Discount Retail Lidl US (owned by the German Schwarz Gruppe) updated ventilation system will add a new layer of protection for customers and employees. Air filters class MERV 13 or higher, commonly found in hospitals, help filter out Covid-19, public health and industry leaders say. "Since the beginning of the pandemic, we have worked tirelessly to protect the health of everyone in our stores by meeting or exceeding the guidelines of the CDC and this is no different with this measure to create cleaner, healthier air," said Johannes Fieber. Chief Executive Officer (CEO) at Lidl US. "Customers and team members in Lidl stores can breathe easier when they know they have an additional protective layer against Covid-19." Lidl US is among the first national grocery retailers to install hospital-grade air filtration systems across their store network. See here for more: https://www.fruchtportal.de/artikel/usa-lidl-installiert-luftfilter-der-kankenhausklasse-in-allen-us-lden-gegen-ausbreitung-von-covid-19/047702?i=76d37a3f

Russia`s hypermarket grocery chain Lenta (owned by Severgroup) has decided to enter the segment of discount retail stores, after X5 and Magnit. Lenta will develop a chain of discounters called 365+. At the moment, the company has already launched the first two stores in Novosibirsk and Barnaul. Both stores were opened on the site of former Lenta stores after renovation. The sales area of ​​the discounter is about 375 sq. m, the assortment 1,300 commodity articles, of which 60% fall on the chain 's own 365 private label brand trademark (click here for more on PL), and the rest local and most popular national brands. After an experimental testing period of the discounter format, Lenta's management will make a decision on further development of the format during the first half of 2021. Lenta currently operates 253 hypermarkets in 88 cities of Russia and 140 supermarkets in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Siberia, the Urals and Central regions. See for more: https://www.retail.ru/news/lenta-nachala-testirovat-format-diskaunterov-25-yanvarya-2021-201295/

Discount retail chain Aldi Denmark (privately owned) has benefited from the corona crisis. While large parts of the Danish business community have struggled to stay afloat during the corona crisis, the story is different in the grocery sector. It also benefits one of the world's largest discount chains. Thus, the Danish branch of Aldi, despite several years with a deficit of millions, experienced record sales during the crisis, writes Finans. "There is no doubt that the pandemic has also helped to create a focus on the supply chains for grocery sales both here and in Europe. This in periods of challenges related to logistics and the safety of staff. Fortunately, very few of our employees have been affected by corona, despite the fact that we have been open all along. At the same time, everyone has been able to tackle the unpredictability, which has been largely constant over the past ten months," says CEO of Aldi Denmark, Finn Tang, to Finans. Aldi has 184 stores in Denmark, but has had a total loss of DKK 2.4 billion (US$ 3Bn) over the past ten financial years. But now Finn Tang reports figures for 2020 that exceed both his own budget and the top and bottom line significantly from 2019. See here for more: https://www.berlingske.dk/business/business-update-en-af-verdens-stoerste-discountkaeder-har-laenge-vaeret

Discount Retail Wholesaler Costco (listed NYSE: COST) has begun piloting curbside pickup for groceries at several warehouse clubs in New Mexico. Issaquah, Washington-based Costco hasn’t officially announced the test, but a page on the retailer’s website said same-day Costco Curbside Pickup powered by Instacart is now available to members at three clubs in Albuquerque, N.M. Users can choose from a selection of about 2,000 grocery items, including fresh food and some nonfood products. To access Costco Curbside Pickup, members go to Costco.com and click on “Grocery” and select “Same-Day Delivery” and then “Pickup,” after which they choose the club pickup location and begin shopping. Costco noted on the website that the online shopping cart for pickup, which uses Instacart technology, isn’t part of the Costco.com virtual cart and requires separate checkout. Pickup times are offered in one-hour windows, and Costco has reserved parking spaces at each club providing curbside service. Costco will text members with status updates on their orders and, when the groceries are ready for pickup, they will receive a message on where to park and how to check-in. Costco associates prepare the orders and bring them to members’ vehicles. Costco Curbside Pickup service offers a selection of about 2,000 grocery items, including fresh food and some nonfood products. Costco said on the website that pickup carries a $10 fee per order and a $100 minimum purchase. Product prices in curbside service are the same as in-club pricing when the order is placed, according to the company. Members can get 2% cash back if they use the Costco Anywhere Visa Card by Citi for their pickup purchase. Curbside transactions also are eligible for the annual 2% reward in Costco’s Executive Membership plan. Costco first partnered with Instacart on same-day delivery in 2016 and now offers that service via all of its clubs. However, the retailer has until now held off on store pickup, save for some big-ticket items less amenable to home delivery. Regarding the implementation of pickup, the company has cited such concerns as taking up space inside clubs for assembling and holding orders, reserving areas in its busy parking lots for curbside service, impacting in-club traffic and potential impulse purchases, and cost. Chief Financial Officer Richard Galanti specifically mentioned the cost issue in a conference call last month on Costco's fiscal 2021 first-quarter results when analysts asked if the company was rethinking its stance on offering “buy online, pickup at store” service. “We’re not rethinking it. We continue to look at it and scratch our heads a little bit. But at this juncture, we don’t have any current plan to do so,” Galanti said in response to a question from Wells Fargo Securities analyst Ed Kelly. In the call, Galanti told BMO Capital Markets analyst Kelly Bania that Costco is still reckoning the cost equation for pickup. “One of the challenges right now is a lot of the ‘buy online and pick up in store’ traditional retail promotions are the same price as what you come in [to the club] and buy it for. So somebody’s paying for picking it and storing it and waiting for you to pick it up,” Galanti explained. “I think that will shake out over time — somebody has to pay for it, either the company or the customer. We’re looking at all those things. But we haven’t made any decisions to go forth with it.” Usage of in-store and curbside pickup and home delivery has surged as more Americans seek contactless grocery shopping options amid the COVID-19 pandemic. But consumers have leaned toward pickup for fulfillment, with Costco competitors such as Sam’s Club, BJ’s Wholesale Club, Walmart and Target reporting strong results for the service. According to the latest U.S. Online & In-Store Grocery Shopping Study from Retail Feedback Group, released in December, 51% of online grocery customers used pickup, up from 47% in 2019. Forty-nine percent of those shoppers used delivery service, down from 53% in 2019. Overall, the U.S. online grocery market tallied sales of $8.1 billion in November, up 3.6% since August, according to the latest Brick Meets Click/Mercatus Grocery Shopping Survey. The study found that U.S. households placed 60.1 million U.S. households placed an average 2.8 online grocery orders during the month, with delivery and pickup capturing 73% of sales. Active delivery and pickup shoppers reported a record-high repeat intent rate of 83%, indicating high satisfaction with those services, Brick Meets Click said. See here for more: https://www.supermarketnews.com/online-retail/costco-under-way-limited-test-grocery-curbside-pickup?NL=SN-02&Issue=SN-02_20210122_SN-02_659&sfvc4enews=42&cl=article_1_b&utm_rid=CPG06000042088314&utm_campaign=43720&utm_medium=email&elq2=a41bc2fd2f204e86aa9cee91f6b517cb

Textile Discount Retail Chain Zeeman (privately owned) is growing in the field of e-commerce. We are opening stores and we allow existing stores to perform better because we now also appeal to other customers, for example through our CSR policy. "It makes Erik-Jan Mares (52) a satisfied Zeeman CEO. And, he says:" I am not so much interested in expanding the collection, but more in making it more sustainable." Zeeman is a typically Dutch company with offices in seven countries including Belgium, Spain and France. The turnover has increased by 15 percent in recent years, totally 770 million euro (US$ 940million). Is there still a Zeeman working within the company? “Above Zeeman hangs a foundation that houses Jan's three sons. They have a supervisory role. There are grandchildren who help out in the shops as a weekend help. But there is no family anymore in the management positions. " Does it still feel like a family business? ,,Yes. In fact, that's why I wanted to work here. We don't need to make short-term profits like a corporate company to satisfy shareholders. We do not lose the leg if things go less for a while. Long-term vision is what counts. Our philosophy is based on economy. Being thrifty doesn't just mean being cheap for the consumer; it also means that we are careful with our people, our resources and society. " What is your leadership style? “I am a connector, seek contact. When I first started at Zeeman, I often went to the stores incognito. At one point they realized that and everyone started addressing me as 'you'. When they know you are the CEO, they become neat, courteous and personable. I think that's a shame sometimes. " “I am someone who gives people space. At the same time, I also learned that people like having someone to say what needs to be done. During the corona crisis I literally said: 'In the coming period I will be making many more decisions myself and possibly also be a bit short.' That way I could operate more directly. The team handled this professionally. It was later recognized that they actually liked this approach. " "Good and cheap go together very well with us. Our shops are simple, without fitting rooms, often in inexpensive locations. 90% of the products we design ourselves" Zeeman is known as a cheap textile super. At the same time, you are doing well in the field of corporate social responsibility. Your manager who deals with this became manager of the year last year. How do sustainability and discount go together? “Good and cheap go together very well with us. Our stores are simple, without fitting rooms, often at inexpensive locations. We design ninety percent of the products ourselves. There are few intermediaries in our production process. Our collection is basic and therefore cheap to produce. We pay our suppliers within two weeks. A supplier in Bangladesh does not have to go to the bank to purchase his raw materials. That is why they do not charge us much for the products. That works differently at other retailers. Then they have to borrow and pre-finance and sometimes payment terms of ninety days are used. We also have low marketing costs. We are just frugal. " Your marketing strategy is also striking: a real perfume (LUCHT) for 4.99 euros, Stan Smith lookalike sneakers for 12.99 euros. A wedding dress for 29.99 euros. It feels like an indictment of the lavish marketing costs of luxury brands ... “We want to show that good does not necessarily mean expensive. The money that you pay more, you do indeed pay for the marketing. We can produce a bottle of perfume with the same perfumers for much less. Because we ask for less margin. There have been blind tests where our perfume scores better than a perfume ten or fifteen times more expensive. We want to project a down-to-earth and reliable image. " “Zeeman used to be seen as a dirty shop where you would go if you had no money. That is no longer the case. In Spain we have a completely different image. For Spain, the Netherlands is quality. They also don't know the concept of a textile super. If you need to buy baby or kids clothes there, go to the Zara or the H&M in the mall. Our store is literally around the corner. We now have eighty cases in Spain, but I think we will have three hundred in five years. ” How do you resist the temptation to keep expanding the collection? “We know what we are good at: underpants, vests, T-shirts. Everything simple. The only thing where we deviate a bit from our philosophy is in baby and children's clothing, we are now the largest in the Netherlands. I am not so much interested in expanding the collection as in making it more sustainable. We have beautiful organic cotton products. 25 percent of our cotton is produced sustainably. We will never sell expensive shirts or jeans. We also hardly discount anything because we have the same low price every day. " Does corona have a big effect on your grades? “The golden rule in fashion retail is that December is the best month of the entire year. There are companies that need December to turn positive. Despite the complicated month of December, we closed 2020 well. In fact, we are growing enormously, that is also our strategy. In the discount world, the only way to survive is to grow faster than increase costs." How is growth possible if the range has to remain the same? “We are growing in the field of e-commerce. We are opening stores and making existing stores perform better because we now also appeal to other customers, for example through our CSR policy (corporate social responsibility). The 'new customer' is someone who does not have to buy from us because of his wallet, but who does not want to pay more than is necessary. It also appeals to them that we are doing well in the field of sustainable production. In this way, going to Zeeman becomes a conscious choice." See here for more: https://www.deondernemer.nl/actueel/familiebedrijf/retail-zeeman-ceo-erik-jan-mares-collectie-verduurzamen~2755962

Discount Retail Chain Penny Romania (owned by the German REWE Group) approached 1 billion euros (US$ 1.22 Bn) in revenue, with a growth rate that is beyond expectations +15% according to Daniel Gross, CEO of Penny Romania. This revenue threshold was planned for 2021, but was already achieved in 2020. Daniel Gross, CEO of Penny: When we made our business plans for 2021 we looked at 2019 as a basis, because otherwise it was hard to plan. We budgeted to be like-for-like in a plus. However, we did not budget a double digit increase and for the first time we go on an estimate of less than 10%, we are more cautious for 2021. See also here for other blog news on Penny Romania: https://www.discountretailconsulting.com/post/romania-penny-opens-7-new-stores-in-december The German discounter Penny has 276 stores in Romania after inaugurating 20 new stores last year. For 2021 the company will slightly accelerate the pace to reach the threshold of 300 stores. "The end of the year has confirmed our expectations. More precisely, December was a month with a weaker growth given that a good part of the Romanians from abroad did not come home for the holidays, either because they could not or because they did not want to, more precisely they postponed." says Daniel Gross, the CEO of the German discounter. See here for more: https://www.zf.ro/companii/daniel-gross-ceo-al-penny-ne-am-apropiat-de-afaceri-de-1-miliard-19865574

The Japanese company Fast Retailing, which operates a chain of clothing and footwear stores Uniqlo, reported its results for the first quarter of fiscal year 2021 (September - November 2020). During this period, the company managed to increase profits by 23% compared to last year, to 113.1 billion yen (US$ 1.09 billion). Fast Retailing nearly hit a record two years earlier, when the company reached 113.9 billion yen in profit. The owner of Uniqlo achieved such results due to two factors. First, in the fall of last year, the company fully focused on the markets of Japan and China, which were less affected by the coronavirus pandemic than other countries. Fast Retailing operates 800 stores in China, about the same as in the Japanese domestic market. Online sales of the retailer in Japan grew by almost one and a half times in the quarter, reaching 15% of the total. Second, Uniqlo and its lower-cost textile discount subsidiary, GU, have driven the increased demand during the quarantine for comfortable homewear: loose-fitting T-shirts and stretch pants. Such clothes are especially popular with students and those working from home. See here for more: https://www.retail.ru/news/pribyl-vladeltsa-uniqlo-vyrosla-za-schet-kitaya-i-modnykh-domosedov-16-yanvarya-2021-201088/

USA, China, Netherlands and Germany are one of the leading trading nations in the agricultural sector. In terms of both imports and exports, Germany ranks third worldwide. It is noticeable that the comparatively small Netherlands are the second largest exporter in the world and export around 30% more agricultural goods in terms of value than the many times larger China. BLE Infographic: The Largest Agricultural Importers and Exporters 2019 The export surplus is also particularly pronounced in the Netherlands.The income from agricultural exports there is around 37% higher than the expenditure for the import of agricultural goods.France, Spain and Brazil are also among the net exporters.In all the other countries listed, imports outweigh exports in Germany by around 22%. See here for more: https://www.fruchtportal.de/artikel/ble-infografik-die-grten-agrarimporteure-und-exporteure-2019/047589?i=15eb590f

The merger between DÄNISCHES BETTENLAGER, based in Handewitt near Flensburg, and the Danish parent company JYSK from Brabrand near Aarhus, began in 2019 with the internally named “OneJYSK” project. The previously different naming has historical roots: discount retail chain JYSK was founded in 1979 as "JYSK Sengetøjslager" - "Jutland bed storage" by the Danish businessman Lars Larsen. The inhabitants of the Danish Jutland peninsula are known for being hard-working, down-to-earth and reliable - values ​​that are still very important to the company. In 1984 the company expanded to Germany and the name, which was incomprehensible to German customers, was pragmatically translated into DÄNISCHES BETTENLAGER. The stores in Austria also bore the German name until they were successfully renamed to JYSK in October last year. With the renaming from DÄNISCHES BETTENLAGER Germany to JYSK in autumn of this year, the “One JYSK” project is now entering its final and most important phase. Christian Schirmer, Country Manager Germany: “We know that rebranding a brand with around 970 stores, which over 90% of the German population knows, is a very big challenge. But it is also a huge opportunity to position the company optimally for the future. We are more than a “bed warehouse” and have already implemented a significant trading-up of our corporate identity in recent years. We will express our self-image as a leading specialist store for “Scandinavian Sleeping & Living” even more strongly in the future through our new Scandinavian name JYSK, our new store designs, our completely redesigned online shop and our new product ranges. And with the JYSK Values ​​& Leadership principles, we have a group-wide corporate culture for all employees." Christian Schirmer continues: “This rebranding is not just a renaming, but rather a transformation. In the course of the “OneJYSK” project, we will use many concepts, systems and technologies with which we at JYSK are already very successful worldwide. This transformation from DÄNISCHES BETTENLAGER to JYSK will be completed in autumn 2021. The “next step” in corporate development Jan Bøgh, CEO JYSK: “DÄNISCHES BETTENLAGER Germany, with around 970 stores, is by far the largest national market in the group and can look back on an unparalleled success story. Nevertheless, we are firmly convinced that the rebranding to JYSK represents a further development into an even more successful future. The high investments that we make here are a clear commitment to our successful company model. With extensive branch networks and online shops, we offer our customers a seamless, interlinked omnichannel shopping offer that we still firmly believe in. "Jan Bøgh continues: “With this project we benefit from the experience we made last October when we rebranded DÄNISCHES BETTENLAGER Austria to JYSK. Thanks to intensive marketing and communication measures, the name JYSK has achieved a high profile in Austria after only three months. At the same time, customer numbers and sales have developed extremely well. "A new discount store concept and new, Scandinavian ranges As part of the rebranding, the stores will be converted to the new "Store Concept 3.0" over time and JYSK will invest heavily in Germany. This also includes the expansion of many stores to an area of ​​at least 950 m². In addition to the new names, new product ranges are also arriving: an extensive range of products with a modern, Scandinavian look that is already being sold very well in many JYSK stores around the world. About JYSK JYSK is an international retail company with affiliated online shops. As a specialist in bedding, mattresses, home textiles, furniture, garden furniture and decorative items, JYSK stands for competent advice and high quality in Scandinavian design and at reasonable prices. The first store opened in Denmark in 1979. Today there are around 3,000 JYSK stores with 26,500 employees in 51 countries. In Germany the stores have so far been operating under the name DÄNISCHES BETTENLAGER, in the other countries under JYSK. The annual turnover of DÄNISCHES BETTENLAGER DEUTSCHLAND is 1.128 billion euros (financial year 2019/20), the total turnover of JYSK is 4.1 billion euros (financial year 2019/20). JYSK is part of the Lars Larsen Group, which is family owned. "Scandinavian Sleeping & Living": As a specialist in bedding, mattresses, home textiles and furniture, DÄNISCHES BETTENLAGER stands for competent advice and high quality in Scandinavian design and at reasonable prices. DÄNISCHES BETTENLAGER belongs to the Danish furniture company JYSK and operates around 970 stores and the online shop DaenischesBettenlager.de in Germany. In total, JYSK's branch network comprises over 2,900 stores with 26,500 employees in 51 countries. The annual turnover of JYSK amounts to 4.1 billion euros (fiscal year 2019/20). See here for more: DÄNISCHES BETTENLAGER wird zu JYSK: Konsequente Weiterentwicklung... - DÄNISCHES BETTENLAGER Deutschland (ampproject.org)

The Bavarian Prime Minister Markus Söder warned of the coronavirus mutation in a press conference. In Bavaria, you will have to wear an FFP2 mask when grocery shopping and on local public transport. In Bavaria, as of Monday, it will be mandatory to wear FFP2 masks in local public transport and in retail. The cabinet decided on Tuesday in Munich, as Prime Minister Markus Söder (CSU) said. Söder said the "normal community masks" were in the corona pandemic to protect others. FFP2 masks also protect the wearer themselves. The aim is to improve safety in local public transport and in retail. "The availability in the trade is sufficiently guaranteed, so there are no FFP2 in short supply," emphasized the Prime Minister. The masks are sometimes even "clearly in abundance, sometimes at least available". Söder warns of virus mutants In view of the slightly declining numbers, Söder spoke of a "cautiously positive trend". "Most of the measures are starting to work," said Söder on Tuesday after a cabinet meeting in Munich about the current shutdown. Within 24 hours there were 1,740 new infections in Bavaria, almost 500 fewer than a week ago. With a seven-day incidence of 158.8, the Free State is in seventh place German wide. That is only an interim result. It is still unclear how the holidays will affect. This will definitely be seen towards the end of this week. Söder emphasized that persistence and patience were still necessary. He warned of the consequences of the mutation that is currently spreading in England, Ireland and the Netherlands. Schools and daycare centers were the drivers of the pandemic in these countries, which is why the lockdown in Germany is "positive". He compared the measures against the mutation with a "race against time". "Only when we have been sufficiently vaccinated can the ghost be controlled," said Söder. In this context, he repeated his proposal to also discuss a limited vaccination requirement for employees in old people's and nursing homes, as already initiated by the German Ethics Council. See here for more: https://www.spiegel.de/politik/deutschland/corona-krise-bayern-fuehrt-ffp2-maskenpflicht-im-nahverkehr-und-supermarkt-ein-a-b72e3c5a-fb75-4085-b40d-293f5ed5b9ea?xing_share=news

Japan’s Don Quijote Holdings Co. (PPIH) confirmed that it plans to open its first store in Taiwan on 19th January, under the variety discount chain Don Don Donki brand. The first Taiwan discount store will be located at No. 123 Xining Street in Taipei City’s Ximending shopping district, close to exit 6 of MRT Ximen Station, according to a post on the company’s Taiwan Facebook page. Spanning three-stories, the Taiwanese outlet will retail Don Don Donki’s wide selection of products to the Taipei customer; ranging from groceries to household items, to fashion and beauty and skincare products, as well as exclusive services developed for the Taiwan market. The discounter is known globally for its extended operating hours, floor-to-ceiling product displays and duty-free services. According to multiple media reports, the Japanese retailer was planning to enter Taiwan in early 2020, but was halted due to the uncertainty surrounding the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. With over 600 stores globally, 580 in Japan and several more in other Asia-Pacific countries Don Don Donki was founded by Takao Yasuda some thirty years ago, and has been on its variety discount chain rollout across Asia-Pacific and beyond ever since. In December 2017, the first Don Don Donki store in Southeast Asia opened along Orchard Road in Singapore, with outlets now in Bangkok, Hong Kong, and Hawaii. The company’s first Malaysia and Macau stores are due in 2021. As previously announced, the new Malay location will span three stories in Kuala Lumpur, as part of the Lot 10 Shopping Mall, along the Buki Bintang strip. The first Macau location is set to open in the Fai Chi Kei District, in the new residential estate of Trust Leisure Garden, which is being developed by local company Trust Development Ltd. Dates for both openings have not been finalised. See here for more: Don Don Donki to open in Taiwan - Retail in Asia