**London**: Various global retail developments include Colruyt’s supermarkets in France attracting interest from buyers, Amazon Fresh expanding in India, and Iceland Foods opening new stores in Jersey, amid challenges faced by companies like Amazon and Winn-Dixie in the UK and the US respectively.
French media outlets have reported a significant amount of interest from various retailers in acquiring some or all of Colruyt’s 101 supermarkets located in France. Various candidates have submitted proposals, and according to an insider speaking to the French trade website LSA, the acquisition process is anticipated to conclude by the end of May.
In a separate development, Iceland Foods has marked its continued expansion in the Channel Islands with the launch of two new stores in Jersey. These locations, situated in St Ouen and Broad Street in St Helier, represent the first stores to open in Jersey since Iceland’s recent franchise partnership with the local independent retailer Alliance, which was established last year.
In India, Amazon Fresh has announced a substantial extension of its service, now covering over 170 cities and towns across the country. Amazon India reported that this expansion includes several tier-2 and tier-3 cities, such as Gorakhpur, Chittoor, Ambala, and Vijayawada. The company’s grocery offerings are supported by a network of over 11,000 farmers nationwide who supply fruits and vegetables.
Meanwhile, the African e-commerce platform Jiji is stepping into the Asian market with its debut in Bangladesh. This decision is influenced by the country’s burgeoning middle class and its advancements in mobile connectivity. Currently operating in seven African nations including Nigeria and Kenya, Jiji views Bangladesh as a strategic market for future growth.
In the UK, retail sales for February saw an unexpected rise, as reported by the Office for National Statistics. Analysts had forecast a decline in sales amid sluggish overall economic growth; however, a monthly increase of 1.0% was recorded, primarily driven by non-food sales. In contrast, supermarkets experienced a downturn following a significant uptick in January’s business.
Indian fresh produce tech platform Pluckk is also in the news, as it prepares to raise approximately $10 million in its Series A funding round from Euro Gulf Investment. This marks the Mumbai-based company’s first notable fundraising move after a three-year hiatus.
A new European purchasing alliance has been formed under the name Vasco International Trading, involving Colruyt Group, Coop Group, and Superunie. Based in Amsterdam, this alliance aims to strengthen the partners’ positions in procurement negotiations with multinational suppliers. Colruyt Group’s Chief Purchasing Officer, Geert Roels, noted, “We are really going to purchase together; this is not about ‘on top’ conditions.”
In Norway, SPAR has announced the opening of a new supermarket in Sarpsborg, located just 15 minutes from the Swedish border. The SPAR Supermarket Skjebergveien welcomed over 2,000 customers on its inaugural day of operation.
Conversely, Amazon has recently closed its Richmond Amazon Fresh store in the UK after just three years of operation. This closure comes as part of a series of shut-downs following the company’s decision to abandon its expansion plans. The store, located next to Richmond Station in south-west London, was one of the first ten Amazon Fresh outlets established in the UK.
In market movements, Alibaba has experienced a significant increase in its market valuation, with its U.S.-listed shares surging nearly 60% this year. This growth is attributed to the company’s advancements in artificial intelligence and the re-emergence of co-founder Jack Ma into the public domain.
Instacart in the US has introduced new technology named Store View, which leverages artificial intelligence and computer vision to provide real-time inventory data. This feature is designed to help retailers manage out-of-stock items more efficiently.
Walmart’s Mexico unit has announced plans to invest over $6 billion in the country in 2025, which is about triple the amount spent the previous year. This investment will focus on the establishment of new stores and the ongoing construction of two distribution centres.
In further developments, New York-based Ecovative has raised $11 million aimed at expanding its mycelium-based meat and textile business. This round of funding includes contributions from the Advance Albany County Alliance.
However, grocery retailer Winn-Dixie has disclosed plans to close four stores in Alabama, adding to its earlier announcement of two store closures in Georgia. Notably, these closures are not part of the 220 stores that the parent company, Southeastern Grocers, has committed to keeping operational temporarily.
Finally, a recent study titled “The Blockchain Newsvendor: Value of Freshness Transparency and Smart Contracts” has explored the potential of blockchain technology in helping grocery stores make more informed inventory decisions to reduce spoilage, particularly for perishable goods. The study highlighted that implementing such technology in Walmart’s strawberry business could enhance annual profits by $60 million while also cutting down food waste by 23 million pounds.
Source: Noah Wire Services
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