Retail and consumer goods industry news

Woolworths has announced that despite operations outside its home market of South Africa accounting for only a small share of its sales in 2013, it is looking to invest in regional growth as part of a ‘long play’ on Africa’s continued economic expansion. Expansion to be driven by company-owned stores Woolworths’s expansion strategy will focus on adding company-owned stores or through operatin...

The Russian pharmacy chain has announced full year results for 2012 and outlined plans for the coming year. Sales reach RUB 14,899m Unaudited results show that the retailer generated sales of RUB 14,899m in 2012, which represents a 3% increase in year-on-year terms. At the end of the year, Pharmacy Chain 36.6 operated 842 stores across 24 regions in Russia , having opened 49 stores over th...

Nisa has announced that it will be the first UK symbol group to offer its forecourt retail members the opportunity to have a private label fuel offer; enabling forecourt sites to have consistent Nisa branding across all elements of the location, from pole sign and canopy, to the store. Based on partnership with Greenergy The scope to offer Nisa (or indeed Loco) branded fuel has been achieve...

Morrisons has purchased 49 Blockbuster stores to convert into convenience stores. Stepping up expansion The retailer has announced the purchase of 49 Blockbuster stores from administrators Deloitte for an undisclosed sum as it steps up its expansion into the convenience sector. It is believed many of these stores are located in London and the south east, an area where traditionally Morr...

Building on an internal test in 2012, The Denver Channel has reported that Walmart is now testing its scan and go app with shoppers in around 40 stores in Colorado. Customer test builds on earlier internal evaluation Last September, Walmart employees at a supercentre in Rogers, Arkansas, participated in a test which enabled them to use their own smartphones to scan their shopping. It now...

Croatia-based Konzum, part of the Agrokor Group, has published unaudited results saying that sales rose by 1.1% to HRK13.5 billion. New stores help to drive growth Konzum added 30 stores in 2012, which helped to underpin revenue growth during the year. The company went on to say that while it expected consumption in many of the markets in which it operates to stagnate in 2013, it was aiming...

South Africa-based Woolworths has announced that during the first half of its financial year it enjoyed total sales growth of 18% and a rise in like-for-like sales of 9.4%. Grocery sales see strong growth The company said that food sales had risen by 11.1%, aided by an increase in price of 7.4%. Like-for-like sales were up by 7.8%, underlining the strength of Woolworths’s performance. Clothin...

In an interview with Les Echos, Costco France’s Country Manager, Gary Swindells, has outlined the retailer’s ambition to build a network of 15 outlets in the country over the next five to ten years. France market entry part of broader European growth strategy The retailer’s first outlet in France is expected to open in Bussy-Saint Georges, Paris, in 2015, marking Costco’s first expansi...

Leading retailers including Tesco and SPAR are laying down plans for this key market. We summarise the latest news and look ahead to the further developments 2013 may hold. Tesco to set up Indian subsidiary Local newspaper The Hindu reported Tesco's plans to open a subsidiary for fresh and processed foods to service its global store network. The sourcing and back end capabilities develo...

Poland-based Biedronka, according to reports in Handel Extra, is trialling self-checkouts at a store in Warsaw. Company says trial is not part of plan for full roll out According to the reports, Biedronka has been trialling four Wincor Nixdorf units at its Glebocka Street store in Warsaw and has plans to add a further four units supplied by NCR deployed in another Warsaw outlet during the f...