Europe news & analysis

Migros has reported a 0.7% increase in EBIT for 2012 today, and outlined its priorities for the year ahead, in its annual results presentation.    Three main areas of focus for 2013 Migros said 2012 was "a good year" , despite economic difficulties, price cuts and the ongoing impact of cross-border shopping tourism. In 2013, Migros will continue such projects as the range optimisation in...

The latest figures to be released from the British Retail Consortium (BRC) Retail Sales Monitor show that UK retail sales rose by 1.9% in March on a like-for-like basis.  However, while the early Easter provided a boost to food and drink sales, the prolonged winter weather depressed clothing sales in particular, impacting demand for the Spring fashions now in stock. Growth in online slower Thou...

Aldi Süd is launching a test project in Germany that will see parts of its advertising spend used online in new ways. Promoting special buys Aldi has begun promoting its limited availability lines on new online platforms in order to reach different customers. It has already taken out space on Ebay.de, Gmx.de and Web.de with the trial so far limited to the states of Baden-Württemberg a...

Schwarz Group is reportedly poised to open stores in the Latvian market, nearly ten years after it first announced it was considering entry. Opening its Lidl format A local Latvian paper has quoted a Lidl representative as confirming that Schwarz Group is looking for real estate to build Lidl stores in the country. The Lidl spokesperson wouldn't comment on the precise time-frame of the...

Aldi is reported to be investing up to AUD 2bn in its Australian business in the next few years. Supporting strong growth Local press, Australian Daily, reports that Aldi Australia is set to receive AUD 1bn to support its rapid store expansion programme, with a further AUD 1bn to follow in the future. Expanding into new states Aldi has not confirmed the specific figures released...

Caprabo is cutting prices on more than 2,000 food products, including private label, brands and fresh, in an initiative designed to help improve its price image. Cuts effective from April Caprabo's director general, Alberto Ojinaga, said the move marks the retailer's most ambitious set of price cuts yet.  The cuts apply to more than 1,000 branded food items, 600 private label and 300 f...

Swiss discounter Denner is allowing customers to determine the prices of various products via an online voting system which it is calling 'social discount'. Denner CEO: 'We want to give consumers a voice' Denner's social discount website is a step on from parent company Migros'   social media site Migipedia, which offers the chance to comment and make suggestions on the products it sell...

Magnit is planning an aggressive expansion plan, opening almost 10,000 stores within the next five years. Convenience stores a focus The retailer is aiming to double the number of convenience stores that it operates to 12,000, and to boost the number of drugstores to 4,000. It also plans to increase the number of hypermarkets to 500 - almost quadruple its current total. Investment i...

As part of its 40th anniversary year, leading UK wholesale buying group Landmark has launched a three-week promotion for retailers offering its 40 best-selling Lifestyle private label products at wholesale prices that guarantee 40% profit on retail on all these lines.  Beginning on the 1st April, the '40 Great Groceries' promotion runs until the 20th. 30% POR guarantee ongoing plus cash back sup...

Waitrose has announced that sales in the week before Easter hit a new record and were the highest weekly sales outside the Christmas period. Biggest ever week outside Christmas Total sales (excluding fuel) for the week ending March 30th were £140.7m. This represented a 33.9% increase on the same week of last year and a 14.8% increase on last year's Easter week. Record sales at Waitrose.c...