Retail and consumer goods industry news

Spinneys’ chief executive, Michael Wright, has told Arabian Business that the retailer is searching for opportunities to expand in Kuwait and Saudi Arabia. Retailer to add 10 stores in Saudi Arabia Wright said that the company was aiming to open 10 stores in Saudi Arabia, with a focus on Jeddah and Riyadh. He was quoted as saying: “ In Saudi Arabia, we’ve worked with the developer on projects...

Rewe plans to open a standalone restaurant in Cologne this June, according to German press reports.  Will be called "Made by Rewe" According to Lebensmittel Zeitung, the 200 sq m outlet will serve foods such as pasta, pizza and salads, plus wine and soft drinks, to eat in and take away.  Rewe has reportedly been working with Mark Korzilius, founder of restaurant chain Vapiano, to develop...

Coop Schweiz has announced a reorganisation of its sales regions and various management changes, the first of which will take effect in January 2014.  New sales regions and management changes As of 1 January 2014, Coop will be subdivided into the following sales regions: Suisse Romande; Bern; Nordwestschweiz/ Zentralschweiz-Zürich; and Ostschweiz-Ticino.  This will be accompanied by mana...

Woolworths has reported third quarter sales for the 13 weeks to 31 March 2013, with sales fromcontinuing operations up 5.7% to AU$14,432m. Its Supermarket Division saw sales continue to grow well, up 5.0% to AU$12,817m. Australian Food and Liquor sales up 5.6% to AU$9,945m Like-for-like (LFL) sales growth in Australian food and liquor continued to recover, increasing 3.8%, compared to 2.4%...

South Africa-based Pick n Pay, through its 49% stake in Zimbabwe-based TM Supermarkets, has announced plans to expand in the market. Retailer to invest $25 million in operations Pick n Pay will invest $25 million in TM Supermarkets to help it builds it presence in Zimbabwe and continue to improve the retailer’s back end operations. Commenting on the investment, John Moxon, executive chairpe...

M&S has reported group growth of 3.1% for the 13 weeks to 30 March 2013. Total UK sales grew 2.6% (LFL +0.6%) a marked improvement on last quarter's growth of 0.3% (LFL -1.8%). Food continued to outperform the total business, showing a 6.3% total uplift and a LFL rise of 4.0%. Headline figures from Q4 Group sales: +3.1% Total UK sales: +2.6% (+0.6% LFL) Food sales: +6.3% (+4...

Russian retailer O’Key has announced a 5.3% sales growth in Q1 2013. Modest Q1 growth Net sales increased year-on-year by 17% in Q1 2013 to RUB30.8bn. Like-for-like revenue growth grew 5.3% during the quarter. Patrick Longuet, O’Key CEO, has stated that the retailer remains on track to meet its full year target. LFL revenue growth was driven by an increase in average basket spend of 5.0%....

Half year figures from WHSmith revealed a 5% rise in profits, despite challenging high street conditions causing falling LFL sales at both its high street and travel sites. Impressive profit growth WHSmith announced pre-tax profits of £69m for the six months to February 28 as its strategy to prioritise profits over sales continued to pay off. At its high street stores trading profits r...

Leclerc has gained further market share in the period from 25 February to 24 April, according to latest data published in LSA. Leclerc leads the pack Leclerc gained 0.7 points during the period, driven by new customers and by increased spending per customer. Intermarché gained 0.5 points and Système U also gained, up 0.4 points following more frequent customer visits. No figures were ...

Edeka has revamped its consumer website, www.edeka.de , to provide a more informative, interactive and engaging experience for its customers.  Food takes centre stage Edeka's focus on food is evident, with deals, offers and recipes clearly highlighted.  Daily changes encourage customers to return frequently.  Interaction is promoted, with online activities supporting a new grill/barbec...