Retail and consumer goods industry news

UK frozen food specialist retailer Iceland has confirmed that it is opening a trial store in a new format under the name ‘Swift’. The full proposed specification and plan can be seen in the planning application (see below). Promises fuller grocery range and a ‘fresh, fast and local’ shopping experience Launching on 18 March at Four Lane Ends, Longbenton, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, the store promi...

Dairy Farm International has reported an 8% drop in its subsidiaries’ revenue to US$10.3bn in FY20 (ending December 2020).  But total sales including from its associates and joint ventures has increased by 2% at US$28.2bn, primarily due to a higher sales contribution from Yonghui. Growth in grocery retail and IKEA offset by health & beauty and convenience The group’s sales performance in 20...

With Q2 delivering a 5% increase in organic net sales and market share gains, we look at how the Campbell Soup Company (Campbells) plans to sustain its performance as the COVID-19 pandemic eases. 1. Building on earlier momentum in its snacks business Like many large CPGs, Campbells had a turnaround plan in progress ahead of the pandemic. This had helped to fuel growth within it snacks busin...

Système U said its sales, excluding fuel, rose 8.3% in 2020. Although the results were driven by its online store, the retailer reported growth at all its formats. Its pace of growth during the year saw Système U gain further market share in France in 2020. Decreasing footfall offset by online sales… Système U said traffic at its physical stores declined by 10% during the year. Despite this...

The JLP's results for the 53 weeks ending January 2021 show the business continues to see mixed performance between its brands, with Waitrose seeing strong growth and John Lewis struggling.  Partnership: decline in profits  Partnership total trading sales: £12,317m (2019/20 £11,747m) +5% Partnership pre-tax loss: -£517m Partners received no bonus payment The results show a sim...

FairPrice is working with local agencies to test the use of autonomous robots in providing on-demand deliveries in Singapore. Greater convenience and flexibility Source: IMDA The trial is currently limited to a neighbourhood shopping complex in Punggol and the residential area nearby. The one-year trial will assess: Technologies such as AI for autonomous navigation, obstacle det...

We review Sobeys’ third quarter performance, and the factors underlying its continued strong performance, including its focus on data and analytics and strategic investments into the discount, supermarket and ecommerce channels. Key numbers Q3: Total sales increased by 9.7% to $7.0bn Same-store sales increased 10.7% Ecommerce sales increased 315% Net earnings increased 46.3% to ...

JD.com reported net revenue of CNY745.8bn (US$114.3bn) for the full year of 2020, an increase of 29.3% from 2019. Ended the year on a strong note with accelerated revenue and user growth “ We are pleased to conclude the year on a strong note with another quarter of solid top and bottom-line results as well as excellent cash flow ,” said Sandy Xu, Chief Financial Officer of JD.com. “ Our ope...

Following the release of its annual results we look at five ways Morrisons will look to build on its trading momentum in the year ahead. Headline results in brief (52 weeks to 31 January 2021) Group LFL sales : +8.6% (2019/20 -0.8%) comprising retail +7.8% and wholesale +0.8% Q4 LFL growth: +9.0% with retail contribution +8.2%, up on the +7.3% for the first nine weeks of the quarte...

As most markets in Europe and the Americas continue to operate in a pandemic environment, characterised by lockdowns and travel restrictions, we look at how five of the initial strategies adopted by suppliers have evolved over the last 12 months. 1. From retaining new households to building deeper connections The pandemic created a product trial event unlike any other. Many major suppliers ...