UK: ‘Disturbing’ rise in supermarket losses reported

UK supermarkets are taking action to tackle a “disturbing” 33% increase in retail losses compared to pre-pandemic levels, ECR Retail Loss has revealed. A benchmarking research session between loss prevention and finance leaders from ten top UK retailers, with a combined turnover of £192bln, provided insights into the risk landscape, with shop theft an area of considerable concern.Source: talkingretail.com

Relief on the way at supermarket checkouts for Aussie shoppers

Grocery prices have been steadily increasing in recent months due to inflationary pressure, but some items such as seasonal fruits and vegetables are more than 50% cheaper than this time last year, according to new data from Woolworths. Woolworths General Manager Fruit & Veg, Paul Turner said: "Last year customers saw inflated prices on fruit and veg driven by short supply as a result of flooding and cool growing conditions particularly in our veg categories. The good news this year is that favourable growing conditions are returning us to an abundant supply of veg which means some great in-season value for customers. In particular, we're seeing a plentiful supply of strawberries and blueberries in the season ahead so customers will start to see some great prices thanks to good growing conditions."Source: honey.nine.com.au

Picnic wants to reach half of Germany’s population

Picnic is taking further steps into the large German market: after starting in Berlin in June, the Dutch online supermarket has just launched in Darmstadt, Mainz and Wiesbaden. In each of those cities, more than 3,000 families had pre-registered on the waiting list, reports Handelsblatt.Source: retaildetail.eu

News Leek! ALDI's Kevin the Carrot to Turnip for Ireland in France

The nation’s favourite carrot is back - and this time he’s lining out in green with the Irish rugby team! From August 17th, Kevin the Carrot will make an eagerly awaited return to Irish television screens as part of ALDI’s new fresh food campaign launched as rugby takes centre stage in France next month.Source: retailnews.ie

British consumers curb their shopping in rainy July

British retailers reported a bigger-than-expected drop in sales in July as heavy rain put off shoppers who are also feeling the hit from high inflation and 14 back-to-back increases in interest rates. “It was a particularly bad month for supermarkets as the summer washout combined with the increased cost of living meant sluggish sales for both clothing and food,” Heather Bovill, deputy director for surveys and economic indicators at the Office for National Statistics (ONS), said.Source: reuters.com

Australia: Coles to delay its robot army after $120mln blowout

Coles’ army of factory robots will have to wait a while longer before they can get to work in the supermarket giant’s new automated warehouses, after the company confirmed delays to the construction timelines for the sites likely to cost more than $100mln. The ASX-listed grocery retailer is working with British retail technology business Ocado to build two robotic facilities for home deliveries in Victoria and New South Wales that are designed to remove many of the pain points of online supermarket shopping, like short use-by dates for fresh produce and out-of-stock items.Source: smh.com.au

Philippines: AllDay Supermarket net income soars to P172mln in H1

AllDay Supermarket, the Villar-led mid-premium supermarket chain, reported a net income of P172mln in the first half. This is a significant increase from P11.7mln a year ago. Revenues, meanwhile, grew by 6.6% to P4.9bln during the period.Source: philstar.com

Ministers criticised for scrapping new food waste laws for England

The government has been criticised for binning food waste legislation that campaigners say could have reduced food prices and helped tackle the climate crisis. The policy would have made food waste reporting mandatory for large and medium-sized businesses in England. According to research by the environmental campaign group Feedback, if it led to just a 1% reduction in food waste, food businesses would save an estimated total of at least £24.4mln a year.Source: theguardian.com

Instacart plans for September IPO in boost for US listings

Instacart Inc. is planning an initial public offering as soon as September, according to people familiar with the matter, adding to a potential rebound for US listings. The largest US online grocery-delivery company could publicly file its plans for an IPO with the US Securities and Exchange Commission as soon as next week, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the information was private.Source: bnnbloomberg.ca

US: SpartanNash Q2 sales tick up despite wholesale pinch from Amazon Fresh

SpartanNash capped off a solid fiscal 2023 first half as both its wholesale and retail businesses drove sales growth for the second quarter, with adjusted earnings in line with Wall Street’s forecast. In the 12-week quarter ended July 15, consolidated net sales edged up 1% to $2.31bln from $2.27bln a year earlier, SpartanNash said.Source: winsightgrocerybusiness.com

US: Food tech startup creates edible plant-based food coverings

Thanks to Mother Nature, fruits and vegetables have a “peel” which protects the delicate insides from drying out and rotting. Boston startup Foodberry is mimicking the work of Mother Nature by creating barriers for foods like hummus, coffee, ice cream, yogurt and peanut butter and jelly via coatings of fibers, phytonutrients, and minerals made through design principles and natural chemistries found in fruit skins and peels, the company said.Source: fooddive.com

US: Walmart raises full-year earnings forecast as grocery, online growth fuel higher sales

Walmart raised its full-year forecast, as the discounter leaned on its low-price reputation to draw grocery customers and drive online spending. Here’s what the company reported for the three-month period ended July 31 compared with what analysts were expecting, according to consensus estimates from Refinitiv: Earnings per share: $1.84 adjusted vs. $1.71 expected. Revenue: $161.63bln vs. $160.27bln expected.Source: cnbc.com

US: New retail food waste data reveals more than waste tonnage

A new ReFED report shows the percentage of retail food waste in the U.S. has dropped in the past three years, but not as much as had been thought. The Insight Engine update replaces old survey information with more comprehensive and current data from Pacific Coast Food Waste Commitment (PCFWC) signatories. PCFWC is a public-private partnership between governments and large food corporations - Walmart, Sodexo, Kroger, and Fresh Del Monte to name a few - along the West Coast. They are looking to halve food waste in their region by 2030.Source: waste360.com

US: UNFI to build new distribution center in Sarasota, Florida

United Natural Foods Inc. (UNFI) has broken ground on a new distribution center situated just north of Sarasota, Florida. Providence, Rhode Island-based UNFI said the 1mln-square-foot facility will replace an aging 734,000-square-foot DC in Sarasota while bringing the latest warehouse technology.Source: winsightgrocerybusiness.com

Subway's President of North America Trevor Haynes to step down after 18 years

Subway, one of the world's largest restaurant brands, announced leadership transitions that continue to build on the brand’s momentum and drive its transformation journey. After an 18-year tenure, Subway’s president of North America Trevor Haynes announced that he will leave the company at the end of the calendar year.Source: qsrmagazine.com