UK: Amazon Now hits Lewisham and Battersea as on demand delivery service continues London expansion
Amazon Now has gone live in Lewisham and Battersea in London. This follows the launch during January of QLD1 - the first Amazon Now on demand delivery site in the UK.
Source: retailtechinnovationhub.com
Hofer overhauls operations in Slovenia, focuses on efficiency
Hofer, owned by the German discounter Aldi Süd, is upgrading its store operations and product presentation in Slovenia. This project includes digitalising its purchasing, logistics and sales systems to improve inventory management and ensure better product availability.
Source: esmmagazine.com
Auchan Polska acquires Bi1
Auchan Polska is expanding its presence in Poland's large-format retail sector by signing a franchise agreement for eight hypermarkets previously operating under the Bi1 brand. This move will take Auchan's hypermarket store count to 80, with franchise expansion being a core component of its growth strategy in the country.
Source: esmmagazine.com
SPAR country organisations supporting sustainable forest growth
SPAR Hungary continues to organise its major corporate events in a carbon-conscious manner, voluntarily offsetting emissions by planting 304 native fruit trees. Beyond offsetting emissions, the tree planting contributes to biodiversity, education, and the preservation of traditional Hungarian fruit varieties.
Source: spar-international.com
Croatian retailer Studenac Market opens new sustainable logistics facility in Dugopolje
Studenac Market has officially opened its new 23,000 sq m logistics facility in Dugopolje. Key features include significantly larger and more modern spaces and a higher rack height of 12 metres, fully centralised processes and an optimised layout with a larger number of loading and unloading ramps.
Source: retailtechinnovationhub.com
Grab to acquire Delivery Hero's foodpanda delivery business in Taiwan
Grab reported: "Grab Holdings Limited ("Grab") and Delivery Hero SE ("Delivery Hero") have reached an agreement for Grab to acquire Delivery Hero's foodpanda delivery business in Taiwan in cash for $600mln, on a cash-free and debt-free basis, subject to customary closing adjustments. Closing of the acquisition ("Closing") is subject to regulatory approvals and customary closing conditions, and is expected to take place in the second half of 2026".
Source: grab.com
Tokmanni Group reports improved profitability in Finland
Nordic retailer Tokmanni Group's 2025 financial results reveal improved profitability in Finland, despite a challenging consumer environment. Fourth-quarter revenue grew by 2.8%, to €510.8mln, while full-year revenue rose by 3.2%, to €1.73bln. Comparable EBIT increased to €48.2mln (9.4% of revenue) in Q4.
Source: esmmagazine.com
UK: Family first as M&S opens new food stores in Luton Bramingham, Hatfield and Farnham
M&S is opening three new food stores as it seeks to double the size of its Food business and attract more family shoppers. A new 15,000 sq ft fresh market style food store opened last week at Hatfield Oldings Corner, as well as a 16,000 sq ft Luton Bramingham location, set to be followed by a 18,600 sq ft store in Farnham this Wednesday.
Source: retailtechinnovationhub.com
Woolworths launches NSW's largest 'eStore' in St Marys - serving up to 6,000 weekly orders for Western Sydney
Woolworths Group reported: "Woolworths has officially switched on a $20mln high-tech "eStore" in St Marys, doubling online delivery capacity for thousands of families across Western Sydney - from as far as Blacktown to Blaxland. The 2,500sqm facility is the largest of its kind in the country, merging a traditional supermarket with an automated fulfilment centre, to fulfill up to 6,000 orders per week (allowing for easier, safer and more efficient online order fulfilment capacity)".
Source: woolworthsgroup.com.au
Amazon acquires Swiss robotics startup to test its machines for 'doorstep delivery'Amazon has acquired the Swiss robotics company Rivr, which develops four-legged machines for "doorstep delivery", as the tech giant invests heavily in automating its warehouse operations.
Source: euronews.com
A fuzzy forecast for produce demand
Merchandisers must combine disciplined analytics with practical operational awareness to forecast demand effectively and have the optimal amounts of fresh produce in stores, said Randy Riley, co-owner of GoldenSun Insights Inc., a Cincinnati-based fresh produce marketing and strategies firm.
Source: supermarketnews.com
Associated Wholesale Grocers expands AI shopping tool to member stores
Associated Wholesale Grocers Inc. announced it has moved its SmartMeals meal planning and shopping tool from a pilot phase to broader deployment across member stores. The tool, developed with Breez AI, is designed to help shoppers plan meals and make grocery purchases using artificial intelligence, while allowing independent grocers to integrate the service into their existing platforms.
Source: supermarketnews.com
US: Needler's Fresh Market revitalizes Nichol Avenue Corridor in Indiana
Needler's Fresh Market celebrated the grand opening of its newest location in Anderson, Indiana. The new neighborhood grocery store, which is a member of the C&S Wholesale Grocers family of companies, is located at 2810 Nichol Avenue. Designed with the local community in mind, the newest Needler's location offers: A wide selection of fresh produce, quality meats and everyday grocery essentials.
Source: progressivegrocer.com
US: Brookshire Brothers makes 4 top-level promotions
Texas-based grocery chain Brookshire Brothers announced four top executive changes, including a new CFO and chief operating officer. The company named Clay Oliver as its COO and Jessica Brown as Oliver's successor in the CFO role. The grocer also promoted Stephanie Cole to vice president of accounting and Jeff Bates to general counsel.
Source: grocerydive.com
