Loblaw Companies Limited has announced that the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX) has accepted a notice filed by Loblaw of its intention to make a normal course issuer bid (NCIB), potentially signalling the company may repurchase as much as $1.2bn worth of its own stock. (andnowuknow.com)Sweden: Worlds first grocer delivers produce straight to shopper's fridge
In what it believes is a world first, Swedish market leader ICA has partnered with digital lock company Glue and PostNord in a trial where it can deliver products straight to a shopper’s fridge without them being at home. (igd.com)Walmex reports strong Q1
Walmex has reported a 13.2% increase in net sales for the first quarter of 2016, with EBITDA up 24.6%. Sales in Mexico were up 10.3% and increased by 7.5% in Central America, both at constant currency. (igd.com)Amazon UK names former Asda executive
Online retailer Amazon on Wednesday named Doug Gurr as the firm's new UK country manager, moving him from the same role in China. Amazon said Gurr will take up his new job in late May, succeeding Christopher North. Doug Gurr is a former executive of Asda. (Reuters)
Swedish Axfood launching e-commerce this springThis spring, Axfood is to launch e-commerce in Stockholm and Gothenburg, offering home delivery and click & collect, igd.com reports.
Sweden: Coop Sverige bridging grocery bags and online grocery shopping
Coop Sverige is partnering with Gastrofy, in a bid to combine the popular grocery bag service and online grocery shopping. The collaboration will allow shoppers to purchase ingredients for 6,000 recipes and customize their order according to how many people they would like the recipe to serve. (igd.com)Germany: Edeka reports strong 2015 results
With total sales up 2.7% to €48.4 bn, Germany's market leader Edeka continues to perform well. Sales performance was again driven by its independent retailers, who together enjoyed sales of €24.2 bn, up 3.7% on 2014. A total of 165 new Edeka stores were opened in 2015. For 2016 it plans to spend around €1.7 bn on improving the business. (igd.com)Russia's X5 Retail Group says Q1 net profit rises 23 pct yr/yr
Russia's second-biggest food retailer X5 Retail Group said on Thursday its first-quarter net profit rose 23%, year-on-year, to 5.1bn roubles ($78m). Earnings before interest, taxation, depreciation and amortisation jumped 25.6% to 16.5bn roubles while an EBITDA margin edged down to 7.1% from 7.2% a year ago. (Reuters)German Netto sales up 2.8%
Edeka's discount format, Netto has seen strong sales performance, with sales up 2.8% to €12.4 bn, strengthening its position in the highly competitive German discount market. It opened 134 new stores in 2015 and has invested heavily in improving the quality of its sales areas. (igd.com)Dairy Farm enters Cambodia
Dairy Farm, through its Malaysian subsidiary, has opened its first store in Cambodia, with the launch of a Giant hypermarket in the capital city. The opening of the first store will kick the start of the expansion plans for the retailer into the market. (igd.com)Online grocer Relay Foods slashes delivery fees
Virginia-based online retailer Relay Foods said this week it has slashed prices for its monthly home delivery subscription by 36% to $19 and expanded distribution schedules in all of its markets. (supermarketnews.com) Singapore: Sheng Siong’s Q1 profits grow 16.8% to $16.4m
Sheng Siong Group’s (SSG) 1Q16 results came in within our expectations. Revenue increased 5.1% YoY to S$208.5m and net profit grew 16.8% to S$16.4m, meeting 26% and 31% of our full year estimates. Revenue was driven by new store growth. (sbr.com.sg)Taiwan's father of retail eyes supermarket revolution
Taiwan's Hsu Chung-jen, credited with bringing convenience stores to the island, now seeks to remake the supermarket industry there, using his deep retail expertise and hints from Japan. The father of Taiwan's retail industry in 2014 became CEO of Chuan Lian Enterprise, operator of the island's largest supermarket chain, Pxmart. The company is working to beef up its heretofore scanty presence in urban centers with new stores featuring broader selections of fresh and prepared foods. The company targets 20% growth to 1,000 stores by the end of 2017. Please, click here to read more at asia.nikkei.com. LuLu to open hypermarket at Abu Dhabi's The Mall
Lulu Hypermarket has signed an agreement to open a 100,000 sq ft store in The Mall at Abu Dhabi World Trade Center, it announced on Sunday. The new hypermarket will focus on grocery and supermarket products targeted at the large multinational population in Abu Dhabi. (arabianbusiness.com)Argos and Sainsbury’s faces wait for approval on takeover
Argos owner Home Retail, which agreed last month to be taken over by British supermarket Sainsbury’s, said yesterday it did not expect to hear what the UK competition regulator thinks of the deal until August. (irishtimes.com)Pick n Pay FY: strongest turnover growth since 2010
South African grocer Pick n Pay posted a 26.4% rise in full-year profit on Tuesday, helped partly by cost cuts under a turnaround plan aimed at winning back market share. Sales grew 8.2%, outpacing last year's growth of 6.1% and its strongest growth since 2010, the company said in a statement. Sales growth was still slower than the pace of growth in bottom line - a sign that much of profit growth came from cost cuts. (Reuters)
7-Eleven’s venture firm gets a brain freezePlease, click here to read the article.