US: Meijer expands curbside grocery pick-up service -
More Meijer Inc. shoppers can skip the long grocery store errand and busy checkout lines this summer. The Grand Rapids-based business is changing the way people shop by introducing Meijer Curbside to its Rochester Hills, Brighton, Fort Gratiot and Lapeer locations in recent weeks, according to a news release. The company said it plans to have the service at 14 locations in southeast Michigan by October and 33 in Michigan, Indiana, Ohio and Illinois of its 228 locations by end of year. (detroitnews.com)Leclerc and Rewe establish Eurelec
According to reports in Lebensmittel Zeitung Leclerc and Rewe have established a new joint venture, Eurelec Trading. CVBA Eurelec was founded in Brussels in the middle of June, and follows the announcement from the two retailers that they will be looking to collaborate more on buying. Eurelec Trading will negotiate with international brands, while also investigating opportunities for operational synergies between the two 
companies. The reports suggest that Jean-Marie Malbranke, previously Rewe’s buying director, will lead Eurelec. Rewe and Leclerc have said that they will remain members of Coopernic, but the establishment of Eurelec suggests that the former could be set to be disbanded, with Delhaize merging with Ahold and the new entity likely to join AMS. (igd.com)Dutch SPAR first to offer same-day-delivery
SPAR Netherlands has announced that it is now offering same-day deliveries. The company believes that it is the first Dutch food retailer to offer the service. Online shoppers who place their order before 10 am can have it delivered from 4pm the same day. “There are no additional charges for this option and for orders of €50 or more the delivery remains free of charge, as is the case with the previously used ordering system,” said SPAR. (postandparcel.info)Spain: More Carrefour Express stores to open in Cepsa petrol stations
Carrefour has signed a new deal with Cepsa which will see its Express stores appear in more petrol stations across Spain. At present, 175 Carrefour Express stores exist in Cepsa service stations, and 85 will have opened during 2016. The new contract runs until 2018. (esmmagazine.com)Tesco Ireland sees return to growth in first quarter
British supermarket giant Tesco has reported near 9% sales growth in its Irish operations for the first quarter of its financial year — the three months to the end of May. According to the group’s latest first-quarter trading update, sales in Ireland jumped by 8.7%, on an actual basis, following on from four consecutive quarters of decline. In the corresponding quarter last year, Tesco Ireland’s sales were down by nearly 15%. (irishexaminer.com)Italian antitrust authority fines Lidl
The Italian Antitrust Authority (Autorità Garante della Concorrenza e del Mercato), imposed fines on the global discount supermarket chain Lidl, the world’s largest olive oil producer, Deoleo, and Pietro Coricelli amounting to nearly €1 million, for unfair business practices regarding their olive oil brands. (oliveoiltimes.com)
Morrisons says ‘sorry’ to suppliers for breaching groceries codeSupermarket chain Morrisons has said “sorry” after it was found guilty of breaching the Groceries Supply Code of Practice (GSCOP) in 2015. Click here to read more.
Ocado rises to Fresh challengePlease, click here to read more.
Spanish Mercadona to expand into Portugal
Spanish discount food retailer Mercadona said on Thursday it planned to open four stores in Portugal in 2019, the first foreign investment by the family-owned group after a rapid expansion in its home market. Mercadona said it would invest 25 million euros ($28.40 million) in the Portuguese project. (dailymail.co.uk)Tesco to sell coffee chain Harris + Hoole
Tesco PLC on Thursday said that it will sell coffee chain Harris + Hoole to Caffe Nero Group Ltd., as part of its plan to put greater focus on its core U.K. grocery business. (wsj.com)
Superunie has introduced a new private label brand, g’woon, which will replace the Markant and Perfeckt lables, which it is phasing out. The organisation has said the step is aimed at streamlining its own label ranges and simplifying the ranges carried by its members. Superunie said that g’woon branded products will bring more unity and clarity to the ranges. G’woon products have already started appearing in Superunie members’ advertising, with Coop spotlighting the brand on its web site. (igd.com)Grocery Manufacturers Association and applaud Senate agreement on national GMO labeling standard
The Food Marketing Institute and Grocery Manufacturers Association were pleased with the bipartisan agreement on GMO labeling reached between Senate Agriculture Chairman Pat Roberts, R-Kan., and Ranking Member Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich. “FMI commends the bipartisan Roberts-Stabenow agreement on biotechnology labeling and hopes that all senators will vote in favor of the compromise,” said FMI president and CEO Leslie Sarasin, in a statement. “A national standard for GMO labeling is essential if we are to avoid the economic costs incurred by a patchwork of differing state laws. By preventing this patchwork, the Roberts-Stabenow agreement will avoid greater consumer confusion, allow efficiency, and enable the industry to proceed in a more orderly and reasonable fashion to provide consumers with the information they want. (supermarketnews.com)