit yesterday in Cincinnati, according to a press release. Going forward, the retailer plans to host a few of these summits every year. These summits will help the retailer expand its availability of local and emerging natural brands. Last year, Kroger sold $16 billion worth of natural and organic products. (fooddive.com)