Bodega del Canasto (owned by the Portugese Jeronimo Martins group) started the new year by opening the 44th store (in city of Orito) and the 3rd one in the province of Putmayo, Colombia. The discounter opened 12 stores between November 2022 and February 2023. Source: Bodega del Canasto #colombia #bodegadelcanasto #expansion #smartdiscount #discountfoodretail #discounter #discount #foodretail #retail #drc #discountretailconsulting #retailconsulting #consulting #consultancy

Aldi has been giving free bus rides to customers shopping at its rivals Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Asda, taking them to the closest Aldi store. The discount grocers stunt took place last week in Ayesbury, Bucks and looked to take shoppers to ‘the cheapest store in town’, as it was crowned the UK’s cheapest supermarket in 2022 by consumer watchdog Which?. For a basket of 48 groceries in December, Aldi was found to be the least expensive supermarket at £81.63, in comparison to Tesco, Asda and Sainsbury’s which ranged between £93.42 to £95.71. “We’re so proud to have been named the UK’s cheapest supermarket for the second year running, we wanted to share the good news with customers and what better way than by giving shoppers a free ride to come and experience the lowest prices for themselves,” Aldi UK managing director of buying, Julie Ashfield said. This comes as Sainsbury’s increased the range in its Aldi Price Match campaign to 310 listings as part of its biggest ever push this month. Tesco also ramped up its customer savings through its price lock on over 1,000 products until Easter to support shoppers as food inflation soared to 13.3%. Asda also unveiled a new feature within its Asda Rewards loyalty app to help shoppers amid the cost-of-living crisis, extending the period that customers have to spend a voucher after creating it in the app from one to three months. Source: Grocery Gazette

Aldi and Lidl saw strong sales of 26.9% resp. 24.1% in the four weeks to 22 January 2023. The German discounters show a market share of 9.2% resp. 7.1%, new data shows. According to Kantar, although grocery price inflation hit a record 16.7%, the highest level since is started tracking the figure in 2008. At the remaining Big 4 grocers, Sainsbury’s sales increased by 6.1%, just 0.1% higher than Asda and Tesco, giving it 15.4% of the market. Tesco continued to hold the largest share of the supermarkets with 27.5% and Asda remains in third place at 14.2%. Kantar’s data also found that despite Morrisons sales falling by 1.9%, its market share stands just behind Aldi at 9.1%. Frozen food retailer Iceland also increased its share to 2.5% driven by an annual sales rise of 10.6%, while online-only supermarket Ocado hit 7.6%, with 5.5% for Co-op and 4.7% at Waitrose. Kantar'sHhead of Retail and Consumer insight, Fraser McKevitt said this comes as “competition in the British grocery sector is as intense as it’s ever been as retailers strive to retain shoppers.” “The grocers have been doing this by boosting their own-label ranges especially, with sales of these lines growing consistently over the past nine months. January was no exception as own-label lines grew by 9.3%, well ahead of branded alternatives which were up by just 1.0%.” He added that across the market, “the move is towards everyday low pricing, with many supermarkets offering price matching and using their loyalty schemes to help shoppers save. “Aldi, Waitrose and Lidl’s efforts seem to have been particularly well received by shoppers. Our latest customer satisfaction data shows that Aldi scores best on pricing and overall value for money, while Waitrose stands out for knowledgeable staff, product quality and clean shops. Meanwhile, Lidl delivers on easy access to stores and on-shelf availability.” He added that across the market, “the move is towards everyday low pricing, with many supermarkets offering price matching and using their loyalty schemes to help shoppers save. “Aldi, Waitrose and Lidl’s efforts seem to have been particularly well received by shoppers. Our latest customer satisfaction data shows that Aldi scores best on pricing and overall value for money, while Waitrose stands out for knowledgeable staff, product quality and clean shops. Meanwhile, Lidl delivers on easy access to stores and on-shelf availability.” Source: Grocery Gazette, Kantar #uk #aldi #lidl #ukgrocerymarket #growth #marketshare #discounters #growth #smartdiscount #discountfoodretail #discounter #discount #foodretail #retail #drc #discountretailconsulting #retailconsulting #consulting #consultancy

A discounter and two convenience-store chains rank among the 10 most popular grocers in America. Aldi ranks as the most popular grocery store, with a popularity score of 65%, according to market research and data analytics firm YouGov, which polled consumers during the fourth quarter of 2022. Popularity is defined by YouGov as the percentage of people who have a positive opinion of a grocery store (for more on the ratings, go to https://today.yougov.com/about/ratings-faq). Trader Joe’s was a close second behind Aldi, with a popularity score of 63%. Round out the top five were Kroger, at 61%; 7-Eleven, at 60%; and Whole Foods Market, at 57%. See end of article for the top 20 ranking companies. YouGov also broke down results by demographic. Millennials ranked Aldi first, followed by Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s. The Gen X and Baby Boomer age groups cited Trader Joe’s as the most popular, followed by Kroger and Aldi. Men ranked Trader Joe’s, Aldi and Kroger as their top three choices, while women voted for Aldi, Trader Joe’s and Kroger. YouGov also queried survey participants about their familiarity with retail banners. The top five in YouGov’s “fame” ratings were 7-Eleven at 97%, followed by Whole Foods Market (96%), Trader Joe’s (95%), Kroger (95%) and Aldi (91%). Here is YouGovAmerica’s list of the top 20 most popular grocers for the last quarter of the calendar year: Aldi (Popularity: 65%) Trader Joe’s (63%) Kroger (61%) 7-Eleven (60%) Whole Foods Market (57%) Circle K (51%) Safeway (49%) Winn-Dixie (44%) Albertsons (44%) Publix (44%) Amazon Fresh (43%) The Fresh Market (42%) Piggly Wiggly (41%) Sprouts Farmers Market (40%) Save A Lot (39%) IGA (38%) Food Lion (36%) Meijer (35%) A&P (35%) Wegmans (35%) Source: CSA #usa #populargrocers #traderjoes #aldi #top20 #yougov #smartdiscount #discountfoodretail #discounter #discount #foodretail #retail #drc #discountretailconsulting #retailconsulting #consulting #consultancy

Discount Retail Chain Aldi USA (German family owned) has opened a new distribution center to support its growth across the Gulf Coast region. The fast-growing discount grocer unveiled its new regional headquarters and distribution center in Loxley, Alabama, which will ultimately serve as many as 100 Aldi stores across the Gulf Coast. Aldi currently operates 30 stores in the Gulf Coast, having opened 20 stores in the area last year. It plans to add another 13 stores in 2023. The new 564,000-sq.-ft. (52,000m2) facility is Aldi’s 26th regional headquarters and distribution center and its sixth to be opened in the southern United States. It is designed to support the grocer's rapid expansion in the region, and will support locations across Louisiana, Alabama, Mississippi and the Florida Panhandle. The Loxley facility was designed with sustainability top-of-mind and will feature the most efficient design components included in any Aldi facility to date, the company said. These include roof-mounted solar panels, LED lighting, an environmentally friendly refrigeration system and metal panel insulation. The elements all work together to create a thermally tight and efficient building. The Loxley distribution center will create approximately 200 new jobs in the area with competitive wages and benefits. Aldi has already staffed 120 of these positions and plans to continue hiring. “At a time when inflation is putting pressure on American wallets, we believe our mission to save people money on the food and products they need is more important than ever," said Heather Moore, Aldi divisional VP for the Loxley region. "We are thrilled to see so much customer love for the 20 stores we've opened in the Gulf Coast area in the last year alone.” With more than 2,200 stores across 38 states, Aldi ranked as the most popular grocery store, with a popularity score of 65%, according to market research and data analytics firm YouGov, which polled consumers during the fourth quarter of 2022. The grocer has also been No. 1 for price according to the dunnhumby 2023 Retailer Preference Index Report for six years running. See here for more: Aldi supports Gulf Coast expansion with new regional HQ and DC; plans 100 stores | Chain Store Age #smartdiscount #aldi #usa #expansion #growth #stores #dc #scm #warehouse #drc #discount #retail #discountretail #discountretailconsulting #consulting

Discount Retail Chain Lidl Poland (owned by the German Schwarz Group) has been testing Electronic Shelf Label (ESL) for a short time. In February 2022, the ESL could be found in only a few Lidl stores. Lidl declared then that within a dozen or so months it wanted to equip several hundred of its facilities with electronic prices, and ultimately all of them. ESL appear in other Lidl Polska stores. "Currently, we have used this solution in 16 facilities", informed Aleksandra Robaszkiewicz, Head of Corporate Communications and CSR, Lidl Polska in HandelExtra.pl. She adds, "by the end of 2023, Lidl plans to equip all its stores with this type of label. We are constantly improving them, striving to make them as readable as possible for customers, and as easy to use as possible for employees. We also learned that in each store of the chain there will be over 4,000 electronic labels in various sizes." Initially, Lidl informed that it would install electronic price labels on shelves with fresh assortment, i.e. at fruit and vegetables, dairy and bread only. Lidl explained then that "the area of fruit and vegetables is particularly important because it is characterized by frequent changes in the assortment and dynamic prices". At the end of last year, in the face of galloping prices of all products, this translation lost its raison d'être and the Lidl headquarters in Germany decided to implement a modern solution on a large scale in Europe. ESL seemingly look like traditional price labels, but looking closely it turns out that they are small screens displaying the price, country of origin and information about the product. After the implementations in Lidl, you can see a lot of flexibility of the solution. The display may contain a message about one article; the price list can also be divided in half and then notify about two products; there is also a third option, which Lidl also uses: the colour distinction of the goods in the promotion, a red background instead of the standard white. Being in one of the chain's Warsaw stores, HandelExtra.pl. finds that ESL looks good, prices are clearly visible even for people with less sight, which a few years ago was the main complaint by retailers to manufacturers of these devices. They look unsightly only on paper promotional stands, they are skewed on it and are easy to remove, which could raise the risk of theft. Similar developments on ESL are taking place at Aldi Süd at the moment. So within a short period of time more European (discount) retailers will come with similar solutions, with large scale roll-outs. See here for more: Electronic labels: Lidl reveals if they pass the exam - Equipment and Technology - Trade - Information portal Handelextra.pl #smartdiscount #lidl #europe #esl #pricetags #labels #electronic #aldi #rollout #drc #discount #retail #consulting #discountretail #discountretailconsulting #poland #handelextra

Largest retail chain in Europe (Magnit) plans to open more than 160 outlets in the North-West of Russia in 2023. The main part of the investments go to Magnit's discount banners. About 130 out of 160 selling points of the Magnit network have been planned for in St. Petersburg and the Leningrad Region. Investments in the development of the network will amount to more than 2 billion rubles. According to the Director of the North-Western District of the Magnit retail chain, the capacity of the company's existing distribution center in Kolpino (St. Petersburg) is enough to meet the needs of the network, taking into account the stores that are being prepared for opening. At the moment, about 2,000 Magnit outlets of various formats operate in the Northwestern Federal District, more than 1,100 of which are located in St. Petersburg and the Leningrad Region. Magnit manages more than 26,700 stores with different banners, including 16,748 convenience stores under the name Magnit. Подробнее на Retail.ru: https://www.retail.ru/news/magnit-planiruet-vlozhit-bolee-2-mlrd-rubley-v-razvitie-seti-na-severo-zapade-ro-1-fevralya-2023-225232/ #magnit #investments #growth #neighborhoodstores #discounters #marketshare #smartdiscount #discountfoodretail #discounter #discount #foodretail #retail #drc #discountretailconsulting #retailconsulting #consulting #consultancy

Discount Retail Chain Aldi USA, H-E-B, Publix and Grocery Outlet were the supermarket sector’s growth leaders in 2022, according to a new report from professional services firm JLL. Batavia, Ill.-based discounter Aldi, a small-format store known for its limited assortment of mostly private label products, has been on a growth tear for the past several years and now has 2,270 locations. In 2022, the chain added 49 stores, totaling nearly 804,000 square feet (75,000m2) of new space, according to the JLL report. Its expansion was focused in the Southeast and along the Gulf Coast, with 22 new stores across the region. In July, Aldi also opened a distribution center in Loxley, Ala., which will support nearly 100 stores in the region, according to JLL. San Antonio-based H-E-B, meanwhile, added 12 new stores last year, totaling 1.2 million square feet. Notably, the chain expanded in the highly competitive Dallas-Fort Worth market, where it previously had a limited presence. Publix Super Markets, meanwhile, added just under 1.2 million square feet of new retail space in 2022, according to the JLL report. The Lakeland, Fla.-based retailer continued to expand its operations throughout the Southeast, including its first locations in Kentucky. It opened three stores in the state last year and has plans for a fourth in 2024. Emeryville, Calif.-based Grocery Outlet, meanwhile, opened 28 stores and added 700,000 square feet in 2022, fulfilling the goals it announced at the beginning of the year. While most of the discount chain’s new stores were on the West Coast, it also continued to add new locations in Maryland and Pennsylvania. Whole Foods Market, with 11 new stores and 418,000 square feet added in 2022, and Sprouts Farmers Market, with 16 new stores totaling 384,000 square feet, rounded out JLL’s list of the top six supermarkets in terms of square-footage growth. The report also found that several food retailers invested in small-format concepts in 2022, including Schnucks and Save Mart and Meijer. Schnucks opened Schnucks Express in August in Columbia, Mo., and Save Mart opened Save Mart opened a small-format, full-service grocery store in October under the Lucky Bayview banner in San Francisco. “Small-format stores are cheaper to build and require less land or space to buy or lease,” JLL said in the report. “This allows access to more markets than a larger-format store would. “Furthermore, as retailers continue to invest heavily in e-commerce, these smaller stores can act as fulfillment centers for online orders.” H-E-B, meanwhile, appeared to shift in the opposite direction, with some new stores measuring more than 100,000 square feet and offering that include as tortillerias, restaurants and garden departments. Among other trends cited in the JLL report: • Momentum swung back in favor restaurant spending in 2022, with data showing that while consumers might be dining out less often, they are spending more on restaurant meals • More food shoppers have returned to shopping in store, which has caused e-commerce grocery sales growth to taper off. However, retailers continue to invest and partner with third-party delivery services • Grocery-anchored retail shopping centers saw a 15.6% increase in transaction volume in 2022, reaching about $14.7 billion, but higher interest rates and tighter reserve requirements for banks will make larger transactions challenging in 2023, according to JLL. “However, grocery centers will continue to be the favored retail asset class for most investor types,” the report concluded. See here for more: Aldi, H-E-B among growth leaders in 2022: Report (supermarketnews.com) #smartdiscount #aldi #usa #expansion #cheaper #realestate #faster #jll #investor #drc #discount #retail #consulting #discountretailconsulting #discountretail #heb #leaders #shoppingcenters

Discount Non-food Retail Chain Action (owned by the 3iGroup), increasingly chooses locations just outside the inner cities, in the districts and neighbourhoods of larger and smaller cities. The number has passed 2,263 stores in Europe since January 1, of which 407 are located in the Netherlands. Action is busy expanding the number of stores at a rapid pace. In the press release for 2022 published today, she reports that she has added 280 new stores, which is more than in 2021. In that year, 267 more were added. "In 42 European cities there are new stores. In March we open our first store in the capital of Slovakia, Bratislava. In larger cities where we already had stores, such as Paris, Vienna, Warsaw and Prague, we expanded our presence," Hajir Hajji said to reflect on the local employment that Action creates. "With our relevant formula also come new jobs and new liveliness. Action also has a social function in the middle of the neighbourhoods from Lyon to Krakow and from Dordrecht to soon also in Bratislava." Action drives increase in revenues to 8.9 billion euros The expanding store numbers led to an increase in revenues to 8.9 billion euros (+30 percent). But a change in purchasing behaviour due to high inflation and the energy crisis also contributed to this. For example, people started looking for affordable alternatives to heating such as fleece blankets and thick sweaters. "In a year when we saw purchasing power decrease and prices rise, our customers appreciate the composition of our range, the quality, low prices and atmosphere in the store," Hajir Hajji explains the growth. "We saw loyal customers back in the store more often, also because they get much more value for their money for daily groceries such as detergent, toilet paper and household items." "We saw loyal customers back in the store more often, because they get much more value for their money for their daily groceries with us", Hajir Hajji, CEO Action. When looking only at stores that had been open for more than a year, sales went up by more than 18 percent. Owner 3i reports today in a press release for quarter three of the broken fiscal year 2022/2023 that Action's EBITDA (income before interest, taxes, depreciation on assets and amortization of loans and goodwill) increased by 46 percent to 1.2 billion euros compared to 2021. Simon Borrows, CEO of 3i group, reports that Action in Europe has 'significant roll-out potential' and that he expects another 'strong year'. The goal of Action is to remain the cheapest Hajji warned in March last year that Action would not escape price increases. She emphasized at the time that it remained mainly a matter for the chain to remain the cheapest. 'That's what we pay close attention to.' According to Action, it is impossible to say to what extent price increases have increased turnover over the past year, since a large part of the range is constantly changing and is therefore only in stores for a limited time. Owner 3i reports in its Q3 press release that Action's supply chain has performed effectively throughout the year. "Despite global logistical challenges, availability improved across the entire store base." The Netherlands performs just like the rest of the stores in Europe About the Dutch market, which is served by 407 stores, the chain, with its headquarters in Zwaagdijk in North Holland, does not give specific figures. According to Action, the picture is more or less the same in all markets. See here for more: De Ondernemer | Ceo Hajir Hajji laat winkelmotor van Action op volle… #smartdiscount #action #expansion #europe #growth #performance #3i #fast #drc #discount #retail #consulting #discountretail #discountretailconsulting #ebitda #profitability #stores

Lidl is set to make a £4 billion investment into the British food industry this year to support suppliers across the country. This looks to accelerate the discount grocer’s initial spending pans of £15bn between 2020 and 2025, as this investment is set to boost the expected figure to £17bn. Lidl currently has two thirds of its core produce sourced from the UK and works directly with over 650 suppliers across the country. “The farmers and producers that supply us, some of which have been with us for decades, are paramount to the success of our business,” Lidl GB CEO, Ryan McDonnell said. “We see them as partners in our mission to provide households with high quality affordable produce, and for many, working with Lidl GB and being part of our growth has opened opportunities for their own expansion, both here in the UK and across the globe.” Lidl GB chief trading officer, Martin Kottbauer added: “Providing our suppliers with the security and certainty needed for them to invest and grow has been a big focus for us over the years. “It’s why we’ve led the industry on the introduction of longer-term contracts, and it’s why our continued investment in the British food and farming industry remains an absolute priority for our business.” Westcountry cheddar cheese supplier, Wyke Farms has a £35 million a year long-term contract with the supermarket until 2028 and as a result, its produce is now being exported to 16 other Lidl markets. Through their work together, Lidl and Wyke have launched the first supermarket carbon-neutral cheddar, helping dairy farmers to take decisive action to reduce their on-farm emissions. The businesses are also working together to create a closed-loop system by 2030 to ensure that carbon neutrality is being achieved completely within the supply chain itself. Wyke Farms managing director, Richard Clothier said: “Our long-term relationship with Lidl has given the Wyke business the confidence to invest in a range of long-term projects across our business. “These include renewable energy streams, on-farm emission reductions, new processing facilities for butter and cheese, plus new cheese stores for maturing more aged cheeses. “These are all projects that benefit regional farmers, the environment and ultimately the Lidl shopper.” Source: Grocery Gazette #uk #lidl #foodindustry #investment #discounters #growth #smartdiscount #discountfoodretail #discounter #discount #foodretail #retail #drc #discountretailconsulting #retailconsulting #consulting #consultancy

Discount Retail Chain Aldi USA (German family owned) opens multiple stores this week. Further the discount retail grocer is also working on a new online shopping portal that would drive shoppers through its own channels, rather than solely through third-party platforms. Aldi will open six new stores this week, as the discount grocery continues its swift expansion around the country. “Our stores are designed to make grocery shopping smarter, faster and easier, and we’ve been voted the price leader for five years running,” said Matt Thon, Haines City, Florida, regional VP for Aldi, in a statement. Aldi’s expansion last year saw new stores across the Southeast, but 2023 is shaping up to include other parts of the U.S. as well. With a business model that is “intentionally different,” the Batavia, Illinois-based chain announced last October that it has been working on a new online shopping portal that would drive shoppers through its own channels, rather than solely through third-party platforms. The no-frills German discount grocery chain teamed up with Spryker to develop a new digital commerce platform for its online food and grocery shopping experience for the U.S. market. "Aldi, in partnership with Spryker Systems, is currently testing a new online food and grocery shopping experience with a select group of customers that will be rolled out nationally in a phased approach," Scott Patton, Aldi's VP of national buying, told WGB last fall. "The new digital commerce platform will offer grocery delivery or curbside pickup, providing yet another way for Aldi U.S. shoppers to save time and money." Boris Lokschin, co-founder and CEO of Spryker, a privately held technology company headquartered in Berlin and New York, said it has been working to provide a smooth experience for shoppers at the grocery retailer. “Spryker’s composable and headless commerce platform offers a best-of-breed approach, providing enterprises with the flexibility and scalability needed to adjust to a constantly changing market, accelerating digital growth and transformation, and providing consumers with a more seamless and simple shopping experience,” Lokschin said in a statement. See here for more: Aldi to open 6 new stores on Thursday (winsightgrocerybusiness.com) #smartdiscount #aldi #usa #expansion #growth #store #digitalplatform #ecommerce #curbsidepickup #florida #stryker #drc #discount #retail #consulting #discountretail #discountretailconsulting

Discount Retail Chain Penny Italy (owned by the German REWE Group) opens the doors of its new logistics DC in Cascine di Buti, Pisa, destined to serve the discount brand's stores in Tuscany and central-northern Italy, for a total of over 90 stores. The works, which began in May 2021 and ended just over a year and a half later, have grounded an excellence, equal to an investment of 32 million euros. The building of the Distribution Center, of about 23,000m2, was built on an area of 86,000 m2 with an additional building capacity of 10,000m2 and is located in the industrial area of Cascine di Buti, along the Bientinese road that connects the municipality of Altopascio to the municipality of Pontedera. The new warehouse will replace the Altopascio warehouse, which supplied about 60 stores and whose workforce will be totally reabsorbed into the Buti site. The goal of the new structure, where more than 120 employees will work, is to increase stock capacity and make operational capacity more efficient and widespread. Energy efficiency and a fully sustainable structure are just some of the strengths of the new Ce.Di. Made in line with a green logistics policy. Technologies with low environmental impact have been considered, from the energy that is used to the occupation of the land, from water consumption to the emissions produced. More in detail, the photovoltaic system, with a capacity of 400Kwh for self-consumption, is designed to meet about 35% of the process needs; the use of heat pumps to replace gas boilers; natural refrigerants such as Ammonia and Co2 for refrigeration systems, which have respectively a GWP over 100 years equal to 0 and 1 compared to current freon refrigerants with GWP > to 1774. Energy efficiency and low impact on the environment are also guaranteed by the recovery of thermal heat produced by heating and hot water systems and by the recovery of water from groundwater wells for the fire and irrigation system. Only alternative materials to concrete were used for the building, intended only for the main structures, floor, pillars, beams. In addition, more than 200 trees have been planted and about 20 thousand square meters of green areas have been destined for green. The location of the Centre has also been weighted based on a logic of proximity to the commercial network, which will allow to lower the distances and consequently the emissions of CO2 into the atmosphere. "We are proceeding with the renewal of our logistics network as the Italian territory in its entirety is for PENNY a strategic objective of extreme importance", underlines Gotthard Klingan, Chief Operations Officer of PENNY Italia, "and this inauguration, which follows by a few years that of the logistics center of Pantano d'Arci, in Catania, is confirmation of this. We are flexible to the changes that the market and social, political and environmental events impose on us, optimizing and making more efficient the sales network, which is the link with our customers. I believe that this new structure should be framed in this direction, but more generally we can say that responsibility and innovation are our priorities at the moment". See here for more: Penny, new logistics hub in Cascine di Buti (PI) | GDO News #smartdiscount #penny #italy #rewe #growth #dc #expansion #logistics #drc #discount #retail #consulting #discountretail #discountretailconsulting