Discount Retail Chain Penny (owned by REWE Group) will deliver groceries directly to your home. Up until now, it has not been possible to order fresh groceries from the major German discounters. That will change with immediate effect, because discounter Penny is the first to take the step and deliver groceries ordered online directly to your home. To this end, the Rewe subsidiary is cooperating with the delivery service startup Bringoo from Hamburg and is initially launching test balloons as part of a pilot project in Cologne, Berlin and Hamburg. At the same prices as in the shop and with a delivery fee of 2.90 euros (US$3.50), orders can be placed in selected branches in the three cities in future, whereby the orders must not exceed a maximum weight of 20 kilograms. This corresponds to what Bringoo provides in its terms and conditions. The delivery times at Bringoo are 45 minutes and are therefore longer than, for example, for Gorillas, which claims to deliver within ten minutes. Orders via the Bringoo app At the moment, for example, you can start an online order at almost 30 Penny branches in Hamburg via the Penny website, although the site is currently redirecting to the Bringoo app. The order is then ultimately carried out via this. If the model turns out to be a success, it should also be possible in future to order directly via the Penny app or the discounter's website without having to go to Bringoo. In addition to Penny, Bringoo currently also delivers products from Edeka, Metro and Nahkauf to your home. See here for more: https://amp-wuv-de.cdn.ampproject.org/c/s/amp.wuv.de/marketing/penny_liefert_lebensmittel_direkt_ins_haus

Li & Fung is strengthening its partnership with JD by launching a multi-category collection of own-label products for the online marketplace, including homewares and pet products. JD invested in Li & Fung last year with a view to partnering in end-to-end digital supply chain management services for JD’s private brand initiatives, including the emerging consumer-to-manufacturer (C2M) business model currently gaining momentum in Mainland China. Today the companies jointly announced the first brands under that partnership: ‘Made by JD’ and ‘Best Home’ covering homewares, and a range of pet products called Jingmeng, which translates in English to Cute Pet. “JD can leverage Li & Fung’s 3D product design expertise and supply chain know-how to create and produce these new private label brands,” said Wilson Zhu, newly-appointed head of C2M initiatives at Li & Fung. By continuing to play on each other’s respective strengths, the two companies can deliver products to consumers that are within their budget and developed at a much faster speed, said Zhu, “through better forecasting, smarter production and maximum supply chain efficiency”. Zhu said C2M enables manufacturers to dramatically shorten the time from design to consumer from an industry average of 40 weeks to as little as a fortnight. Products are tested in multiple SKUs of small quantities through e-commerce channels, providing more accurate data analysis of end-consumer preferences so that iterations can be made quickly and inventory can be adjusted in real-time. Wang Xiaosong, senior VP of JD and head of the company’s private brands division said Li & Fung’s industry-leading 3D product design capabilities and wide-ranging product category expertise will greatly enhance JD’s ability to create private-label brands that online consumers welcome and trust. “The brand development process will also be informed by insights from our big data analysis,” he said. See here for more: Li & Fung reveals first private-label brands created for JD - Inside Retail

Discount Retail Chain Lidl Portugal (owned by the German Schwarz Group) opened its first store at a petrol station. This is an unexplored area for the German discounter. Lidl on the highways The new discount store is located on the A5 motorway in Oeiras, on one of the main roads towards Lisbon. Lidl developed the concept in cooperation with the Portuguese motorway operator Brisa Concessão Rodoviária, reports ESM. Recent consumer research has shown that there is a need for additional retail facilities in the area. Lidl responds to this need. The Lidl store has 1,400 sq m. and will employ 24 people. It is the first Lidl store in Europe to be opened next to the motorway. Petrol shops in Poland In Poland, the discounter is also present at petrol stations. Such attempts were made, among others, by Carrefour. The Auchan chain, which has created the EasyAuchan concept in cooperation with bp, is currently trying its strength in this segment (there are three stores, six by the end of the year). See here for more: https://www.dlahandlu.pl/detal-hurt/wiadomosci/lidl-probuje-sil-w-nowym-segencie-rusza-pierwszy-przystacyjny-sklep-w-europie,101020.html

When it comes to doing washing, there are so many choices for your detergent out there and it can be hard to know which is best. CHOICE, a leading Australian consumer advocacy group. has done the hard work and found the best detergents for getting rid of all kinds of stains, from chocolate ice-cream to baby food, with some surprising results. Over 60 laundry detergents were analysed and Omo and ALDI came out on top. ALDI and Omo came out on top in the CHOICE testing. "This year our testing has revealed that Omo Laundry Detergent Triple Capsules are the most effective laundry detergent for front loaders, with an overall score of 85 per cent," said CHOICE expert Ashley Iredale. "When it comes to top loaders, Aldi Trimat Advanced Concentrate Laundry Powder came in first, scoring 66 per cent." While those two were winners, the CHOICE testing found there is a difference in how top loader and front loader machines work. See here for more: https://9now.nine.com.au/the-block/washing-detergent-best-worst-choice-testing-revealed-omo-aldi/afe32bb2-a18d-4024-b075-6fc2b0939e45

Discount Retail Chain T-Market Bulgaria's (owned by Lithuanian Maxima Group) new modern logistics warehouse is located in Sofia. It covers an area of ​​over 5,000 square meters. It has a full range of logistics processes, both a warehouse with "picking" and "cross-dock" platform. The warehouse has 20 loading and unloading ramps, which will allow the simultaneous processing of a large number of trucks. The refrigerated storage facility has an area for deep-frozen and refrigerated goods, as well as up to 3 temperature zones for fruit and vegetables. The warehouse has a full range of internal storage equipment. "We continue to increase the number of our stores and the pace of development. During the extreme 2020. T MARKET Bulgaria showed significant growth with an increase in operating profit of 4.6 million euros (US$5.5million). The new modern warehouse will help to optimize processes and costs, as well as give us more flexibility," said Peter Pavlov, CEO of Maxima Bulgaria EOOD. Energy saving systems and future planned "green" technological solutions will be the natural continuation of T MARKET's policy for sustainable development and environmental protection. With the development of the warehouse, 100 new jobs will be created. The warehouse is under constant security and video surveillance. "I am convinced that this investment will bring us many dividends and better opportunities to achieve our high goals. Thank you to all partners and colleagues who were part of the implementation of this project a modern and compliant with European requirements warehouse space, "said Iliya Belev, Chief Operating Officer and member of the Board of Directors of Maxima Bulgaria EOOD. The project is the work of "Anima Group Investment" and was implemented with the assistance of "MSK" AD, "Balkan Steel Engineering" Ltd., "Frigopan" Ltd. and "Group-IPS Bulgaria". "Anima Group Investment" is part of a group of companies "Vaklinov" EOOD, "Anima Group" EOOD and "Frigo Stock" OOD, which positions them as one of the leaders in the import and distribution of food products, as well as leaders in offering logistics and warehousing solutions not only in Sofia but throughout the country. The manager and the driving force of all large-scale projects of the group Atanas Nikolov, shared "As Manager of Anima Group Investment, I can not hide my joy and satisfaction with the successfully completed project to build the new logistics base Frigo Stock, corresponding to all European and global work standards. As a result of joint work, efforts, desire and dedication, we have built with our partners a building equipped with the latest and most modern facilities, which, among other things, will contribute to the positive transformation of the infrastructure in the area. " T MARKET is part of the Lithuanian MAXIMA GRUPE, which is a leader in the trade of fast moving consumer goods in the Baltics. It has been present on the Bulgarian market since 2005, and in 16 years it has managed to become one of the leading food chains in Bulgaria. Every year the company's network of stores grows intensively. Currently, the company employs over 2,300 employees, making T MARKET one of the largest employers in Bulgaria. In 2020 launched its online store for Sofia, Plovdiv, Asenovgrad, Stara Zagora and Pernik, as the range of deliveries of www.tmarketonline.bg is constantly expanding for maximum convenience of its customers. See here for more: Т MARKET с нов модерен склад за хладилно съхранение – Фриго Сток (tmarket.bg)

Discount Retail Chain Budget Food (privately owned) recently opened another store, this time in Heerenveen. Customers can now visit the store full of food and non-food products that often originate from national flows, offered for a much lower rate than regular supermarkets sell. We speak to Maarten Muller, general manager and founder of the company, after a time when many parties were unable to sell their products due to the corona crisis. “Suddenly other parties from the catering industry also reported to us.” Muller founded the discounter in 2014 together with Jaap van Vuure, who is also an AH franchiser in Callantsoog. The discounter now stands at thirteen stores throughout the country, and the company is running well, according to the director. “At the moment, the formula is growing as desired. When the catering industry had to close its doors, we received many applications for wine, soft drinks and other catering-related products. It was a very busy period for us. Unfortunately, the margin on products such as canned food and toilet paper fell sharply because they were difficult to deliver and therefore had to be purchased for more money. We do want a complete range, so we were forced to buy it for a more expensive price.” Corona also changed a lot for Budget Food in the consumer field. “Over the past year and a half, the corona period, we have seen that consumers know where to find us. You saw and see that in every store that sells food. Now everything is back in stock and the shelves are full. Manufacturers are now able to find us faster and faster to get rid of leftovers. In addition, our buyers also call producers," says the founder. Expansion According to Muller, Budget Food is a growing company: “We have opened several stores in the past year. In Heerenveen, the first Budget Food compact store took up a building, this formula does not have refrigerated and frozen products. In Maastricht we transformed a shop into our standard. In the first quarter of this year, we opened our own distribution center in Middenmeer. That's our only DC. We have also moved our headquarters there. We first outsourced the distribution to a logistics partner, now we do it ourselves. We have rented a large space, accept goods here and distribute it among the stores. We now also do order picking ourselves.” Strikingly enough, not a single store is located in a large town in the Randstad. “We look throughout the Netherlands for vacant properties that are suitable for the formula, it doesn't matter where. If we find a suitable interpretation, we take it,” says Muller. He does not say anything about whether the organization aims to open a certain number of stores. “I'm not going to say anything about that yet. We look at it per store. Only one at a time.” There are also no plans for expansion abroad, according to him: “Never say never, but there are still so many opportunities within the Netherlands. We can continue here for the time being.” Pallets The director says that shop visits have changed in recent years. “We started with about 450 articles. Customers had to take it out of boxes, which were on pallets. Now that is no longer the case and we have a nice range, consisting of 2,000 SKUs. We have had a private label house brand 'Everyday' for three quarters of a year, which was set up in collaboration with the Belgian Colruyt. That is going very well.” Should other supermarkets fear the expansion of Budget Food? Muller: “We only hear positive comments from the supermarkets. They just want us to be their neighbours. Consumers get cheap products such as chips and cola from us, and they get the rest from a large gritter. It interacts.” See here for more: https://www.levensmiddelenkrant.nl/levensmiddelenkrant/ondernemers/reguliere-supermarkten-willen-ons-juist-als-buurman-hebben

Fresh products continue to be the protagonists of the Spanish shopping cart. During 2020, the year of the pandemic, they experienced higher growth compared to previous years. Mainly, because mobility and social restrictions due to Covid-19 forced consumers to buy more to consume at home, given the lack of alternatives in the hospitality industry. According to the third edition of the ALDI Fresh Observatory, in 2020, fresh products represented 40% of the annual food expenditure of Spanish households, with a total investment of more than 39 billion euros (Us$ 47billion). In 2020, the number of occasions for consuming fresh products shot up 8.8%, which translated into a 14% increase in the annual budget, reaching € 2,192 (US$2630) on average per household. Learn about the main conclusions of the report in this video of the presentation event of the III edition of the ALDI Fresh Products Observatory in Spain, from the hand of Ignacio Cid, Director of Research & Analytics at ALDI Spain and Maria Josep Martínez-Abarca, Expert Solutions Director Worldpanel division: 1. Fresh consumption increases in the year of the pandemic 2. Typology of the consumer of fresh in Spain 3. Determining factors in the purchase of frescoes 4. Environmental awareness in the shopping cart ALDI fresh produce observatory in Spain: 73% of ALDI customers' purchase tickets contain fresh produce The Fresh Observatory prepared by ALDI reflects that Aldi's customers consume more fresh than the average in Spain. Specifically, 98% of the families that buy at ALDI consume fresh food every week (2% more than last year), compared to 96.4% of the national average. To date, ALDI has more than 480 fresh products on its shelves. Fruit and vegetables, with more than 187 items, represent about 40% of ALDI's total fresh produce, followed by charcuterie products, with 121, meat with 92 products, fresh bread with 52, fish with 24 and eggs with 7 varieties in their assortment. Grouped under El Mercado's own private label brand, the categories of fruits, vegetables, meat and fresh fish and eggs; fresh bread under the El Horno private label brand and charcuterie under La Tabla private label brand, closed 2020 with an increase of 23.7% in sales compared to the previous year. 45% of ALDI's fresh product sales correspond to fruit and vegetables. By products, fruit and vegetables experienced a growth in penetration of 1.6% compared to the previous year; fresh meat and fish, 2.7% and eggs 1%. See here for more: https://www.aldi.es/conocenos/sala-prensa/iniciativas-aldi/observatorio-de-productos-frescos-de-aldi-en-espana.html?utm_source=LinkedIn&utm_medium=Social_CM&utm_campaign=generic

Discount Retail Chain Dollar General Corp. (listed NYSE: DG) announced the launch of DG Market + pOpshelf, a “store-within-a-store concept” combining DG Market, its larger format store focusing on groceries, and pOpshelf, its new non-consumables concept targeting a more affluent customer. The combo store promises to be Dollar Store’s largest format by far. Dollar General began opening the DG Market locations, featuring a wider variety of perishables and dry groceries, about a decade ago to address food deserts in both rural and metro areas. At 16,000 square feet, DG Market is about double the size of a typical dollar store, but small compared to the average U.S. grocer (46,000 square feet). Introduced last October, pOpshelf focuses on home decor, seasonal entertaining and health and beauty items priced below US$5. Slightly larger than the traditional Dollar General at 9,000 square feet, pOpshelf’s target demographic is women in households earning between US$50,000 and US$125,000 annually compared to Dollar General’s target of women from homes with annual incomes of US$40,000. The company has so far opened 16 pOpshelf locations and has plans in the works for an additional 50 by the end of 2021. On its recent first quarter analyst call, Dollar General officials said pOpshelf’s initial stores are showing significantly higher one-year sales volumes and gross margin rates than the traditional Dollar General store, with a net promoter score in the upper 80s to low 90s. Dollar General has opened its first two The DG Market + pOpshelf combination stores in Tennessee near its Nashville headquarters. Plans call for approximately 25 more by the close of this year. “Through this combined format, we aim to deliver the value and products customers trust from a DG Market with the continually-refreshed merchandise including beauty and seasonal products, home décor and arts and crafts through pOpshelf,” said Todd Vasos, Dollar General’s CEO, in a statement. “We have been pleased with customers’ positive initial reactions, and we look forward to welcoming additional customers to experience our newest format.” Another dollar store testing separate in-store shops is Five Below. In March, the chain announced that it would expand Five Beyond, an in-store concept featuring products with higher price tags, to one-third of its stores. See here for more: https://www.retailwire.com/discussion/dollar-general-tests-combo-dg-market-popshelf-format/

Discount Retail Chain Aldi Nord (German family owned) builds its new international power center in the shape of a giant "A"! Almost two years after the foundation stone was laid, the German newspaper BILD took an exclusive look at the mega construction site in the Kray district of Essen (Germany). Inside there are also some “A” (ha) moments The chic new building is currently being built on 100,000 square meters, right next to the previous administration (from the 1960s). "We are ahead of schedule, even two weeks further than planned," said the Aldi spokesman during the tour. The entrance area is open plan, the ceiling height is 12 meters In the spring of 2022, 1,800 employees should be able to move in here, and the new control center even offers space for 2,100 employees. And a lot can be expected: a fitness pavilion (200 sqm, approx. 40 employees can train at the same time), a day-care center (72 places, 20 percent reserved for residents), a canteen (600 sqm) with an outdoor terrace (1,050 sqm), a bistro (200 square meters) and two ponds (2,800 square meters), for example to linger during the lunch break. The new Aldi headquarters is also an eye-catcher from the outside: the tallest building measures around 60 meters The open plan offices are open, but there are hardly any individual offices (34), but more than 100 meeting rooms. The entrance area is a highlight. The XXL glass roof (174 square meters, 30 tons in weight) makes it look extremely spacious. See here for more: https://m-bild-de.cdn.ampproject.org/c/s/m.bild.de/regional/ruhrgebiet/ruhrgebiet-aktuell/essen-kray-aldi-errichtet-neue-machtzentrale-bild-auf-der-baustelle-77264950,view=amp.bildMobile.html

Waste separation is a top priority at Schwarz Group (owner of discount retail chain Lidl and supermarket chain Kaufland). The discounter explains to its customers what they can and cannot throw in the yellow bin. Waste consultants, educators and consumer advocates give tuition in waste separation in front of selected Lidl and Kaufland stores. Much waste comes from Lidl and Kaufland The discreet discount group from Neckarsulm near Heilbronn (Germany) seems to be aware of its great responsibility. A good every tenth sales packaging in stores comes from a Lidl or Kaufland store. Disposal costs a lot of money. The Lidl parent company had to pay license fees of an estimated 85 million euros (US$ 102million) per year in the past. The new packaging ordinance is likely to drive the fees even higher. Every trading company that brings packaging into circulation must have its plastic volume licensed under a dual system such as the "Green Dot" company DSD or Belland Vision and pay money for it so-called license fee. In return, the dual system operator collects the waste and ensures optimal recycl Lidl founded its own dual system In order to save these costs, the Lidl parent company, the Schwarz Group, is now entering the waste disposal business and organizing its packaging waste itself from now on. Since 2020 the Lidl subsidiary PreZero has been operating its own dual system. The discounter can now even take money from manufacturers and other retailers to recycle their plastic waste. Until now, of course, PreZero has mainly collected and separated the in-house packaging waste in the Lidl and Kaufland stores. The potential is great: In 2020 PreZero already had a turnover of 700 million euros (US$ 840million) over a third more than in the previous year. Takeovers of several waste disposal companies The Swabians now cover the entire waste chain from organizing collection in a dual system to sorting and Recovery. The Schwarz Group has taken over the fifth largest private German waste disposal company, the Tönsmeier Group, as well as the recycler Sky Plastic and has invested hundreds of millions in new sorting systems for plastic waste thanks to the merger of the two French disposal giants Suez and Veolia, which together account for a good 50 billion euros (US$60 billion), the Lidl Group has taken another big step in the waste disposal market. PreZero took over parts of Suez's waste disposal business in Germany, Poland, Luxembourg and the Netherlands for 1.1 billion euros (US$ 1.3billion). And recently the discounter giant announced further expansion in Europe. The Schwarz Group is buying the waste disposal business of the Spanish construction company Ferrovial in Spain and Portugal for a similar amount. Number three in the German waste market With sales of more than two billion euros (Ferrovial not yet included), the Lidl Group is now number three in the German waste disposal market and has even overtaken the Alba Group. Only Remondis and the French Suez are even bigger. Why is the discounter bustling in the garbage business? Lidl is probably less concerned with the environment than with economic considerations. "We have to give waste a value," said Lidl boss Gerd Chrzanowski in 2019. The future CEO of the Schwarz Group sees waste disposal as a strategic business area of ​​the group. The company's aim is to continue to recycle the packaging of its own private label brands and to build up a kind of circular economy. Because the new packaging ordinance stipulates ever higher recycling quotas. By 2022, 63% of the plastics that end up in yellow bags, yellow bins or recycling bins will have to be recycled. In 2019, the share was still 58.5 percent. Lidl dreams of a circulatory system for recyclable plastic granulate. PET bottles, detergents and other plastic packaging are to be made from recyclates several times. In some cases it already works: According to the Schwarz Group, the self-made PET non-returnable returnable bottles of the Lidl and Kaufland own private label brands are already made entirely of recycled plastic, with the exception of the lid and the label. With the entry into the garbage business, the clever discounter Swabians brought a lot of movement into the market. The ex-monopoly DSD lost its market-leading position and is now number two behind Belland Vision, which belongs to the French Suez Group, with a market share of just 15%. Composite packaging makes recycling difficult There are currently eleven dual systems. Not all of these will surely survive, predicts Olaf Pusch, Managing Director of Recycling Dual. His company has just received approval for a nationwide take-back and recycling system for packaging. Behind Recycling Dual is a brand new player, Smurfit Kappa, the largest manufacturer of paper and cardboard packaging in Europe. The landscape of dual systems is likely to continue to consolidate as more and more packaging manufacturers enter the market. At the same time, the large private waste disposal companies such as Alba, Suez and Remondis are trying to expand their influence. After Remondis was not allowed to take over the "Grüner-Punkt" company DSD for antitrust reasons, the German market leader acquired a dual system, namely the Eko-Punkt brand, at the second attempt. However, many market participants doubt whether more plastic waste will be recycled and more recyclates will be used thanks to the Lidl offensive. "Composite packaging makes high-quality recycling more difficult," complains Axel Schweitzer, head of the fourth largest German waste disposal company, Alba. The films made of several layers glued to one another are currently practically not materially recyclable. Waste experts recommend that the hardly recyclable plastic trays disappear from the market and should be replaced by more environmentally friendly alternatives. See here for more: https://www.xing-news.com/reader/news/articles/4178031?cce=em5e0cbb4d.%3ApKFBHw_BtCiyrvwLRPrxAB&link_position=digest&newsletter_id=77758&toolbar=true&xng_share_origin=email

Discount Retail Chain Lidl UK (owned by the German Schwarz Group) has slashed the price of its private label branded 'Lupilu' baby products for Lidl Plus card users. The already low private label branded baby product prices have 20% off if you have a Lidl Plus card The card is virtual so you just have to download Lidl's free app to claim. The Plus card app lets you unlock money-off coupons when you reach your spending targets each month, and is a great way to save on Lidl's already low prices. Deals can be regional though, so not everyone will be able to claim this main target group oriented baby event offer, just type your postcode into the app to check if your local store qualifies. For example shoppers in Lincolnshire and the West Midlands have lucked out this week with the 20% off deal. If you are within the qualifying area for the deal then you have until next Wednesday to claim the money-off baby products that's running right now. Lidl updates the Plus card deals every Thursday so once this one has run out you'll be able to claim a fresh new one for other products, the day after. Once you've set up an account and have the Plus card ready to go all you have to do is "activate" the latest voucher in the coupon section and take it along to the store to scan the Plus card QR code at the checkout. You can only use the coupon once though so make sure you've picked up all the baby things you need in your shop. You can't buy Lidl products online so you'll have to make a trip out to the shops to nab the deal and stock will be subject to availability. Lidl's store finder helps to find the nearest Lidl. See here for more: https://www.thesun.co.uk/money/15318272/lidl-plus-card-discount-baby-products/

Discount Retail Chain Lidl (owned by the German Schwarz Group) is speeding up supermarket check-outs by testing a new service where you "scan as you shop". The discounter is launching the pilot in one store in south west London for now but it could roll out to other stores too if it's successful. Shoppers will be able to scan their groceries with their phone before paying It's not officially come into place yet, but once the scheme is up and running you'll be able to use your phone to scan products while you shop instead of scanning everything in one go at the tills. So when it comes to checking out, you just have to scan a barcode generated at the end of your shop, which will allow you to pay for everything you've picked up. You'll need to download the free Lidl Go app to use the service which was made available to download from the Google Play app store yesterday as reported by The Grocer. Shoppers will be able to set up an account on the app or sync their existing Lidl Plus account which is the supermarket's other loyalty based app. Once it's all set up you'll be ready to scan items whilst shopping in the store which will help reduce long queues at the checkout. The new app will be used to scan any products available in the discount store that you would usually add to your trolley, including fruit and veg sold by weight, as you'll be able to scan the barcode printed at a weighing station. Staff will be checking at regular intervals to make sure shoppers are scanning things correctly as a precaution against theft too. Fulwell Lidl in south west London is the only store where the app will be able to be used so far but branching out to other stores in the future hasn't been ruled out. Other supermarkets have similar schemes set up as well like Tesco's "Scan as you Shop" and M&S' "Mobile Pay Go". The Grocer reports that Aldi might be working on a similar mobile scheme itself, having recently registered the trademark "Shop & Go". It also reported that a Lidl spokesperson said it was too early to provide any further details on the new "scan as you go" scheme. We've reached out to Lidl for more details about when the service will be in full operation, and will update this story once we know more. See here for more: https://www.thesun.co.uk/money/15775302/lidl-testing-new-scan-as-you-shop-service/