Flipkart has long claimed to be the leader of e-commerce in India, but it looks like their biggest competitor Amazon is a force to be reckoned with. The India Customer Experience Index 2016, published by Forrester Research, has stated that the US-based e-commerce giant beats the home-grown online marketplace in customer experience. (yourstory.com) UK: Waitrose to sell weather blemished pipfruit
Waitrose is going to launch weather blemished apples and pears into its ‘Little Less than Perfect’ range of misshapen fruit and vegetables. The apples and pears will join carrots, parsnips, onions and potatoes under Waitrose’s 'Little Less than Perfect' brand, following the successful launch of the class 2 vegetables earlier this year. The varieties of the apples and pears in the packs will vary, depending on what is available at any one time, showing how the range can adapt with the seasonality of the fruit.UK: Tesco trials recipe box kits in-store
Tesco's Recipe Box kits have been launched in 12 stores in an initial six week trial, according to reports in The Grocer. Priced at £8, each kit contains all the ingredients needed for a meal for two. The ingredients are packaged in a rustic cardboard box with windows, so customers can see the quality and freshness of the ingredients. (igd.com)Kroger named top US retailer
The Kroger Co. was named the No. 1 retailer, tied with Walmart, on the 2016 Kantar Retailer PoweRanking list. This marks the first time in 20 years that Kroger has reached the top of the annual list, which is determined by participating manufacturers. The list is designed to identify the manufacturers and retailers viewed as best-in-class by their major trading partners and to provide insight into what distinguishes them across key areas of the manufacturer-retailer business relationship. (csnews.com) 
UK: Morrisons Q3 Results: What the analysts saidUK retailer Morrisons will be pleased to see an uplift in its like-for-like sales in the third quarter, with a 1.6% increase recorded on the same period the previous year. Here's how the analysts saw it. Please, click here to read the article.
Edeka ranks first in Federal Cartel Office lists of top supermarkets in Germany
According to a study by the Federal Cartel Office, Germany, a few companies control about 85% of the food trade market. These are the most powerful supermarkets according to the study.Place 1: Edeka Group
Sales: Edeka 30-35bn euros
Percentage of sales in the total market: 25-30%
Locations: 11,000-12,000
2nd place: Schwarzgruppe (Lidl and Kaufland)
Sales: 25-30bn euros
Percentage of sales in the total market: 20-25%
Locations: 3,500-4,650
3rd place: Rewe / Rewe Dortmund
Sales: 20-25bn euros
Sales of the total market: 15-20%
Locations: 6,000-7,000
4th place: Aldi
Sales: 15-20bn euros
Sales of the total market: 15-20%
Locations: 4,000-5,000
5th place: Metro
Sales: less than 10bn euros
Sales of the total market: 5-10%
Locations: 300-400
Source: internationalsupermarketnews.com
UK: Albert Bartlett set to launch new varieties at Waitrose
Albert Bartlett is launching two new, year-round potato varieties at Waitrose this week. The new potato types are grown exclusively by the Lincolnshire-based producer. (potatonewstoday.com)US: Sprouts 3Q comps better than expected
Sprouts Farmers Market on Thursday reported a 1.3% comparable-store, sales increase during the third quarter, a figure that exceeded its expectations that sales would be flat as it worked through increased competition and ongoing deflation. The company's net sales were $1.0bn; a 15% increase from the same period in 2015. Comparable store sales increased by 7.5%. (supermarketnews.com)Germany: Rewe to acquire Coop eG group
Rewe will acquire Coop eG group, which achieved sales in 2015 of more than €1.2bn. Due to anti-competitiveness, Rewe and Coop have agreed to sell 11 outlets to the Bartels Langness Group, once the acquisition takes place. Rewe and Coop already had a purchasing co-operation, which had been in place for almost a decade and through which Coop procured up to 70% of its goods. The Coop eG group operates in Northern Germany and has around 200 outlets under the 'Sky' and 'Plaza' banners. (igd.com)Brazil's GPA mulls alternatives for Via Varejo stake
Brazilian retailer GPA SA is considering strategic alternatives for its stake in appliance retailing unit, Via Varejo SA, in an effort to concentrate on food retail amid a severe recession, the company said on Thursday. GPA has no timeline for its decision, Brazil's biggest retailer said, in a securities filing, adding that the decision had been unanimously approved by the company's board. (Reuters)Indonesia: Hero's fresh categories reported positive sales
Hero's result for the third quarter of 2016 sees sales in the food operations impacted by both negative like-for-like sales and store closures, while profitability has been improved. Improving fresh produce has been a focus of the retailer's food business and the fresh categories reported positive sales despite the decline in other categories. The retailer is taking action to restore sales growth in these categories, and is improving its supply chain efficiency. (igd.com)Aldi Süd seeks to become first major climate-neutral retailer in Germany
On 1 January 2017, Aldi Süd will become Germany's first major climate-neutral retailer, the company has announced. Aldi Süd has invested a lot in modern technology over the last few years to reduce CO2 pollution and to optimize the efficiency of its stores and logistics. Up to 80% of the electricity it uses is produced by photovoltaics. (esmmagazine.com)Spar India continues roll-out
Spar India has opened its 18th store as the grocery franchise continues its rollout. Spar India says it will continue to focus on its in-store range, expanding its own-brand products, which currently account for approximately 10% of store turnover. Spar India MD Rajeev Krishnan says the group intends to expand its footprint by 30% during the next 12-18 months. (insideretail.asia) 
More than a million online produce shops help Chinese farmersPlease, click here to read the article.
Online could boom in 2017 as baskets, frequency growPlease, click here to read the article.