7-Eleven is releasing its own handheld as merchandise
Major convenience store chain 7-Eleven has announced a surprising merch collaboration with Tetris, which includes the brand's very own handheld gaming device featuring the iconic '80s video game. Fashion and video game collaborations, like the many Pokemon merch partnerships with known brands, are no longer anything new in 2024, but Tetris may have been one of the last titles anyone expected to have merch of.
Source: Gamerant
Sprouts Farmers Market keeps the streak going
Sprouts Farmers Market continues to ride a strong wave as it reported another quarter of strong growth. The retailer's first quarter 2024 earnings registered a 9% year-over-year increase at $1.9 billion and comparable store sales growth of 4%. Gross profit came in at just over $722.3 million, which is more than $70 million better than Q2 2023. "We were pleased with our impressive financial results this quarter, with strength in comparable store sales, traffic, and ecommerce," said Jack Sinclair, chief executive officer of Sprouts Farmers Market.
Source: Supermarket News
Albertsons' Jewel-Osco holds massive lead in Chicago grocery
Albertsons, which operates under the banner Jewel-Osco in metro Chicago, maintained 22.6% of the market there in 2023, beating out big competitors like Walmart and Costco, according to a report from Axios. Walmart came in second with 16.9% of the 2023 market, followed by Costco at a distant 10.9%, according to the report. The top 10 list also included: Roundy's Supermarkets (Mariano's Fresh Market and Pick 'n Save) at 6.6%. Target at 6.3%. Sam's Club at 4.8%. Meijer at 4.3%. Whole Foods Market at 3.7%. Aldi at 3.7%. Kroger (Food 4 Less, Mariano's Fresh Market, Ruler Discount Foods).
Source: Supermarket News
Food Lion adds delivery in seven states
Food Lion is expanding its delivery range. The Salisbury, N.C.-based grocer will now offer delivery via Instacart in Delaware, Kentucky, Maryland, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, and West Virginia. The delivery fee will be waived for the first order of $35 or more placed on the Food Lion To Go website or app. The ramp up in delivery means that the retailer now offers pickup or delivery in over 90% of its 10-state operating area. "With the summer months approaching, we are excited to expand our Food Lion To Go Home Delivery services," said Evan Harding, director of digital and ecommerce, Food Lion.
Source: Supermarket News
UK: Cheapest UK supermarket revealed - winner is £31 cheaper than expensive rival
Aldi has once again been crowned cheapest supermarket - beating rival Lidl by £2.33. This is according to the latest supermarket price comparison by Which? consumer champions. Which? looks at prices at Aldi, Asda, Lidl, Morrisons, Ocado, Sainsbury's, Tesco and Waitrose to find the cheapest grocer.
The cheapest supermarket for a shopping list of 67 items in April was Aldi, where the total bill cost £112.90 on average across the month. In comparison, an identical shop at Lidl came to £115.23 on average. Waitrose was the most expensive supermarket in April, totalling £144.13 - a difference of £31.23 compared to Aldi, or 28% more. The list of 67 items included a number of both branded and own-brand items, such as Birds Eye Garden Peas, Heinz baked beans, Hovis bread, milk and butter.
Source: Mirror
UK: Labour MP and former Sainsbury's CEO clash over supermarket profits
Labour MP Bell Ribeiro clashed with former Sainsbury's CEO Justin King over supermarket profits. The pair appeared on ITV's Peston show on Wednesday to discuss UK supermarkets. Ms Ribeiro said: "I heard earlier supermarkets are profitable because they provide good service, that is not right. Supermarkets are profitable because they sell food and essentials and we need said food and essentials." Mr King replied: "We are going to disagree completely on that. I profoundly believe that the profit motive is the best way to run a business. The world comes to the UK to look at our supermarkets."
Source: Independent
UK: Aldi launches UK-wide initiative as supermarket plans to open hundreds of new stores
Aldi has launched a new nationwide initiative as the supermarket strives to expand its store estate. The supermarket is seeking input from members of the public as it looks for new locations to set up shop. The areas which have the most suggestions will be considered as part of the retailer's commitment to build hundreds of new stores across the UK. Aldi currently has more than 1,000 stores and is committed to continuing towards its long-term target of more than 1,500 UK stores. Jonathan Neale, Managing Director of National Real Estate at Aldi UK, said: "We want to make high-quality food accessible to all, but there are still some areas that either don't have an Aldi or have potential for more stores.
Source: GB News
Cambodia: Grocery deliveries expand market presence in Kingdom
Egrocery has been riding on the government's push for digitisation as it takes on new challenges and new markets. With Cambodia's grocery delivery market projected to hit the $140.9 million mark this year, as per figures from market research website Statista.com, the future of the industry is poised for unprecedented growth. The compounded annual growth rate of the sector is estimated to be as much as 18.66 percent in the next five years, to amass a market volume of $331.5 million by 2029.
The expectation for individual revenue or average revenue per user (ARPU) is $81.36 in 2024. The total number of users in this market in the Kingdom is tipped to reach 2.6 million in the next five years, with user penetration forecast to be 10.1 percent this year. Two of the leading names in the industry are Cambodian Standard Development & Supply Co., Ltd (CSDS) which started life in 2009 as Green O Farm while Grocerdel started in October 2019.
Source: Khmer Times
Portugal: Auchan completes acquisition of DIA's Portuguese operations
French retail giant Auchan has finalised its acquisition of DIA Group's Portuguese operations, significantly boosting its store count in the country. This comes after receiving the approval of Portugal's Competition Authority (AdC). The deal, originally announced in August 2023 and valued at €155 million, gives Auchan ownership of 483 Minipreço stores, adding to its existing 100 stores. This brings the company's total Portuguese network to 583 stores, including 30 gas stations, four warehouses, and a digital store.
Source: ESM Magazine
Scotland: Convenience store group sold out of administration to SPAR Scotland
In a deal facilitated by FRP Advisory, Scottish convenience store chain Eddy's Food Station has been acquired by SPAR Scotland's wholesaler, CJ Lang & Son Ltd, for an undisclosed sum. Callum Carmichael and Michelle Elliot, partners at FRP Advisory, were appointed joint administrators of Eddy's Food Station on 25 April 2024. The joint administrators conducted an accelerated M&A process, securing assets and operations across Eddy's Food Station outlets in Greenock, Larbert, and Leuchars. The acquisition ensures job stability for 35 employees, transferring them to the new owner. CJ Lang & Son Ltd is the wholesaler for SPAR Scotland and has over 300 stores across the country, an onsite distribution centre with a fleet of 55 vehicles and employs 1,800 people.
Source: Scottish Financial News
UK: Slight slowdown in supermarket sales; Asda and Aldi lose market share
New data released by NIQ shows Total Till sales growth at UK supermarkets slowed to 3.4% over the four weeks to 20 April, compared to the rise of 5.4% the previous month. This was due to inflation slowing again, the earlier Easter, and a drop in general merchandise sales (-8%). However, the analysis reveals that shoppers took advantage of discounts and promotions in the weeks following Easter, with spending on promotions at 25.3% – up from 24% last month. This was driven by an increase in promotional activity from brands, with value sales of these items up 36% compared to 32% at the same time last year. However, own-label goods (+4.8%) continued to outpace branded lines (+4.1%) in sales across all FMCG categories.
The NIQ data also confirms that omnichannel shopping is now engrained in shoppers' everyday lives, with over a quarter (27%) of households choosing to buy some groceries online over the four-week period. Online shopping sales rose 3.2%, with the channel's share of FMCG sales the same as a year ago at 12.6%. There was also an increase in visits to stores (+1.5%) compared to last year.
Source: Kamcity