Italian food retail sees 3% turnover growth in 2024, Mediobanca says
The Italian food retail sector, including major foreign operators, reported a 3% turnover growth in 2024, following price-driven increases of 7.6% in 2022 and 7.7% in 2023, a Mediobanca study revealed. The research, analysing 124 Italian and 31 international grocery retailers from 2019 to 2024, indicated that major Italian groups generated €109.6bln in net sales in 2023, with foreign-controlled operators contributing €14.7bln (13.4%).
Source: esmmagazine.com
Holland: Accelerating AI innovation at Ahold Delhaize's 2025 machine learning operations conference
Ahold Delhaize reported: "This March, Ahold Delhaize hosted its second annual machine learning operations (MLOps) conference at the company's head office in Zaandam, the Netherlands, bringing together over 130 tech professionals for a day of knowledge exchange and collaboration".
Source: newsroom.aholddelhaize.com
UK: Man who worked on market stall as a teen launches own fruit and veg delivery business
A man who started his working life on fruit and vegetable market stalls as a teen, is bringing a taste of the traditional market to people's doors. He has started his own business delivering boxes brimming with fresh produce and people are delighted with what they have bought. Simon Hopkins, 50, from Sharpness, works full-time as a depot manager. Simon said: "I have seen a gap in the market for good quality and fresh vegetables at a reasonable price. With prices of food increasing, I looked to see what I could do to bring customers good quality products. With this in mind, I have set up Spud's Fresh Produce. We get everything so fresh the veg is still wet". Spud's Fresh Produce can also be seen at various markets in the Stroud districts.
Source: gloucestershirelive.co.uk
Italy: METRO opens new multichannel fulfilment centre in Olbia
METRO AG reported: "METRO Italy opened a new multichannel fulfilment centre (MFC) in Olbia in northern Sardinia. With the opening of the new location, METRO is expanding its strong position in Sardinia and complementing the existing locations in Cagliari and Sassari. METRO works with 95 local suppliers in Sardinia, who provide over 700 products from the areas of wine, cheese, cold cuts, fruit and vegetables and fish".
Source: newsroom.metroag.de
Australia and New Zealand: RELEX chosen by Woolworths Group to modernise replenishment platform
RELEX Solutions reported: "RELEX Solutions, a provider of unified supply chain and retail planning solutions, will partner with Woolworths Group, to implement the RELEX Replenishment solution in all distribution centers and 1,400 stores in Australia and New Zealand for the retailer".
Source: relexsolutions.com
Aldi Nord centralises sourcing to raise profitability
In order to make even more use of economies of scale, Aldi Nord plans to purchase even more private label products and promotional products on a European scale, to improve its profitability. Aldi currently purchases around a quarter of its promotional items centrally in Essen, but that share should increase to 90% by the end of next year. This should earn the discounter better purchasing prices, Lebensmittel Zeitung reports.
Source: retaildetail.eu
eZkrt launches grocery platform in the UAE to expand digital retail offering
Dubai-based e-commerce platform eZkrt UAE has expanded its services with the launch of eZkrt Grocery, adding daily essentials to its existing portfolio of over 100 product categories.
Source: khaleejtimes.com
Australia & New Zealand: Woolworths Group and Google Cloud extend partnership
Woolworths Group reported: "Google Cloud and Woolworths Group have marked a new five year strategic agreement aimed at further enabling the power of data and insights for the Group. Building on the robust foundation with Google Cloud, this renewed partnership will empower Woolworths to further strengthen data, insights, and automation capabilities".
Source: woolworthsgroup.com.au
US: Vallarta Supermarkets to open latest Los Angeles supermarket
Latino-owned grocery store chain Vallarta Supermarkets will hold the grand-opening of its newest store on April 23 at 7:15 a.m., in the Park Mesa Heights neighborhood of Los Angeles. Along with its customary fresh, quality produce and everyday goods, the new store will provide the following: Guacamole Station - made to order using 100% Hass avocados and the freshest ingredients, Vallarta's guacamole can be personalized with the newly added Pico de Gallo, tailored precisely to customers' taste.
Source: progressivegrocer.com
US: Albertsons records higher comps, sales as it refines pricing strategy
Albertsons posted $18.8bln in net sales and other revenue during its fourth quarter of fiscal 2024, an increase of about 2.5% compared to the year-ago period, the grocery company said. Identical sales rose 2.3% during the quarter, an improvement from the 1% comp sales growth Albertsons saw during Q4 of 2023. Net income for Q4 of 2024 fell about 31% year over year, to around $172mln.
Source: grocerydive.com
US: Schnucks joins DoorDash for on-demand grocery delivery and SNAP/EBT payment capabilities
DoorDash reported: "DoorDash and Schnuck Markets, Inc. announced a new partnership to provide consumers with access to on-demand delivery of groceries and daily essentials. In addition, Schnucks will accept SNAP/EBT payments on the DoorDash Marketplace".
Source: about.doordash.com
US: Fresh produce store blossoms in South St. Pete
Your Neighborhood Produce recently opened at 132 49th St. S. in the South St. Pete Community Redevelopment Area. The market is an extension of Kelli Casto's mission to ensure disadvantaged residents can access fresh fruits and vegetables. Your Neighborhood Produce operates under the Saving our Seniors umbrella, a nonprofit Casto founded to provide discounted medical equipment.
Source: stpetecatalyst.com
Hop to it! Walmart Canada's spring assortment is ready to get customers set for the season, including an Easter Meal for four for under $10 per person
Walmart Canada reported: "This year's Easter meal includes: A choice of ham or turkey; Delicious sides: Stove Top stuffing, broccoli and Betty Crocker mashed potatoes; Ocean Spray cranberry sauce and Club House gravy; A decadent dessert of Your Fresh Market pie and ice cream".
Source: walmartcanada.ca