Belgium: Jumbo: “Not going anywhere, but expanding into Belgium”
Dutch grocery chain Jumbo has seen a slow starting in Belgium than anticipated, however there is no indication of being a retreat from Belgium. Instead, the overall planning slows down up to fifty Belgian stores in 2025.
Jumbo has conceived its Belgian expansion in a different way and its Jumbo’s CEOs Ton van Veen, and Peter Isaac had to admit. It’s taking longer than they anticipated, yet there’s no reason to think of quitting: “Last year, we looked at things again and decided to say”yes” to growth further throughout Belgium, “they say in an interview by Belgian paper HLN. “We will not leave!”
“Conditions in Belgium are more difficult than we anticipated about four years ago.” the company’s CEO Van Veen adds. Jumbo believed that it would see lower prices and better margins in Belgium however, the profit of the market in Belgium is still very similar with that of the Netherlands. The company’s grocery chain has been operating at losses on a regular basis in Belgium (4.1 millions euros in the last year) however, he says it does not concern the company. However, Jumbo is focusing on the longer term “The time when we begin turning a profit is only many years away,” Jumbo claims.
Source: RetailDetail.eu
What makes Aldi’s food different from other stores in the way it is packaged
One another way that is not expected by many Aldi reduces costs is via its produce department. Regular Aldi customers might notice that the retailer does not sell produce in bulk bags instead of in individual. It’s because there’s a good reason that Aldi’s products are different from other retailers that’s all down to cost. Aldi offers its products in bags because it takes off the need to use scales in the stores. It means that shopping is more efficient for the customers and Aldi employees are also quicker at completing check-out.
Source: DailyMeal
UK The Co-op stores suffer PS33m to hit in only 6 months while shoplifting cases rise
Executives claim store employees are being verbally assaulted or even received syringes or knives pulled against them, with nearly 1,000 incidents per day over the first quarter of 2023. The executive team has warned that shop theft which is carried out by prolific offenders as well as organised criminal groups “is being recognized as one of the biggest problems that confronts UK community members.”
Matt Hood, the managing director of Co-op Food, said police personnel were only present for 2/10 of thefts, so thieves are released. The director added: “One of the things I am most furious about is the people who claim that it’s a crime that’s not a victimless one but it’s not like my colleagues in the store who’ve been verbally assaulted or who have been stabbed with knives or syringes ripped off of their bodies, are able to all testify for.”
Source: Sky News
Ireland: Aldi Ireland sign new deals in the amount of EUR26M together with 4 Irish suppliers
Aldi Europe has signed to sign four significant new contracts with Irish-based suppliers that will cost over EUR26 million. These new contracts and extensions are a continuation of ALDI’s ongoing pledge to its Irish supplier network that has grown to greater than 330 strong and with which Aldi is expected to spend upwards of EUR1.1 billion in the coming year. The company will be bringing only the best top quality Irish products in its stores throughout Ireland.
The four suppliers, a number of which have been providing Aldi for more than 20 years, are producing vegetable and fruit dairy products, as well as coffee. Some of the agreements will help ALDI opening up new international marketplaces for their products. The contracts announced during today’s National Ploughing Championships today, where Aldi showcases the products that is supplied to its stores of 160 through its supply chain of vendors.
Source: Retail News
Ukraine: Spar Ukraine supports local entrepreneurs
In Boryslav, the capital city of Boryslav the residents of Boryslav can benefit from a brand-new EUROSPAR Supermarket. The contemporary layout of the store with a wide selection of groceries that are available and the attention to the shopping experience have set the shop in a class of its own. In addition, SPAR Ukraine launched a new initiative targeting local producers and retailers with the aim of increasing the selection of local goods offered in the stores.
Serving the needs of the residents as well as nearby towns as well The newly opened EUROSPAR located in Boryslav is among the largest regional stores of the retailer. The sales area is nearly 1,000 square metres, it features numerous departments store. The retail store’s capital investment of $600,000 has resulted in an excellent customer experience. Apart from providing a wide range of assistance to independent stores in the local area, SPAR Ukraine now has an initiative that provides strong support to producers in the local area. A brand new contest lasting six months began in August 2023. It highlights SPAR’s assistance to entrepreneurs. It also provides training and professional advice on developing local products that are suitable for the store networks of retailers.
Source: Spar
Australia: Aldi named the best Australian supermarket for 2022 as per Roy Morgan
Aldi is once again named the best supermarket at Roy Morgan’s Customer Satisfaction Awards after saving the customers from a staggering $3.1 billion by 2022. The well-known supermarket chainthat has been awarded this award more than six times, has an average satisfaction of 96.16 percent. This proves that customers receive quality service and affordable prices while shopping at Aldi. Aldi’s group purchasing director, Simon Padovani-Ginies stated that a simple but constant commitment to the brand made this award feasible.
“We are thrilled that Aldi is now in the heart and pockets of Aussie customers to be voted the best supermarket in Australia of the Year in the hands of Roy Morgan for the third consecutive year.” Roy Morgan said.
Source: Perth Now
US Kroger accelerates the delivery of memberships, as the grocers push omnichannel usage
In an interview with the keynote speaker Tuesday at the annual Groceryshop event, Kroger chairman and CEO Rodney McMullen spoke to the great success of the retailer’s Boost membership according to Progressive Grocer.
“When you’re at the forefront in mind, you’re more likely to get more attention,” McMullen said, according to the study. “Well nearly 50% of our business in delivery comes generated by Boost users. We see it as an element of our overall plan and our hopes for customers to be enthralled by our experience, fall over our team members and to have a tremendous worth.”
This news highlights how effective the membership model for grocery delivery and the various companies, all the way from Walmart from Amazon to Instacart have benefited from. Overall, consumers order delivery directly from grocers significantly more often than from third-party channels, according to PYMNTS Intelligence from the study “12 Months of the ConnectedEconomy(tm): 33,000 Consumers on Digital’s Role in Their Everyday Lives.”
Source: Pymnts
Canada: Former Sobeys Chairman, CEO David Sobey dies
David D. Sobey the chairman emeritus at Canadian pharmaceutical and food retailer Sobeys Inc., has passed away aged 92.
The parent firm Empire Co. Ltd. has announced the death of Sobey who was the chief executive officer and chairman of the Stellarton the Nova Scotia-based grocery retailer on Tuesday. One of the country’s “big three” grocery stores, Empire operates its food retail division under its Sobeys Inc. subsidiary. Empire’s retail presence in grocery covers more than 1,900 food convenience and drug outlets across the 10 provinces. They operate under the banners such like Sobeys, Safeway, IGA, Foodland, FreshCo, Thrifty Foods, Farm Boy, Longo’s, and Lawtons Drugs.
Source: Winsight Grocery Business
US 94 percent of US consumers remain concerned about food prices
All meals cooked at home was 76.8 percent during August, as per an update to the category by The 210 Analytics (with the data supplied from Circana). “We generally see a decrease in the proportion of homemade meals in the summertime,” said Jonna Parker the team leader for fresh for Circana, “However, 76.8 percent is a record low in our monthly survey of shoppers as well as restaurants had a high interest in dining on premises (53 percentage of people) and takeaway (50 50 percent) as well as deliveries (20 %).”
“A couple of the consumers concerns we’ve tracked since the beginning of March have moved some steps towards the right direction. A little less worried with the present, and more optimistic about in the near future.” Ann-Marie Roerink who is director of 210 Analytics LLC, a San Antonio-based market research, marketing and strategies firm that published the study, which polled over 1,000 of the most frequent grocery consumers.
Source: Supermarketnews
US”Non-traditional” food retailers pose a “real danger for supermarkets
Supermarket owners wondering who’s eating off the grocery retail market share should not spend a lot of time looking each other in the eye According to Scott Moses, partner and director of the supermarket restaurant, pharmacy and advisory group in New York’s Solomon Partners.
At a meeting in the last week’s Groceryshop 2023 held in Las Vegas, Moses presented an extensive analysis of how the non-traditional grocery stores-supercenters and mass merchants warehouse clubs, specialized discounted grocery stores and dollar stores, as well as drug stores and the online retailers of grocery have steadily taken part of the traditional supermarkets’ share over the last two decades.
“For long I’ve been ringing the alarm over the growth of national discount stores like Walmart, Target, Costco, Amazon, Dollar General, Family Dollar, and Dollar Tree. I’ve also been warning about the danger these grocers pose to supermarkets and department stores, as we’ve witnessed over the past twenty years when department stores are being marginalized,” Moses said.
Source: Winsight Grocery Business