Retail and consumer goods industry news

Target’s net earnings fell by 25.9% to $498m in the first quarter, covering the three months to May 4. Total sales increased by 1.0% to $16,706m, with comparable store sales down 0.6%. Confident of strategy as weather impacts sales Target’s results were below expectations, with the retailer highlighting softer than expected sales in clothing and other seasonal and weather-sensitive categori...

During its annual results presentation, Eroski has announced that it will cut prices on up to 3,000 products in the month of June, across all store formats.  Weak consumption a factor in reported loss for 2012 Eroski reported net sales down 5.3% in like-for-like terms in 2012, and a loss of €121m. It attributed the loss to weak consumer consumption, a stagnant real estate market - whic...

Speaking at the company’s AGM, Massmart’s chief executive, Grant Pattison, discussed its recent sales performance and strategic decisions up until now. Total sales up 9.8% Pattison said that in the first 21 weeks of the 2013 financial year Massmart’s total sales rose 9.8%, while comparable sales were up by 5.6%. The retailer’s total sales growth was driven by its Masswarehouse and Massdiscoun...

The latest UK grocery market share data from Kantar Worldpanel, for the 12 weeks to 12 May 2013, shows that growth in UK grocery picked up to 3.9% during the period.  The Kantar measure of inflation indicates that prices rose at exactly the same rate suggesting that volume decline in the sector has slowed. 12 weeks to 13 May 2012 (% share) 12 weeks to 12 May 2013 (% share) Sa...

M&S has reported mixed fortunes for its principal businesses with an encouraging performance in food offset by declining sales in general merchandise for the 52 weeks ended 30 March 2013. Headline numbers Group sales: +1.3% to £10.0bn Total UK sales +0.9% (LFL -1.0%) UK Food sales: +3.9% (LFL +1.7%) UK GM Sales: (-2.4% (LFL -4.1%) International sales: +4.5% Multichannel...

The drugstore chain A.S. Watson has announced it is to open its first ‘Great’ premium supermarket store in mainland China this year. Premium food offer The drugstore chain, owned by the Hutchison Whampoa Company, plans to expand from its health and beauty format and open a 3000 sq m. premium supermarket within the International Finance Square in the city of Chengdu. Chengdu is the capi...

Carrefour's hybrid hypermarket/cash & carry format - Supeco Cash de la Familia - is reportedly set to open its doors in Madrid for the first time, in the next few days. Store used to be a Carrefour Market The 1,581 sq m outlet is on the site of a former Carrefour Market store in the suburb of Parla, which is located to the south-west of Madrid, around 20km from the capital itself. As wi...

Éxito has entered into agreements with a number of local retailers in suburbs of Bogotá, Colombia, to supply them with branded and private label products. New alliances have benefits for both parties The agreements will allow Éxito to extend its brand name and private label products into previously unexploited areas of the city, and into neighbourhood locations close to people's homes.  Th...

Tesco has confirmed that it will work with two of the world's leading franchise operators to open over fifty F&F branded clothing stores outside of the UK. F&F to expand into nine new markets over next five years Over the the next five years Tesco and its partners will open F&F branded clothing stores across the Middle East, Kazakhstan, Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan. The deal sees the UK'...

Waitrose is to install new concierge-style welcome desks in 100 stores this year, that will act as an interface for waitrose.com customers and offer new personalised services. Supporting Waitrose's move to be an omnichannel retailer Waitrose's move comes as the retailer ramps up its investment in its multichannel offer. In March, Waitrose launched a drive-through collection point in five bran...