US: Serenity is key for triggering additional produce department sales
A relaxed produce shopper is an active produce shopper. That is an important lesson for merchandisers who are seeking to entice active produce customers to boost their purchasing of fruits and vegetables, said Russell Zwanka, associate professor of food marketing and director of the food marketing program at Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo.
Source: supermarketnews.com
US: Stater Bros. workers approve new contract
Employees of Stater Bros. voted to approve a new, three-year labor contract covering about 12,000 workers in Southern California. The new contract includes wage increases, a new supplemental pension plan, and changes to healthcare coverage that include quicker eligibility for new hires, according to the United Food and Commercial Workers Union. The contract covers workers who belong to several UFCW locals in the region, including Locals 135, 324, 770, 1167, and 1428.
Source: supermarketnews.com
Serve Robotics buys Vayu Robotics with focus on AI powered autonomous last mile deliveries
Serve Robotics, an autonomous sidewalk delivery company that was spun off from Uber in 2021, has acquired Vayu Robotics, a specialist in urban robot navigation using large scale AI models. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Source: retailtechinnovationhub.com
US: Warehouse Teamsters at UNFI win lucrative first contract
More than 300 warehouse workers at United Natural Foods Inc. (UNFI), represented by Teamsters Local 79, have overwhelmingly ratified a powerful five-year collective bargaining agreement. The first contract delivers up to an $8-per-hour wage increase, Teamsters health care coverage, and participation in the Teamsters Western Conference Pension Plan.
Source: prnewswire.com
US: Action is the answer for greater organic produce activity
Organic produce sales are rising, but merchandisers seeking to maximize business must avoid the curse of complacency. The approximately 5.4% volume sales growth for organic fruits and vegetables over the last year was nearly double that of conventional produce, reported Circana, a Chicago-based market research firm. And there are strong opportunities for even greater expansion if operators meet shopper needs, presenters said at the 2025 Organic Produce Summit in Monterey, California.
Source: supermarketnews.com
Ahold Delhaize announces intended divestment of 87 stores in Romania as part of post-closing obligations related to the acquisition of Profi
Ahold Delhaize announced that it has reached an agreement for the divestment of 87 Romanian stores with local Romanian supermarket company Annabella, which has over 30 years of history of operating in the Romanian market. This divestment is in accordance with Ahold Delhaize's post-closing obligations from the Romanian Competition Council (RCC), as announced on the 3rd of January 2025 following the acquisition of Profi. Of the 87 stores to be divested, 82 are currently operated by Profi, with the remaining five operated by Mega Image, Ahold Delhaize's other supermarket brand in the Romanian market.
Source: newsroom.aholddelhaize.com
New boss must get Intermarché Belgium out of the red
In Belgium, Intermarché will have a new chairman of the board of directors as of 1 September - again. Frenchman Laurent Boutbien's main task will be to improve the retailer's profitability. The new chairman succeeds current two co-chairmen Antoine Florival and Philippe Guilpain - the first of whom was only appointed in June 2024 - and will work with executive director Arnaud Meyrant, who came over from the Louis Delhaize group on April 1, 2025. According to the French trade magazine LSA, which broke out with the news, Boutbien is a confidant of Thierry Cotillard, the top executive of Société les Mousquetaires (SLM).
Source: retaildetail.eu
DESPAR Italia continues store growth in June and July
A series of new DESPAR Express stores have opened throughout Italy, focusing on convenience and proximity retailing for customers. In June, three new stores opened in the province of Liguria: in Albissola Marina, Borgio Verezzi, and Genoa. In July, new DESPAR Express stores also opened in the heart of Rome, as well as Potenza, Spinazzola, and Lu Bagnu. Each store focuses on local specialities and an optimised, yet comprehensive, instore offer to both locals, commuters, and tourists alike. This includes well-stocked delicatessen counters, fresh produce, and DESPAR Own Brand products.
Source: spar-international.com
Ireland: Profits up 29% to €40mln at BWG Foods on back of record €1.7bln sales
Pre-tax profits at wholesale group BWG Foods last year increased by 29% to €39.99mln on the back of record sales. BWG Foods UC, ultimately owned by South African-incorporated The Spar Group Limited, operates a number of retail and convenience brands in Ireland, including Mace as well as Spar, Eurospar, Londis and XL. New accounts show that BWG Foods UC achieved the profits as revenues increased by 5.6% from €1.62bln to €1.71bln in the 12 months to the end of September 2024.
Source: rte.ie
JD.com opens new warehouse in the UAE
JD.com reported: "JD.com, also known as JINGDONG, a technology and service enterprise with supply chain at its core, is pleased to announce the opening of its new warehouse in Dubai. The facility represents JD.com's first asset investment in the country, made through its infrastructure investment and management platform, JINGDONG Property, and is operated by JINGDONG Logistics. Located in Dubai's Jebel Ali Free Zone (JAFZA), the warehouse has a floor area of over 10,000 square meters and brings JINGDONG Logistics' total number of warehouses in the UAE to six".
Source: jdcorporateblog.com
SPAR Hungary invests €6.8mln in logistics
Over the past year, SPAR Hungary has invested more than €1.76mln in the development of its logistics centre in Üllő. More recently, the company added a new transhipment hub in Budapest with a further €5.04mln investment. The goal is to improve the efficiency of supplying stores in the country's capital.
Source: spar-international.com
Czechia: Online supermarket Rohlik increases sales by a third
Czech online supermarket group Rohlik continues its European advance unstoppably: the company recorded a sales increase of more than one third while profits also went up sharply. In the broken fiscal year 2024/25, Rohlik Group saw sales rise 34% to 1.11bln euros. The number of orders processed rose 35% to 17.5mln. Gross profit went up 38% to 389mln euros. This is according to figures CEO Tomás Cupr published on his LinkedIn profile. "And we have plenty of cash in the bank", he added.
Source: retaildetail.eu
'A reappraisal moment': Why Gousto is repositioning as a rival to traditional UK grocery 
Gousto hopes consumers will see it as a rival to supermarkets with its new brand positioning, 'convenience without compromise'. It's a move that sees the brand, which was founded in 2012, shift its focus away from gaining market share in the meal kit space. Instead, Gousto wants UK consumers to see it as the "smarter alternative" to traditional supermarket shopping. Now is the "right time" to reposition its brand, chief customer officer Murray Lambell tells Marketing Week. Gousto bounced back from losses of £8mln in 2022 to return to profitability in 2023 with an EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxation, depreciation and amortisation) of £26mln, followed by £42mln last year.
Source: marketingweek.com