UK is the third largest mcommerce market in the world
The United Kingdom is the third largest mobile commerce market in the world. Mcommerce in the UK is worth 55.9bln euros. With this mobile sales figure, the European country ranks third world wide, with only China (652.6bln euros) and the US (183.2bln euros) performing better. This is according to new data from Worldpay, which examined online shopping in 36 countries across the globe. It found that mcommerce currently accounts for 38% of the 1.13tln euros in global ecommerce sales, and that global mcommerce is set to grow 19% over the next five years.
Source: ecommercenews.eu
Konzum eyes expansion to Macedonia
Croatian supermarket chain Konzum, part of Agrokor Group, is analysing the retail market in Macedonia with a view to launching operations in the country. The news was confirmed to local portal Skopje Info by sources from a company tasked with examining market development and conditions in Macedonia. According to the same sources, the Croatian company is ‘almost ready’ to make a decision on whether to commence investment activities in Macedonia. If everything goes according to plan, the first Konzum supermarket should be opened in Macedonia’s capital Skopje at the beginning of 2019.
Source: esmmagazine.com
UK: Asda reports sixth quarter of positive growth
Walmart has published its earnings returns for the third quarter including financial results for Asda (1st July 2018 to 30th September 2018). The supermarket posted a 2.0% increase in like-for-like sales in the quarter – its sixth consecutive quarter of positive comp growth. Kantar Worldpanel data showed the retailer accounts for 12.7% of the total grocery market (Total Grocery Market Share, Kantar Worldpanel data for the 12 weeks ending 04th November 2018).
Source: corporate.asda.com
China: Hema Supermarket realizes new retail concept
The successful operation of Hema Supermarket integrating online ordering and offline sales in China has proved the feasibility of the concept of new retail proposed by Alibaba Group, according to the chain store’s CEO. With its first store coming into operation in 2016, Hema now has 91 outlets in 16 tier-1 and tier-2 cities, with number of stores to reach 100 by year-end 2018, said Hema CEO Hou Yi. Adopting AI, deep learning, IoT and cloud computing technologies to establish a new retail business model, Hema has hiked operational efficiency and brought new shopping experience for consumers, Hou indicated.
Source: digitimes.com
Australia: Wesfarmers shareholders approve Coles spin-off
Australian conglomerate Wesfarmers Ltd said its shareholders approved the demerger of its supermarket division, Coles. Shares of Coles Group Ltd are expected to start trading on the Australian Securities Exchange on November 21, subject to approval from the Supreme Court of Western Australia at a scheduled hearing on November 19, the company said. In October, Coles posted its fastest quarterly sales growth in nearly three years as promotional toy offerings proved to be a big hit.
Source: uk.reuters.com
Maxima Grupė plans to open more than 120 new stores next year
Maxima Grupė, which owns the Maxima retail chain in the Baltics, the Stokrotka chain in Poland and the T-Market chain in Bulgaria, plans to open 120-140 new stores in those markets during 2019. Many of them will be opened in Poland. The company plans to invest at least EUR 100mln altogether next year in the expansion and renewal of its chains of stores. “Next year we plan active expansion, with the main focus on Poland. That market of 38mln people is attractive for its size and its growth and consolidation potential. The merger of the Stokrotka retail chain which we acquired in the spring and Aldik which we already owned has laid strong foundation for further growth in that neighboring country. We plan to maintain a fast pace of growth there in the coming years,” says Maxima Grupė Chairman of the Board and CEO Dalius Misiūnas.
Source: maximagrupe.eu
Russia: O’Key Group sees like-for-like revenue down 3.5% in nine months
Russian retailer O’Key Group has posted a 3.5% decline in like-for-like group revenue in the first nine months of its financial year, driven by a 2.4% decline in like-for-like traffic and a 1.2% decline in the average basket size. Reported organic group net retail revenue, excluding the effect of the recent sale of its supermarket business, fell by 1.9% in the period, the group noted. Like-for-like net retail revenue at the group’s O’Key hypermarket business was down 4.6%, with traffic down 4.5% and a 0.1% decrease in average basket size.
Source: esmmagazine.com
South Africa: Woolworths posts 2.7% rise in 20-week sales
South African retailer Woolworths Holdings Ltd reported a 2.7% rise in sales for the 20 weeks ended November 12, helped by its local food and Australian businesses. Food sales climbed 7.2% from a year earlier, with volume driven by low inflation and aggressive promotion. Comparable store sales increased by 5%. Sales at the local fashion, beauty and home business, which has been under pressure recently from constrained economic conditions, declined by 3.3%.
Source: reuters.com
Canada: 7-Eleven spearheads convenience industry’s largest restoration initiative
7-Eleven Canada took a step towards a more sustainable future, partnering with local restoration groups within each province to help rehabilitate damaged landscapes and offset their carbon footprint, one hot beverage cup at a time. As part of their new Buy This Cup, Plant a Plant program, 7-Eleven will plant a plant for every hot beverage cup purchased at any 7-Eleven Canada store. All plants are native to their specific restoration sites and play a direct role in rehabilitating the local habitat. The program could help grow 20 million plants per year and is part of 7-Eleven Canada’s ongoing effort to set a new sustainability standard in the convenience retail industry.
Source: newswire.ca
Ahold Delhaize looking for US acquisitions
Dutch-Belgian supermarket group Ahold Delhaize, the owner of the Stop & Shop and Giant Food stores, is looking for acquisitions in the United States, its chief executive said in a Dutch newspaper report. The comments in Dutch newspaper Financieele Dagblad signal a potential strategy shift for Ahold under chief executive Frans Muller, who took on the top job in July after overseeing the company’s US business. “We have a strong market share in regions where we are active. That gives us a good starting point to join in the acquisition game,” Muller said in the Financieele Dagblad report. There were no details about possible targets or how much the company might spend in the report. The company’s strategy is to bolster its US online business, where sales grew by 12% in the third quarter.
Source: esmmagazine.com
Walmart’s LatAm delivery app Cornershop eyeing Canada and U.S.
Cornershop, a Latin American grocery delivery app being acquired by Walmart, plans to expand into Canada early next year as a test market for the United States, an executive for the three-year-old mobile app said. Walmart is buying Cornershop, which offers deliveries in Mexico and Chile, for $225mln. The deal, one of Walmart’s various global investments and tie-ups geared at helping the retailer compete with Amazon.com Inc, is slated to close by year’s end.
Source: reuters.com