Fruit and veg prices drop, but shoppers still feel the pain
Supermarket shoppers are still holding out for savings on fruit and vegetables after the announcement that prices have fallen. Woolworths New Zealand says better-growing conditions mean some produce is up to 30% cheaper than this time last year. But shoppers in Auckland say they have yet to see much of a difference. Woolworths general manager of fruit and vegetables Ryan McMullen told Midday Report that the weather situation had "significantly improved."
Source: rnz.co.nz
Enterprise Investors mulls sale of Croatia's Studenac: Reports
Polish investment firm Enterprise Investors, which owns the Studenac retail chain and Pan-Pek bakery in Croatia, is considering selling Studenac, according to media reports.
Source: esmmagazine.com
Isle of Man: Second Tesco superstore opened in island's capital
A second Tesco superstore is set to open in the Isle of Man's capital as part of the firm's takeover of a local supermarket chain. The supermarket at Little Switzerland, just off Victoria Road in Douglas, is the second store to be rebranded after the firm's buyout the of Shoprite's nine stores. Last month saw the opening of the first express shop in Castletown.
Source: bbc.com
Venturi Partners invests $25mln in Philippines' DALI Discount 
Venturi Partners (Venturi), a Singapore-based growth equity firm specializing in consumer investments across India and Southeast Asia, has announced its $25mln investment in DALI Discount (DALI), a rapidly expanding hard discount chain operating in the Philippines.
Source: technode.global
More than two thirds of UK shoppers relying on promotions: Kantar
While grocery price inflation has fallen to its lowest level since February 2022, increasing numbers of UK shoppers are turning to cheaper groceries and promotions to help manage their budgets, Kantar has said.
Source: esmmagazine.com
France: Shares in Casino suspended as new leadership team takes the helm
Shares in Casino will be suspended on Wednesday as a new leadership team formed around Czech billionaire Daniel Kretinsky takes control and its board meets to review the completion of the new company structure.
Source: reuters.com
Germany: Galeria sale down to last two candidates
Having received four binding takeover bids, Galeria Karstadt Kaufhof is now entering the final negotiation phase with two interested - but as of yet still unknown - parties. Both remaining takeover candidates are said to have experience in German retail and to be willing to buy more than sixty stores. This would be the preferred option of both the administrator and Galeria CEO Olivier van den Bossche, Zeit Online reports.
Source: retaildetail.eu
Coles deepens its relationship with shoppers using AI to understand the customer experience and improve efficiency in store
Coles has leveraged Microsoft Azure HCI alongside NVIDIA's A16 GPUs to run large-scale AI workloads with great efficiency. One example of how this is benefitting the retailer and its customers is how Coles uses Computer Vision to revolutionise the checkout process, particularly in the selection and scanning of fresh produce.
Source: news.microsoft.com
'Alibaba gaining popularity among European SME buyers'
Alibaba is making targeted efforts to attract European SMEs. According to the company itself, it has been successful: the number of SME buyers from Germany has increased by 14% in the past six months. Additionally, more and more British SMEs are using Alibaba.com as their procurement platform.
Source: ecommercenews.eu
UK & Ireland: Birds Eye expands portfolio with new trio of Steamfresh meals
Birds Eye is expanding its Steamfresh range with the launch of three new non-HFSS meals, crafted to tap into healthy midweek lunch and dinner occasions. Jess Ali, head of marketing for brand, vegetables, potatoes and plant-based at Birds Eye UK & Ireland, said: "Currently, there are minimal ready meal options in the market that combine great taste, convenience, and health in one. Our latest additions to the Steamfresh portfolio show our commitment to helping consumers eat more high-quality vegetables through an easy to prepare frozen format and will help retailers drive further growth in this segment".
Source: foodbev.com
UK: Aldi set to donate over 500,000 meals to good causes during the Easter school holidays
Aldi expects to extend its support of those in need this Easter by donating more than half a million meals during the school holidays. Britain's fourth-largest supermarket pairs its UK stores with local charities, community groups, and food banks to collect unsold fresh and chilled food year-round. In other news, Aldi reveals where it is opening new stores in the coming months.
Source: aldipresscentre.co.uk
South Africa's SPAR posts higher sales, but cost-of-living pressures linger
South African grocery retailer and wholesaler SPAR reported an 8.8% increase in turnover for the 24-week period that ended March 15, but they said operating performance continued to be impacted by currency swings and cost-of-living pressures.
Source: reuters.com
Jerónimo Martins invests around €93mln in extraordinary bonuses for employees in Portugal, Poland, and Colombia
The Jerónimo Martins Group will invest around 93mln euros to award an extraordinary bonus to around 90,000 of its operations employees (mostly from stores and distribution centres) in Portugal, Poland and Colombia.
Source: jeronimomartins.com
US: GrubMarket reflects on one year of the "Sustainable California" initiative
Throughout the past 12 months, GrubMarket has been working alongside the global reforestation non-profit One Tree Planted. A core achievement of the Sustainable California initiative has been the successful planting of over 100,000 trees, primarily across Northern California, including drought-stricken areas that had been ravaged by wildfires and deforestation.
Source: prnewswire.com
US: Colorado's bid to halt Kroger-Albertsons merger set for August hearing
A Denver state judge said that he will hear arguments beginning on August 12 in Colorado's case seeking to block Kroger's $25bln purchase of rival grocer Albertsons.
Source: reuters.com
US: Food Lion receives Energy Star Partner of the Year Award 23 years in a row
For the 23rd consecutive year, Food Lion has earned an Energy Star Partner of the Year Award from the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the US Department of Energy. The grocer is the only company in the country to have been recognized in this way for 23 years.
Source: progressivegrocer.com
Canada: Parkland puts 157 convenience store and fuel station locations up for sale
Fuel retailer Parkland Corp. has engaged two real estate firms to help it sell 157 of its gas and convenience store locations across six provinces. The Calgary-based company said it is partnering with NRC Realty & Capital Advisors LLC and Colliers Canada to find buyers for the locations, which include ones operated under the Chevron, Ultramar, Pioneer, and FasGas brands, as well as the On the Run convenience store banner.
Source: thecanadianpressnews.ca