Belgium: Despite sharp rise in profits, Colruyt remains cautious
Colruyt Group's revenue rose by 11.9% to 10.8bln euros last financial year. Operating profit rose by 67.2% to 470mln euros and net profit by 78.1% to 357mln euros. Colruyt Group remains very cautious in its outlook: this year, the retail group wants to match last financial year's performance.
Source: retaildetail.eu
AWS to launch an infrastructure Region in Taiwan
Amazon Web Services (AWS), an Amazon.com company, announced it will launch an AWS infrastructure Region in Taiwan by early 2025. As part of its long-term commitment, AWS is planning to invest billions of dollars in Taiwan over the next 15 years.
Source: businesswire.com
UK: Fresh Direct launches seasonal range
Fresh Direct, the UK's leading foodservice fresh produce supplier, has launched its 2024 Summer seasonal range, including around 50 new British lines. Products such as Heirloom Tomatoes from the Isle of Wight, Padron Peppers and British sweetcorn have been added to the range, growing the amount of British produce that Fresh Direct sells to its highest-ever level.
Source: feast-magazine.co.uk
IT system, high costs keep up pressure on profit for South Africa's SPAR
South Africa's second-biggest supermarket retailer SPAR Group reported a 7.6% decline in half-year earnings as cost increases grew more than the management's lower-than-expected turnover growth, while IT system issues hit gross margin. The grocer said profit before tax from continuing operations fell by 11.2% to 1.1bln rand ($59mln) in the six months ended March 31 due to high finance costs.
Source: reuters.com
French retailer Casino to detail new strategy plan at year-end, CEO says
Reuters reported: "The new leadership of Casino will detail its strategy plan to revive the troubled French food retailer towards the end of the year, new CEO Philippe Palazzi has said. "We are currently working on a plan to boost value." Palazzi said, adding the detailed plan would be unveiled "at the end of the year."
Source: esmmagazine.com
Sweden: Axfood agrees to acquire City Gross for SEK2bln
Swedish retailer Axfood has reached an agreement with Bergendahl Food Holding to acquire 100% of the food retail chain City Gross for SEK2bln (€180mln). The acquisition will be financed through a combination of existing cash and credit facilities, the retailer noted.
Source: esmmagazine.com
SPAR Austria Academy in Vienna named "Ambassador School of the European Parliament"The SPAR Austria Academy in Vienna recently received the "Ambassador School of the European Parliament" certificate. This recognition was presented by the Federal Minister for the EU and Constitution Karoline Edtstadler.
Source: spar-international.com
Holland: Robotisation earns Picnic first gross profit
For the first time since it was founded in 2015, Dutch online-only supermarket Picnic is profitable in its home market. "This is an important milestone for us", CEO Michiel Muller told Distrifood. The positive results are due to the company's investments in robotisation: this makes order processing twice as efficient.
Source: retaildetail.eu
Lidl retains spot as Romania's top food retailer in 2023
Lidl retained its position as Romania's leading food retailer by revenue in 2023, a position it has held since 2020. The company reported growth of 17.6% growth, above the inflation rate, to reach RON21.7bln (€4.4bln). According to an analysis by the online portal Economica, based on the financial results published by the Ministry of Finance, the German discounter generated a net profit of over RON1.07bln (€215mln), or 2.2% above the level of the previous year.
Source: esmmagazine.com
Canada: Save-On-Foods to open new store in B.C.
Save-On-Foods is opening the doors to its seventh store in Kelowna, B.C. on Thursday (June 13). The store is located at the new Mission Village at the Ponds Development at 940 Frost Road. Shoppers can expect Save-On-Foods fare and offerings such as: fresh meat and seafood; a new bakery; flowers and plants; produce.
Source: canadiangrocer.com
US: Grocery e-commerce sales move down slightly in May
Grocery e-commerce sales totaled $6.8bln in May, a decline of just under 1% compared with the same period last year, according to data released by Brick Meets Click and Mercatus. Pickup orders accounted for nearly half of U.S. digital grocery sales, while delivery represented about a third of the market and the ship-to-home channel claimed a share of around 19%.
Source: grocerydive.com
US: Flashfood releases 2023 Impact Report: The Future of Food is Waste
Flashfood released its second annual Impact Report: The Future of Food is Waste at the ReFED 2024 Food Waste Solutions Summit. The report features interviews with a variety of expert industry voices, a case study on SNAP EBT usage on Flashfood and a deep dive on how food waste relates to nutrition and produce consumption in the US.
Source: businesswire.com
