Spain: Spar wins the fight for tourists in southern Gran Canaria 
More than 4,8 million tourists visit Gran Canaria each year, and nearly 70% of them are concentrated in the south of the island, especially in the municipalities of San Bartolomé de Tirajana and Mogán. In this context, Spar Gran Canaria has consolidated its leadership in sales penetration and adaptation to the tourist customer, surpassing national chains that operate with more homogeneous formulas. HiperDino is not even present in this battle.
While national retailers focus on large formats and rigid opening hours, Spar has increased its presence in tourist areas, achieving coverage that allows it to capture a large share of the market, which represents more than 60% of tourist spending on food outside hotels. This strategy has led more than 40% of foreign tourists to choose Spar for their regular shopping.
Source: Maspalomas
Ireland: Tesco unveils plan to create 400 jobs and open ten new stores
Tesco Ireland has announced plans to create 400 new jobs across the country. The massive expansion is part of a €40 million investment that will see the retailer open ten new stores nationwide over the next 12 months. The new jobs will bring Tesco Ireland's permanent workforce to over 13,500 staff. Among the roles being offered will be customer assistants, grocery home delivery drivers and line managers. The ten new stores will be both larger supermarkets and smaller Express shops, bringing Tesco's total presence in Ireland to 193 stores.
Source: BusinessPlus
France: Carrefour and Coopérative U unveil Concordis, a new European buying alliance 
Carrefour and Coopérative U have decided to join forces to establish a European buying alliance called Concordis. This new alliance aims to increase the purchasing competitiveness of its partners by pooling volumes, ultimately benefiting consumers.
The new alliance will operate under a dual scope: negotiating purchase prices and offering international services. It will engage with multinational suppliers of branded consumer goods in the European countries where Carrefour and Coopérative U operate. Concordis will be effective starting with the 2026 negotiations and will initially run for a six-year term.
Source: Finanzwire
UK: Amazon expands UK grocery presence with new Gopuff partnership
From this week, Amazon customers nationwide will be able to order a wide range of groceries, snacks, drinks and household essentials from Gopuff via the Amazon website, with deliveries arriving in under 60 minutes, and as fast as 15 minutes in some areas. The launch follows a trial in Birmingham and Salford earlier this year, and marks a significant expansion in Amazon's third-party grocery proposition, with Gopuff joining existing UK partners including Morrisons, Iceland and Co-op.
To support the new launch, Gopuff is offering 50 core grocery lines price-matched to Aldi, along with promotions such as 3-for-2 on selected fresh produce, while Amazon Prime members are also being incentivised to try the service with free delivery on their first order over £20 and a 15% discount on their first six Gopuff orders.
Source: Grocery Gazette
Ireland: "Supermarket price probe must lead to decisive action to ease costs for families"
The latest consumer watchdog probe into grocery prices must have teeth, according to Social Democrats TD Jennifer Whitmore. Speaking ahead of the party's motion on supermarket transparency this Wednesday, Deputy Whitmore said:
"The Competition and Consumer Protection Commission has re-opened a probe into grocery prices, but the government has failed to give it requisite powers to do its job. A box-ticking exercise serves no purpose for the families around the country who are struggling to make ends meet. The rise in grocery prices, in recent years, has been astronomical. Many families are now spending €3,000 more a year to put food on the table than they were in 2021."
Source: SocialDemocrats.ie
Australia: ALDI trials grocery delivery with DoorDash
From today (8 July), Australians in Canberra can experience the on-demand service. Through DoorDash, they can order from more than 1800 products including "award-winning" fresh fruit and vegetables, meat, seafood, dairy, bread and household essentials.
"Since entering the Australian market, ALDI's mission has been to deliver high quality groceries at the lowest prices for Australian households and this ambition remains as strong as ever," says ALDI Australia Chief Commercial Officer Jordan Lack.
"Through our partnership with DoorDash, we can now literally deliver on this mission directly to Aussies' doorsteps in an exciting new way that we know our customers have been seeking.
Source: RetailWorld
South Korea: Vouchers leave Korean supermarket franchise owners in the cold again
As the government prepares to distribute up to 550,000 won ($400) per person in consumer vouchers starting July 21 to spur spending and aid small businesses, supermarket franchise owners find themselves left out — again. While mom-and-pop stores and convenience store franchises will accept the vouchers, large corporate supermarkets known as Super Supermarkets (SSMs) have been excluded, a decision fueling anger among hundreds of small business owners who run these stores under big-name banners. Owners argue the policy is unfair. Unlike big-box supermarkets or company-run outlets, nearly half of all SSM branches nationwide are individually owned franchises.
Source: Korea JoongAng Daily
South Africa: Major threat to Pick n Pay and other retailers in South Africa
Pick n Pay has warned that South African retailers face the growing threat of increased competition from the rapid expansion of the informal economy and its retail sector. In its latest annual results, the retailer outlined the country's difficult operating conditions, including low economic growth, high unemployment, inflationary pressure, and persistent infrastructure challenges.
"Consumers are increasingly price-sensitive, demanding better value and lower prices," Pick n Pay said, adding that the entire retail market is undergoing a "structural shift." This shift is being shaped by rising demand for discount and value-driven retail formats. "Cash-strapped consumers are increasingly turning to retailers that offer low prices, trusted quality, and convenience," the group said.
Source: Business Tech
U.S.: Publix is growing fast and opening more stores in the U.S. 
In a market saturated with large chains, there's a name that often goes unnoticed. There's a store that's gradually gaining ground with a very unique style. That store is Publix, the chain from the southern United States that keeps expanding. Founded and headquartered in Florida, it already has more than 1,400 stores in eight states. Its recent growth is focused on new markets with openings that are generating a lot of anticipation.
Publix has set out to grow beyond its traditional territories. Although Kentucky didn't have any stores from the brand until recently, that changed last year with its first location in Louisville. It was a milestone for the company, which brought its bakery pies to new customers in Kentucky and even to shoppers from Southern Indiana.
Source: Catalunya
U.S.: How Kroger, Albertsons are moving forward following failed merger
After two years of work on a deal that would have had extraordinary scale in the grocery industry, the attempted merger of The Kroger Co. and Albertsons Cos. was ultimately blocked by regulators and terminated in December 2024. How has each company's operations fared following their falling-out?
On March 3, Kroger revealed the resignation of CEO Rodney McMullen after an internal investigation into his personal conduct. A company statement emphasized that McMullen's alleged breach of corporate ethics was not related to the business, including its financial performance, operations, reporting or talent.
While not quite as dramatic as the Kroger CEO departure, Albertsons also made news with its own leadership change. On May 1, Susan Morris, EVP and COO, assumed the role of CEO following the planned retirement of Vivek Sankaran. Morris also joined Albertsons' board of directors, succeeding Sankaran.
Source: Progressive Grocer
U.S.: Amazon asks corporate workers to 'volunteer' help with grocery deliveries as Prime Day frenzy approaches
Corporate employees of Amazon were asked on Monday to volunteer their time to the company's warehouses to assist with grocery delivery as it heads into its annual discount spree known as Prime Day.
In a Slack message reviewed by the Guardian that went to thousands of white-collar workers in the New York City area from engineers to marketers, an Amazon area manager called for corporate "volunteers to help us out with Prime Day to deliver to customers on our biggest days yet". It is not clear how many took up the offer.
Source: The Guardian
Canada: Sobeys parent company Empire and Lactalis 1st to join Canada's Grocery Code
Lactalis Canada and Empire Company Ltd. are the first companies to formally sign on to the grocery code of conduct. The Office of the Grocery Sector Code of Conduct (OGSCC) welcomed Empire — parent company of Sobeys — and dairy company Lactalis Canada as its first supplier and retailer members.
While Canada's remaining major grocers — Loblaw, Metro, Walmart and Costco — endorsed the principles of the Canada Grocery Code last year, they must formally join for it to apply, the organization said. Final governance documents for the code are currently being completed.
Source: Progressive Grocer