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☆ Tesco's UK store management changes to impact 1,750 jobs
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-31 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Tesco said a new structure will see it introduce about 1,800 "shift leader" roles in its larger Superstores and Extra stores and also realign its store manager roles. Tesco said the 1,750 workers affected will have the option of moving to shift leader vacancies or taking redundancy. It said localised changes across the UK business will impact a further 350 jobs. Tesco said it also planned to close the meat, fish and deli counters in the small number of stores that still have them from Feb. 26. The group said it currently had around 2,000 vacancies across the business, in addition to the more than 1,800 new shift leader roles it will be introducing.

LONDON, Jan 30 (Reuters) - Incoming Unilever CEO Hein Schumacher gets seasick, according to his former boss at food group Heinz, but that never stopped him joining executive sailing trips and sticking them out. Heinz Company from 2006 to 2013 and was impressed by his leadership skills and business acumen," Peltz said. "Why hire a food exec if you are planning to sell the food business?" "Selling the food business will always be on the cards, but I doubt that it is top priority in the short term." "He's been given a very tough assignment but I have every confidence that if anyone could get Unilever moving in right direction, it's Hein," Johnson said.

☆ One of the biggest problems for plant-based products — people don't know where to find them at the grocery store
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-30 | by ( Alex Bitter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Where plant-based meat sits in a grocery store can affect sales. Sales of plant-based meat grew quickly during the early months of the pandemic. But that growth slowed down in 2022, leading some analysts to question the long-term potential of plant-based foods. Earlier this month, Bloomberg Businessweek published a cover story declaring plant-based meat was "just another fad." In response, Impossible took out a full-page ad in the New York Times that decried media coverage "hating on plant-based meat."

☆ Sainsbury’s latest bid chatter looks overblown
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, Jan 27 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Sainsbury’s (SBRY.L) is in the crosshairs of discount shoppers. Although the news drove Sainsbury’s shares up 5%, a bid looks unlikely. Its 530 million pounds of EBITDA in 2022 was less than a quarter of Sainsbury’s, implying any deal would be a stretch. And Bestway would have to win over the Qataris and Czech billionaire Daniel Kretinsky who together own nearly a quarter of Sainsbury’s. Before Friday’s share bump, Sainsbury’s traded at around 5.5 times its forward EBITDA compared to larger rival Tesco (TSCO.L) which trades on 6.5 times.

☆ Britain's Morrisons puts faith in better pricing to win back customers
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-26 | by ( James Davey | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Morrisons, owned since 2021 by U.S. private equity firm Clayton, Dubilier & Rice, was overtaken as Britain's fourth-largest grocer by market share by German-owned discounter Aldi last September, according to researcher Kantar. Monthly industry data has consistently shown the group underperforming rivals including market leader Tesco (TSCO.L) and No. Sales in the three weeks before Christmas were up 2.5% year on year, said Morrisons, which has a UK grocery market share of 9.1%. In the financial year to end-October, Morrisons reported a 15% drop in core earnings (EBITDA) to 828 million pounds ($1.03 billion) while underlying sales fell 4.2%. Analysts had suggested that Morrisons' debt burden following CD&R's 7 billion pound purchase has impacted its ability to maintain price competitiveness.

That surge in demand and limited supply contributed to higher prices. But diners will likely still pay higher menu prices than they were last year. Dutch Bros. Coffee CEO Joth Ricci told CNBC that most coffee businesses hedge their prices six to 12 months in advance. However, Zandi said, if the job market remains strong, inflation eases and wages grow, Americans can better manage higher prices for airfare and other items. Several hot pandemic items, including TVs, computers, sporting goods and major appliances have dropped in price, according to Labor Department data from December.

☆ Amazon is rapidly opening new Whole Foods stores after halting Amazon Fresh's expansion, in a troubling sign for online grocery sales
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-18 | by ( Alex Bitter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Whole Foods wants to triple the number of stores it opens, CEO Jason Buechel said Monday. Last year, Whole Foods opened 11 stores, according to industry publication Winsight Grocery Business. Last March, Amazon said it would close 68 stores, including all of its Amazon Books and Amazon 4-Star locations. Amazon has also reportedly paused new store openings for its Amazon Fresh grocery chain, The Information reported in December. "We are so bullish on our potential to continue to add stores," Buechel said according to Winsight.

☆ Washington court paves way for Albertsons' $4 bln dividend, declines to review case
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-18 | by ( Mike Scarcella | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The Washington Supreme Court made the decision after a lower court judge refused last month to issue a preliminary injunction against the dividend. The Washington attorney general's office in November sued to block the dividend, arguing that it would weaken Albertsons before Kroger's $25 billion purchase. The merger proposal will be reviewed by the Federal Trade Commission, which polices merger and acquisition activity for compliance with antitrust law. In a statement, Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson said his office was "surprised and disappointed the Supreme Court decided not to hear this case." Chief executives of the two grocers in November defended the $25 billion proposed tie-up at a hearing before a U.S. congressional committee.

☆ Retail advertising will make $45 billion this year — here are 3 ways companies like Nordstrom and Albertsons are looking to cash in
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-17 | by ( Lauren Johnson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Many big retailers are building ad businesses this, which Insider Intelligence predicts will be a $45 billion opportunity in the US this year. Leaders from Albertsons and Nordstrom spoke during the panel about how they plan to grab that money. But retailers also need to grow their advertising businesses beyond those companies to so-called non endemic advertisers, like automakers and insurance companies. Argyilan said Albertsons is also working on a tool to help advertisers plug Albertsons' measurement into their broader measurement efforts. "I think measurement needs to grow up quite a bit in retail media space," she said.

☆ Walgreens removes purchase limits on children's fever medicines
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

Jan 16 (Reuters) - Pharmacy chain Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc (WBA.O) said on Monday it has removed online-only purchase limits for its over-the-counter pediatric fever-reducing products, as supply conditions improve. Pharmacy chains including CVS Health Corp (CVS.N) and Walgreens as well as U.S. grocer Kroger Co (KR.N) had last month limited purchases of children's pain and cold medicines at a time when the country was experiencing one of the worst flu seasons in a decade. Walgreens had put a limit of six over-the-counter pediatric fever reducer products per online transaction. Reporting by Arunima Kumar in Bengaluru; Editing by Andrea RicciOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Walmart strikes a deal with Salesforce to sell more of its tech to other retailers
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-12 | by ( Melissa Repko | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Walmart Global Chief Technology Officer Suresh Kumar said the deal with Salesforce will help Walmart improve the experience for shoppers. For instance, as Walmart's GoLocal has more packages to deliver from more retailers, its drivers will have denser routes, he said. It began selling Store Assist, technology that its own store employees use, in the summer. In November, Walmart Chief Financial Officer John David Rainey said Walmart added more than 8,000 sellers to its third-party marketplace in the fiscal third quarter. Walmart will stand out in its app store as a technology by retailers and for retailers, he added.

☆ Albertsons Sales up 8.5% on Higher Prices
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-10 | by ( Will Feuer | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Albertsons Cos. sales rose 8.5% in the recently ended quarter as higher prices for food and other household products continue to boost the grocer’s top line. The Boise, Idaho-based supermarket company, which operates its namesake stores as well as the Acme and Safeway chains, said identical sales—a metric that strips out store closings and openings—rose 7.9% in its fiscal third quarter.

☆ Whole Foods must pay $300,000 over accusations that a system meant to track productivity captured warehouse workers' voices without their consent
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-06 | by ( Alex Bitter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Workers at an Illinois warehouse had to record their voices in a system that directed their work. At Whole Foods warehouses, employees are given a headset that they wear while at work. Using biometric data is just one way that some employers, including many retail companies, track and guide workers' productivity. Amazon warehouse workers have been tracked by the amount of time they spend doing things other than working, such as going to the bathroom. Do you work in a warehouse operated by Whole Foods or another retailer and use voice technology to do your job?

☆ Investors anxiously await jobs report for clues about Fed rate hikes
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-05 | by ( Paul R. La Monica | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Traders are betting on a further deceleration in jobs growth because that could lead to a reduction in the size of interest rate hikes by the Federal Reserve. Further strength could set off more alarm bells about inflation and Fed rate hikes. Focus on worker payWall Street will also need to dive even deeper into Friday’s jobs report to get a better sense of what’s happening in the economy. Investors cheered the fact that wage growth, measured by average hourly earnings, rose only 4.7% over the previous 12 months in October. Big Tech keeps handing out pink slipsOverall, the jobs market is still in good shape.

☆ Aldi sales soar as UK shoppers battle record food inflation
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-04 | by ( Hanna Ziady | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

London CNN —Aldi recorded its highest-ever December sales in the United Kingdom, as shoppers squeezed by searing food price inflation flocked to the German discount supermarket chain to save money on groceries. The British Retail Consortium said Wednesday that food inflation accelerated to 13.3% in December, up from 12.4% in November, the highest level recorded since it started tracking the data in 2005. Fresh food inflation accelerated to 15% in December, also an all-time high. Lidl’s sales increased by nearly 24%, its data showed. Tesco (TSCDF) and Sainsbury’s, the largest UK grocers by market share, grew sales by 6% and 6.2% respectively.

☆ Aldi is the US' fastest-growing grocer. Here's how a small German convenience store run by 2 brothers turned into one of the world's biggest retail chains.
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-29 | by ( Grace Dean | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

From the start, Aldi was profit-focusedA photograph from 1930 shows the interior and employees of the Karl Albrecht Spiritousen and Lebensmittel shop at Huestrasse 89 in Essen-Schonnebeck, Germany. Aldi Einkauf GmbH & Co. oHG via Getty ImagesIn the aftermath of the war, "scarcity and necessary frugality demanded the avoidance of waste," Dieter and Nils Brandes wrote in their book "Bare Essentials: The Aldi Success Story." Because of its below-average price model, Aldi was able to slowly dominate the market in Germany and its stores spread across Europe. "We wanted our stores to be like other retail outlets, offering a wide range of groceries," Karl said in 1953, as quoted in "Bare Essentials: The Aldi Success Story." This insight became the basic principle of our business."

☆ Aldi is the US's fastest-growing grocery chain and more middle-income households are shopping there. Here are the no-frills tactics that help make it so cheap.
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-28 | by ( Grace Dean | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +13 min

More middle-income households are shopping there, lured by low prices and Aldi's "treasure hunt" approach. Smaller properties are cheaper to buy and maintain, and Aldi has said that its store layout enables "quick and easy shopping." Monford added that consumers "don't mind" that products aren't taken out of their boxes because they're shopping at Aldi for value. Campbell said the Aldi stores near her generally had just four or five aisles. Vadakkepatt said Aldi's stores have fewer employees and shorter hours than at other chains.

☆ Retailers Pull Back From Using Chartered Cargo Ships
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-23 | by ( Paul Berger | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +5 min

Retailers are moving away from using chartered ships to get around pandemic-triggered disruptions now that congestion at ports has cleared and pressures in supply chains have eased. A representative for Home Depot said it stopped using chartered vessels earlier this year as space opened up in global shipping. Party City started booking space on chartered vessels in mid-2021 in advance of Halloween, its busiest time of year, said Bruce Dzinski, Party City’s director of international transportation. Will Harwood, a spokesman for Lidl, said Tailwind owns two container ships and can carry additional cargo on other chartered vessels. Most other companies, like Home Depot and Costco, relied on third-party companies to operate chartered ships.

☆ Retailers say air fryers, slippers, and electric blankets are booming in popularity this winter as the energy crisis hits UK homes
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-21 | by ( Kate Duffy | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

This has resulted in random items surging in popularity, such as air fryers. Research from energy supplier Utilita shows that an electric oven costs more than £315 a year, whereas an air fryer costs around £53. Tesco, Britain's biggest grocer, said in October sales of air fryers have skyrocketed by 200% year-on-year as customer look for more energy-efficient options. Tesco will receive an extra 40,000 air fryers before Christmas because of the demand, it added. Sky News reported that price comparison website PriceRunner said sales of some air fryers were up 2,000% since the summer.

☆ Retail advertising surged in 2022 — but in 2023, these new ad businesses will need to steal TV ad budget to survive
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-16 | by ( Lauren Johnson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Retailers will face more competition for ad dollars with smaller ad budgets from marketers in 2023. WPP's media buying unit GroupM said that retail media brought in $110 billion this year and is on track to generate $160 billion by 2027. But 2023 will be the year that determines which retail ad businesses will win and which will lose. But some retailers are trying to grow their retail media businesses by separating those two, so retail ads are no longer part of the distribution deal. Retailers are coming for TV budgetsIf retail media budgets increase, other types of ad budgets must get cut.

☆ Walmart shoppers are flocking to stores for cheap groceries, while website visits languish — proving how vital its stores are in a tough economy
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-14 | by ( Ben Tobin | Alex Bitter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

But while online shopping has dipped this year, more people have been flocking back to Walmart stores. According to estimates from Placer.ai, a location-data company, Walmart stores saw a 1% increase in the average number of daily shoppers through December 4 compared to the same year prior. But those customers are typically not buying food online, according to Yarbrough. Online food sales slowing across retailersWalmart is the top US grocer. The membership platform that launched in 2020 incentivizes online shopping by offering free delivery.

☆ Kroger and Albertsons would likely shutter stores as part of a planned merger. See if your local store is at risk.
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-14 | by ( Alex Bitter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Kroger and Albertsons could sell or close stores if their $20 billion merger is approved. A map showing Kroger and Albertsons stores KrogerIn some ways, the companies' store networks complement each other. As part of the deal, Kroger and Albertsons have agreed to sell up to 650 stores. Eliminating stores in those locations is one way that Kroger and Albertsons could cut costs as a combined company, he added. In order to get federal approval for their merger, Albertsons and Safeway had to sell just under 150 to another grocery chain.

☆ These stocks could have the most to gain from peaking inflation, Bank of America says
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-13 | by ( Carmen Reinicke | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Certain stocks are poised to gain the most if high inflation is past its peak, according to analysts from the Bank of America. In the past-peak inflation environment, certain stocks are set up to potentially gain, according to a Dec. 6 note by Savita Subramanian, head of U.S. equity and quantitative strategy at Bank of America Securities. This means that as inflation subsides, these stocks should get a boost. Other retail names on Bank of America's list include O'Reilly Automotive , Clorox , Ross Stores , Home Depot and Lowe's . Some of these companies picked out by Bank of America have also been able to hold up amid rising inflation.

☆ Bank of America says these stocks have the most 'potential upside' this holiday season
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-10 | by ( Michael Bloom | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Analysts at Bank of America named five stocks this week that they say every investor must own heading into 2023. CNBC Pro combed through Bank of America research looking for stocks with major upside potential. Netflix Shares of Netflix are down 46.8% this year, but analyst Jessica Reif Ehrlich is standing by the streaming giant. Kroger Kroger shares have gained nearly 2.6% this year, but the stock has a lot more room to run, according to analyst Robert Ohmes. ... We rate Solo Brands' shares Buy as we believe its unique platform strategy should enable its high growth Leisure brands."

☆ Walmart-backed fintech startup plans to launch its own buy now, pay later loans
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-09 | by ( Melissa Repko | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Buy now, pay later allows customers to gradually pay off a purchase with fixed monthly payments, along with interest. The news about the Walmart-backed startup's interest in buy now, pay later was first reported by The Information. Buy now, pay later has become a more crowded space, with companies including Affirm, PayPal , Klarna and AfterPay all offering their own versions. Apple also announced plans to launch its own buy now, pay later option, Apple Pay Later. Ahead of last holiday season, it ended its layaway program and replaced it with the buy now, pay later financing.

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