News

Retail and consumer goods industry news

22 April 2013
Lidl UK is dedicating 50% more in-store space to its fresh meat and poultry categories after sales of its fresh range increased by 30% in 2012. Boosting range by 49% The £66m investment will see new cabinets installed across Lidl's entire estate, with floorspace increasing by 50%. The investment will allow Lidl to expand its fresh meat and poultry range by 49%. In addition to the refur...
22 April 2013
Sainsbury's is following up the introduction of new bolder shelf edge labels with changes to make its ready meals aisle easier to shop. 'Digital wall' used to reshape ready meals layout New signs are being introduced to help customers navigate the offer more easily. According to meal solutions range planner Richard Thorn Sainsbury's used a digital wall to help decide the optimum arrangement f...
22 April 2013
Musgrave has introduced a wholly revamped private label range for its Irish convenience and neighbourhood stores under the Centra brand.  Differentiated with simple and bold on-pack designs, presenting a 'Bright New Range', the Centra brand of products now includes 900 lines across key grocery categories. Biggest ever launch by Centra The new Centra range demonstrates Musgrave's commitment ...
22 April 2013
In a preliminary release of results for Q1 2013 the Belgium-based group has revealed revenue growth of 2.1% to €5.5bn. Price investment driving recovery Delhaize saw positive performance in all its regions in the first quarter, with the US delivering like-for-like sales growth of 1.9% and Belgium growing 2.4%. This was driven by price investment in both markets, with the retailer contin...
22 April 2013
We look at Mercadona, how it's coping with the economic conditions in Spain, and more widely at what the future may hold for European grocery formats.   Mercadona's unique model is its main strength Mercadona's strengths are small and medium-sized stores, in convenient neighbourhood locations; best-in-class fresh produce and private label products. In terms of similarities among its pee...
19 April 2013
Swedish retailer Axfood has seen the year start positively, with sales growth of 2.7% in the first quarter. Positive development Total sales for the three month period January-March reached SEK 8.9bn, up 2.7% year on year. Like for like sales grew by 2.3%. Group-owned stores performed particularly well, growing by 4.2%. Axfood delivered operating profit of SEK 254m. Developments in the peri...
19 April 2013
Adding to the introduction of the Profi City banner at the beginning of April, the retailer has announced that it will trial another new format, Profi Mall. New store opened in Oradea Shopping City The retailer said that the new format is part of a trial, which Pawel Musial, a director at Profi, describes as being ‘tailored to customer expectations’, with a focus on fresh. Musial is quoted as...
19 April 2013
The UK's biggest delivered wholesaler, Palmer & Harvey has revealed it is to further enhance its van sales operation with a third division called P&H Direct, to bring focus to its growing number of customers in the out of home sector, including pubs, coffee shops and snack shops.  Unlike traditional delivered wholesale, vans sales allows customers to buy in smaller quantities direct from the van ...
19 April 2013
Sligro Food Group has announced first quarter results of €589 million, a rise of 2% on the same period in 2012. Positive results at both food retail and foodservice The retailer said that the majority of the sales growth was organic, although it did concede that it was aided by the timing effect of the Easter holiday. Sales at Sligro’s food retail division, EMTÉ rose 5.1% to €216 million, aid...
19 April 2013
Following its provisional announcement last month, the Competition Commission has now published its final report into the acquisition of Makro by Booker, confirming that the deal has been cleared of all competition concerns. Final report finds no 'substantial lessening of competition' In its announcement the Competition Commission concluded: "the merged company would continue to face suffic...