Discount Retail Chain Tiendas ARA (owned by Jerónimo Martins Colombia) competes in the Hard discount grocery format sector, with Tiendas D1 and Justo & Bueno. According to the preliminary results report presented in recent days by this Portuguese multinational, Ara's sales in our country reached 1,102 million euros (US$1.25 billion) the previous year, with a growth of 29% and 36% in local currency, which allows estimate that sales in Colombia stood at $5.3 billion. The excellent results of the year were leveraged especially by the recovery of household consumption, especially in the second half, food inflation that stood at 15.4% in the last quarter and the opening of 156 more stores to end with 819 stores. On the other hand, the brand's sales area grew by 24.4% in the national territory, going from 223,818 m2 to 278,547 m2 the previous year, which determines monthly sales of $1,602,599 per m2. In 2021, the company, in its report, says it has strengthened its position as an ally of Colombian families and, in a very difficult context, displayed the best combination of quality and price. In his opinion, the effort was rewarded by consumers, with a notable increase in sales. "In all areas, Ara consolidated its position in the neighborhoods where it operates and accelerated its expansion with a well-designed offer for the needs of consumers and with the growing recognition of the variety of the own-brand assortment," the report adds. Finally, the company foresees, by 2022, the opening of 150 new stores to reach a total of 969. See here for more: https://www.mallyretail.com/actualidad/mall-y-retail-boletin-407-noticia-3

Discount Retail Chain Save a Lot (owned by a number of institutional investors) grocery store found a very different shopping experience than the one I'm used to, says Frank Olito reporter at Insider. It seems there are three grocery store chains everyone talks about in the US: Trader Joe's, Whole Foods, and Aldi. But these stores can get very busy, overpriced, or difficult to get to. On a recent trip to the Midwest, however, Frank found an option I hadn't experienced before: Save a Lot. Like Aldi, Save a Lot is a discount grocery store, but this chain got its start in the Midwest, not Europe. Aldi opened its first store in Germany in 1961. It came to the US in 1976 when it opened a store in Iowa and has gone on to become a juggernaut in the states with over 2,000 locations. Save a Lot opened its first store in Illinois in 1977, eventually expanding throughout the Midwest and then to the East Coast. These days, it's located in over 30 states, and there are more than 1,000 locations. When I entered the Save a Lot in Chicago, I noticed how small the store was, with just seven aisles. On average, Save a Lot stores are designed to be significantly smaller than a typical grocery store, "making it easy to find the items you're looking for" and to "get in and out of stores quicker than large supermarkets," according to the company's website. The store was also designed to have wider aisles. Save a Lot's website says this is another design trick to help customers get in and out of the store as quickly as possible. Although the store was mostly empty when I was perusing the aisles, I noted how easy it was to move around and not have to swerve around other customers. The aisles were also great for social distancing while shopping. As I walked down the aisles, I also noticed the shelves were bare bones. Similar to Aldi stores, many of the items in the Save a Lot were stacked in shipping boxes, so employees don't have to waste time stocking shelves. On the consumer side, I realized this no-frills display made it easier to see and grab each product. Even the bread aisle was just a row of carts. The chain uses these simple displays to reduce costs. Signs above the produce section read, "Low prices. Every day," and "Get more. Spend Less," and these rang true. When I took a closer look, I noticed everything in the produce section was ripe, fresh, and cost less than US$3. The meat section was also reasonably priced. I was surprised to find ground beef that cost only US$3, while it typically costs me US$5 to US$7 at Whole Foods. A few steps down from this section was another wall filled with deli meats. There was a wall of products called "special buys," which had even bigger discounts. This section sold mustard, ketchup, and off-brand soda for less than US$2 each. The frozen-food aisle was one of the smallest sections, which surprised me. Typically, the frozen-food sections span for a couple of aisles in grocery stores, but at Save a Lot, there was only one wall. But I realized it had everything other grocery store freezer sections carry, like pizza, vegetables, popsicles, etc. Save a Lot just carried fewer options for each product. The limited options help keep Save a Lot so cheap. "We carry one size and one variety of each item," Dan Kimack, the former communications manager at Save a Lot, told the Daily Press in 2003. "If it's a can of whole-kernel corn, it's going to be one size and one variety, and it's going to be the most popular size and variety." The products on the shelves are curated to cut costs, which means you won't find many popular brands at Save a Lot. Aldi is known for its private-label brands, and Save a Lot is no different. The shelves at Save a Lot were filled with brands exclusive to the company. The shelves were filled with brands like Ginger Evans, Kiggins, and J. Higgs. The Save a Lot brands are named after employees who worked at the company. The McDaniel's brand of coffee, for example, honors David McDaniel, a former Save a Lot employee. The store does sell some popular brands, like Coca-Cola, albeit at cheaper prices. 2-liter bottle of Coca-Cola only costs US$1.78 at Save a Lot. For comparison, the same size soda costs US$2.19 at Target. I decided to buy three Save a Lot brand products. I bought J. Higgs' barbecue chips, Kiggins' cinnamon crunch cereal, and Sunny's chocolate chip cookies. Together, they cost just US$5. I later tasted all three and found them to be just as delicious as the more famous brands you'd find at bigger grocery stores. There were no lines at checkout, that's because I had to bag my own items in a separate area. The cashier handed me a plastic bag and my three items. I was then told to pack my own bags at the table by the windows. Although I could see this becoming a hassle if I did a large grocery haul, it was great for my three items because it made the check-out experience extremely fast. Save a Lot is not only offering a great shopping experience at low prices, it's also helping underserved communities. Most Save a Lot stores are located in underserved communities that larger grocery chains typically ignore. "I'm on disability and really have to watch how I spend my money," Betty Duffey, a shopper in Tampa, Florida, told the Tampa Bay Times in 2017. "At Publix, I'd spend US$200 a month for groceries. At Winn-Dixie, I'd spend probably around US$150. But at Save-A-Lot, I'll spend US$80 for the same amount of food." After shopping at Save a Lot, I thought this company has the potential to become the next big grocery craze. At this point, Aldi has a cult following with over 2,000 stores in the US, making it one of the most popular discount grocery stores. Save a Lot only has just over 1,000 stores in the US, but I think it has the potential to catch up with Aldi's popularity because the great deals, spacious aisles, delicious private brands, and focus on speediness is a recipe for success. See here for more: https://www.insider.com/shopping-at-aldi-competitor-save-a-lot-2021-7#there-were-no-lines-at-checkout-thats-because-i-had-to-bag-my-own-items-in-a-separate-area-15

Jeronimo Martins Group, (owner of the Biedronka discounter stores) reported for all 2021 an amounted of EUR 20.9 billion (US$ 25 billion), which means an increase of 8.3%. In the fourth quarter of 2021, income Jeronimo Martins amounted to EUR 5.7 billion (US$ 6.8 billion), which means an increase of 11.5%. The Polish Biedronka discount stores recorded EUR 3,9 billion (US$ 4.7 billion) revenues in the fourth quarter, after a height of 10%. The increase in LFL amounted to 9.8%. In 2021, Biedronka opened 164 new stores (135 net), exceeding their earlier plans. At the end of 2021, the Biedronka store network had 3.250 stores. See here for more: https://www.dlahandlu.pl/wiadomosci/,104963.html?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=dlahandlu.pl

Discount Retail Chain Aldi UK (German family owned) shopper can indulge in their favourite takeaways with the new fakeaways range. We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you've consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. If you are taking part in Veganuary and find yourself craving a takeaway at the end of the week, then get ready to hear about Aldi's new vegan fakeaway range. It's true that us Scots are partial to a good takeaway now and then, which means the discounter new plant-based range is perfect for those weekend cravings. The popular discounter's vegan fakeaway range was launched in-stores across Scotland today and takes inspiration from some of our best loved takeaways, including McDonald's and your local chippie. With items starting from as little as 99p (US$1.35), shoppers can reduce their meat and dairy intake without feeling they have indulged over budget. The supermarket recently expanded their plant-based menu to mark this year's Veganuary It comes as the supermarket recently launched their own vegan sausage, bean and cheese melt to rival the popular pastry from Greggs. Included in the new range are the Plant Menu No Chicken Nuggets, which is the supermarket's answer to McDonald's popular McNuggets. At just 99p (US$1.35) for 10, Aldi's nuggets are a whopping 72% cheaper than 9 McDonald’s McNuggets. The new fiery No Chicken Indian Spiced Strips, which were recently voted the 'Best Vegan Goujons’ in the Olive Vegan Supermarket Awards 2022 are also available for shoppers to try out. See here for more: https://www-dailyrecord-co-uk.cdn.ampproject.org/c/s/www.dailyrecord.co.uk/lifestyle/food-drink/aldi-launches-affordable-vegan-fakeaway-25967555.amp

Discount Retail Chain Lidl UK (owned by German Schwarz Group) reassures shoppers that it would continue with their promise to where they can get the "lowest grocery prices on the market." Lidl claims to be the fastest growing bricks and mortal retailer after a rise in sales during the busy festive period. We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you've consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. Popular discounter Lidl has claimed to be the fastest growing bricks and mortar retailer for a second consecutive year following a rise in Christmas sales. The discounter reported increased footfalls and a 2.6% increase in sales in the weeks building up to the big day during the festive period. It comes after high-street retailer M&S also reported a strong growth in Christmas sales that was boosted due to their food and clothing departments. Like their rival Aldi, the discounter reported that the increase in sales most likely came from shoppers switching supermarkets as they tightened their budgets during December. The supermarket reported that it seen a £21 million (US$ 29 million) increase from shoppers making the switch with sales up 21% from the previous two years. According to Lidl, their end of year sales were boosted by their bold Christmas jumper which was featured in their futuristic festive advert. With approximately one jumper sold every second on its first day of sale, the festive knit was the best-selling product of Lidl's popular middle aisle during the whole of December. Lidl's Christmas jumper was one of the many reasons they seen a surge in sales Christmas sales were also boosted by Christmas merchandise and gifts, as the company reports that eight million Christmas cards and a million rolls of wrapping paper were purchased by customers. See here for more: https://www-dailyrecord-co-uk.cdn.ampproject.org/c/s/www.dailyrecord.co.uk/lifestyle/lidl-fastest-growing-bricks-mortar-25949656.amp

Discount Retail Chain Lidl (owned by the German Schwarz Group) outperformed the rest of the French grocery market in the run up to Christmas, with rival Aldi also putting in a strong performance, the latest data from Kantar has shown. According to Kantar data for the P13 period (29 November to 26 December), Lidl posted growth of 0.6% points, taking its market share to 6.9%. The discounter attracted 450,000 additional households in the period, while also continuing to build customer loyalty, Kantar said. Aldi, which reported a 0.4% point increase to 2.7% market share, recruited some 900,000 additional households, many of which were former Leader Price shoppers. Strong Christmas Performance Other strong performers included E. Leclerc, the market leader in France, which saw its market share rise 0.3% points to 22.9% in P13, boosting both its shopper numbers and consumer loyalty. Carrefour gained 0.2% points to sit on 20.2% market share, with its Carrefour Market (+0.1% points) and Carrefour Proximity (+0.1% points) businesses driving this growth. Elsewhere, Groupement U reported a 0.2% point gain, to 11.3% in the period, while Les Mousquetaires saw its market share rise 0.1% points, to 15.2% market share. Overall, French households spent 1.3% less in supermarkets in the run up to Christmas 2021, year-on-year, however the level of spend was up 2.8% on the corresponding period in 2019, prior to the pandemic. The convenience and online channels both grew by 0.2% points each during the period, while there was a significant increase in home delivery (+25% in value terms), Kantar said. See here for more: https://www.esmmagazine.com/retail/lidl-sees-the-strongest-growth-in-france-in-run-up-to-christmas-kantar-159585

Discount Variety Retail Chain Poundland (owned by South-African Steinhoff International) is to open four new flagship outlets and extend its chilled and frozen food line as it defies challenging retail conditions to accelerate its presence on the high street. The rollout will include more than 30 new stores and relocations already in the pipeline, with four of the new stores being among the largest in the group. The first of the large format stores will open at Nottingham Riverside Retail Park in February, with more than 18,000 square feet of retail space, three times larger than a typical Poundland. 18,000 Square feet of retail space in Poundland's new store at Nottingham Riverside Retail Park. It will be followed by Teesside Retail Park in Thornaby, with a 15,250 sq ft ground floor and a 5,474 sq ft mezzanine. The discount retailer said it plans to extend its popular chilled and frozen food ranges to around 100 more stores between now and September, with the aim of passing 500 outlets next year. Poundland managing director Barry Williams said: “The coming year will see us step up our transformation programme, including some of our largest stores and widest ranges, as we become the Poundland we know our customers want us to be. “From groceries to clothing, homewares to frozen food, day by day we’ll continue to bring much more to customers in new and exciting stores tailor-made for where they live and how they want to shop.” The expansion news came as the chief executive of Poundland’s parent company announced that he is to quit the business later this year due to health reasons. High street veteran Andy Bond, a former chief of Asda, said on Wednesday that he will leave Pepco at the end of March but remain an adviser to the board until the end of the financial year. His departure comes after 10 years with the European retailer, which owns discounting stores under the Pepco, Poundland and Dealz brands across the Continent, including seven as chief executive and launching the company on the Warsaw Stock Exchange last year. See here for more: https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/business/uk-world/poundland-steps-up-expansion-despite-challenging-retail-conditions-41213850.html

Discount Retail Chain PENNY Romania (owned by the German REWE Group) opened 25 new stores this year, exceeding the threshold of 300 stores locally. The list of investments also includes the redevelopment of existing stores according to the new standard, so 100 such units have gone through the process and were reopened in 2021. Traian Despa, construction manager at PENNY: 'The average time for a real estate project to mature is 27 months. The construction itself takes less time, the longer the period of obtaining the documents.' Klaus Sattler, PENNY logistics manager: 'We prefer to invest in our own logistics rather than rent. It's like being in your own house, building it and preparing it exactly the way you need it.' The Romanian market continues to be favorable for expansion, both in the direction of developing our store network and in expanding logistics capacity. Voicu Sucală, expansion manager at PENNY: 'We have a clear plan, all stores will be remodeled in 2022 and we will reach 600 stores and six logistics centers by 2029. There is a lot of potential and enough space for development.' The low-cost chain store PENNY wants to double the pace of expansion to 35-40 new stores annually, compared to 20-25 recently, and 2022 is the first year in which the company presses the accelerator pedal. With your foot on the accelerator pedal. The activity of the PENNY retailer in Romania could be summarized as follows: more than 15 years of presence, over 300 stores, four logistics and business centers that approached 1 billion euros last year The chain of discount stores PENNY, owned by the German group REWE, is betting on an accelerated development in Romania in the next eight years, so the target is to double the network. See here for more: https://www.zf.ro/supliment-zf-dezvoltare-in-retailul-modern/

Discount Retail Chain Aldi Belgium (German family owned) starts the new year with a new slogan: 'Aldi, always smart'. The new baseline encompasses the messages that the discounter has delivered in the past and emphasizes easy shopping. “This repositioning allows us to distinguish ourselves more from the competition.” After his latest store concept that Aldi proposed at the end of last year in the Herenthout storeand Jodoigne, the discounter again comes with an innovation: a new slogan. It is no longer 'High quality, low price', but 'Aldi, always smart'. “With our new baseline, we want to make it clear that it is always smart to shop at Aldi,” emphasizes Isabel Henderick, managing director of marketing & communication at Aldi. “When the consumer thinks about smart shopping, a range of qualities comes to mind that Aldi offers an answer to, such as low prices, confidence in quality, strong promotions, quick shopping and simplicity.” That simplicity is not only reflected in his entire logistics chain, but also in shopping. For example, think of the wide but not in-depth range to avoid stress of choice or the small interventions that Aldi made in its renovated store in Herenthout to make shopping even easier. “The simplicity we bring and the benefits we derive from this translate into low prices for the customer,” continues Henderick. “We always focus on efficiency that benefits the customer. It is therefore important to explain why we make which choices. This way, consumers find out about the benefits they get by shopping with us and we convince them that it is smart shopping.” The slogan may change, but the principle of high quality and low prices still applies. “The big advantage of our new slogan 'Aldi, always smart' is that it functions as a peg on which we can hang all our messages and innovations from the past. Moreover, this repositioning also sets us apart from the competition.” In addition to the new slogan, Aldi's visual identity is also getting a makeover, thanks to the help of partner Serviceplan. "Through the typical Aldi colors and blue and white bars, Aldi makes its brand recognizable and uniform. The new style exudes simplicity and will be used in all channels: from the well-known and award-winning folder over online bannering and social media channels to commercials on radio and TV, starting this week, all communications will be in line with the new brand identity," concludes Isabel Henderick. See here for more: https://www.gondola.be/nl/news/aldi-lanceert-nieuwe-slogan

Discount Retail Chain Lidl France (owned by the German Schwarz Group) is releasing its sneakers on January 2 with always the same recipe: a very limited number of copies at an unbeatable price (12.99 euros). Lidl sneakers are making a comeback. Sold for the first time in the summer of 2020, these products were torn off in stores with out of stock in just a few hours. On January 2, the sneakers will return to the shelves, still sold for 12.99 euros (US$15.6) per pair. The collection will also feature two leggings and tracksuit sets. The German distributor is once again relying on a proven recipe: selling products in its own colors (yellow, blue and red), at unbeatable prices and above all, in very limited quantities to create desirability. Pool sliders, socks, beach towel, t-shirt ... Lidl has perfect control over its marketing strategy. A few weeks ago, the German brand unveiled Christmas sweaters, taking the aesthetic of the "ugly" American Christmas sweater, sold for 9.99 euros (US$12). Just a few hours after they were put on the shelves, they were already sold for three to four times the price on the internet. According to Le Bon Coin, Lidl Christmas sweaters were the fourth most wanted product on the platform last week, for an average price of 30 euros. But the sweaters did not break the record for sneakers in Lidl's colors. In 2020, an auction on eBay had reached 465 euros (US$558), almost 35 times their original price, recalls the Huffington Post. See here for more: https://www-bfmtv-com.cdn.ampproject.org/c/s/www.bfmtv.com/amp/economie/consommation/lidl-va-remettre-en-vente-ses-celebres-baskets_AN-202112310158.html

Discount Variety Retail Chain B&M (privately owned by the UK investors Simon and Bobby Arora) has forecast that its annual profit will be ahead of estimates, following the discount retailer's decision to take delivery of imported stock earlier than usual. "Our decision to take receipt of imported Christmas stock early in the season meant we were able to provide customers with great products at great prices," chief executive officer Simon Arora said. "The consistency of performance in the core B&M UK business reflects the growing appeal of our stores as a destination visit for seasonal products, as well as the strength of our supply chain." Supply Chain Challenges UK retailers are currently grappling with global supply chain bottlenecks, domestic labour shortages and stricter restrictions during the holidays to tackle a surge in COVID-19 infections due to the Omicron variant. Commenting on this, Arora added, "Although the pandemic continues to create challenges for retailers and consumers alike, our relentless focus on value-for-money remains undiminished. Despite ongoing supply chain disruption, inflationary pressures and uncertainty surrounding possible COVID-related restrictions, we remain confident in B&M’s prospects for 2022.” B&M, which sells everything from food to gardening and DIY products, said it now expects group adjusted core earnings for the 12 months ending March between £605 million (US$868 million) and £625 million (US$901 million), compared with a company-compiled estimate of £578 million (US$830 million). Third-Quarter Performance The company recorded third-quarter group revenue growth of 0.1% on a constant currency basis compared with last year. Total B&M UK fascia revenue was down 2.5% on the previous year, it added, while like-for-like revenue was down 6.2% on a one year basis and up 14.0% on a two year basis for the quarter. It opened nine new B&M stores in the UK in Q3, while also closing two stores. A further 13 new stores are expected to open by the end of the year. See here for more: https://www.esmmagazine.com/retail/retailer-bm-expecting-annual-profit-ahead-of-estimates-157999

Discount Retail Chain Coop 365 Denmark (owned by Coop) will increase the number of discount stores from 70 to 190 by 2022. If you are used to buying your groceries in the local Facts, you may need to get used to new colors and new items in the range, as a large number of stores are being transformed into a new discount chain. That's what grocery group Coop said in a press release. This is the relatively new discount chain Coop 365, which came into being in 2020 and today has 70 locations in the country. Among other things, in Stavtrup, on Langenæs in Aarhus, in Hammel, Langå and Horsens. Most new stores will be Fact Stores, which will be transformed into the new chain, but there will also be 25 brand new stores. It may also happen that other coop's convenience stores, which include Superbrugsen, Dagli' Brugsen and Irma, may be converted to Coop 365. While several things still need to be fully settled in relation to the store transformations during the year, it is clear, among other things, that the Coop 365 will open in Hadsten in February. The new chain will be in green colors and have about 30 percent more items in the range. Among other things, there will be an increased focus on ecology. According to Kræn Østergård Nielsen, chain director at Coop, the stores are changed because customers make different demands on grocery shopping than in the past. - They will be able to buy all the goods they need, they will have more quality, they will have more order and place much greater demands on climate, sustainability, health and ecology and still at the lowest prices. - That is why we have tested many new elements in recent years, and are now ready for what is our bid for Denmark's green discount chain, he says in a press release. Although many Fact Stores will be transformed in 2022, by the end of the year there will be around 200 stores nationwide. See here for more: Fact stores are being transformed into new discount chain | TV2 EAST JUTLAND (tv2ostjylland.dk)