Amazon shifts in USA
AmazonFresh will be pulled from a number of locations across the country. Analysts say the online behemoth is realigning its grocery business as it integrates Whole Foods. Vancouver will get its second corporate office, with spokespeople at pains to differentiate it from the highly sought-after second HQ.
Open and close
Sears will close another 63 stores following the end of the holiday shopping season as the retailer struggles to cut costs and return to profitability. German retailer Aldi attracted hundreds of shoppers keen for a discount to the opening of its first store in the Austin metro area.
Sealing the deal
Sources believe the mega merger between pharmacist CVS and health insurer Aetna could be finalised as early as next month. While the US$ 70 billion deal provides some protection from the much-publicised threat of Amazon, industry experts say the danger posed by UnitedHealth was likely a major driver of the deal.
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Alibaba moves in
The retail giant has launched an online trading platform in Malaysia, the first outside its home country. Together with a new regional logistics centre, the move aims to help users (mostly SMEs) conduct cross-border trade with fewer bureaucratic hurdles to manage.
Turning Japanese
A number of Japanese food brands have Singapore in their sights. Tokyo snack brands The Maple Mania and Tokyo Milk Cheese Factory are both setting up shop. Confectionary chain Morozoff has opened a standalone store there (paywall), with ambitions to expand into five countries in Southeast Asia.
International exchange
Pakistan is the newest location for Dutch retailer Spar under its global expansion plans. Australian retailers have begun to count down to the entry of global disrupter Amazon, tipped to officially start business there at the end of this month.
Buy and sell in Europe
Unilever will buy Starbuck’s Tazo tea business for nearly US$ 400 million. Ireland’s Total Produce hopes to cement its presence in America with the 50% acquisition of fruit company The Fresh Connection. Russian retailer O’Key is mulling the sale of its supermarket business as it looks to focus on hypermarket and discount stores.
Uncertain investment
Bakkavör, one of the biggest providers of ready meals to UK supermarkets, has axed its plans to float on the London stock exchange, citing volatility in the market. Soft drink giant Coca-Cola has reportedly threatened to cut investment in Britain over the proposed sugar tax.
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Responsible producer
Food heavyweight Nestlé plans to source only cage-free eggs for all its food products by 2025.
Up in smoke
Ontario has become the first Canadian province to have a detailed plan to sell and distribute recreational marijuana. It has confirmed the first 14 cities to host government-run pot shops. The industry is worth a potential CA$ 23 billion and entrepreneurs are racing to cut deals as the country nears full legalisation.
Bizarre bids
Amazon’s quest to find perfect location for its second HQ has captured imaginations as cities vie for its attention. The request for proposals attracted 238 submissions, including some slightly quirky bids. One included the offer to de-annex 345 acres of land to form the city of Amazon, while one took out a full-page ad in the New York Times and another sent Bezos a giant cactus.
Alibaba delights
The e-commerce heavyweight has blown away estimates after an ‘outstanding’ quarter thanks to strong growth in online sales, particularly at home. The Chinese superstar shook off what can traditionally be a quiet second quarter to record a 61% jump in revenue.
Moving in
Retail giant Walmart showed how seriously it is taking expansion in India, opening one of its first global fulfilment centres there. Chinese e-commerce major JD.com will open an online shopping site in Thailand in partnership with a local player as it looks to take on Alibaba in the region.
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Smartphone milestones
Rivals Amazon and Flipkart have each cracked 100 million app downloads on Google Play in India, as the nation embraces online retail. Customers of Woolworths can now add their loyalty card to their iPhone as the company continues to focus on digital trends.
Unstoppable growth
Morrisons enjoyed its eighth straight quarter of growth, as the UK grocer becomes the fastest growing of the ‘Big Four’ supermarkets. Discounter Aldi shows no signs of slowing in Ireland and the UK with new figures showing combined revenues jumped to GBP 8.7 billion.
Offshore acquisitions
German food manufacturer Südzucker’s US subsidiary will acquire pizza maker Richelieu for US$ 435 million. Consumer giant Unilever has completed its EUR 2.27 billion purchase of cosmetics company Carver Korea, as it looks to secure a stronger position in the world’s fourth-largest skincare market.
Loyalty matters
Spar UK is beefing up its rewards scheme with the introduction of the new Zapper app to its stores, which also combines mobile payment. Spanish cooperative Coviran has introduced its loyalty programme, Clube Familia, to six of its supermarkets in Northern Portugal.
Irma impacts
Publix Supermarkets reported a boost in sales over the quarter, as consumers spent some US$ 250 million stocking up on supplies ahead of the hurricane. Kraft Heinz delivered results falling just short of estimates, and warned the following quarter would be hampered by consumers working through emergency stores of tinned goods.
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Aspirational goals
German discounter Lidl will open its first of six stores planned for New Jersey as part of its expansion beyond its original entry into the southeast. Mia Supermarket, the country’s first publicly-listed Chinese/Asian supermarket chain, has changed its name to iFresh as it continues its fast-growing presence in the northeast.
Sweet ambitions
Confectionary giant Hershey’s will launch its first new candy bar in more than 20 years next month. The company says Hershey’s Gold recognises increasingly complex consumer tastes. Pepsi is selling 51% of its Thai business to Japanese beverage company Suntory as it looks to grow in the country.
