June 19 – Germany’s Metro Expands in Myanmar
Metro Wholesale Myanmar is seeking to expand its operations in Myanmar, aiming to open in Mandalay, Nay Pyi Taw, Taunggyi and other major metropolitan locations in the region. From Consult Myanmar
June 17 – Costco to Open Its First Store in China
Five years after Costco opened its first online store in China, it plans to open its first brick and mortar outlet in the country in August. Membership sales began in April for this first store to open in Shanghai’s Minhang district. From Caixin Global
June 17 – UK’s Watsons Superdrug Announces Revenue increase
Although profits at Superdrug fell last year amid challenging times, revenues rose 3.3% to GBP 1.3 GBP for the year ended December 29, 2018. Like-for-likes climbed 1.4%. From Share Cast
June 17 – Woolworths Australia Encourages Voice-Activated Shopping
Woolworths Australia has been gifting some of its online customers free voice technology for online grocery shopping. The goal is to encourage customers to try using Google Home Minis to populate their shopping list for usage on the retailer’s online ordering system. From Inside Retail
June 17 – Aldi UK Expands Online Offering Through Partnership with iForce
Aldi, Currently the 5th largest supermarket in the UK has extended its partnership with iForces to enhance online offering of non-food. The aim of this partnership is to continue to develop Aldi’s online offering to grow its market share across the UK. From SHD Logistics
June 14 – Spain’s Mercadona to Launch in Portugal
Mercadona, Spanish supermarket chain, will open its first outlet in Portugal on the first week of July. With investment of €160 million for expansion into Portugal, Mercadona is planning 10 stores in the country by the end of 2019. From European Supermarket Magazine
June 14 – Germany’s Rewe Group Divests in Karstadt Kaufhof
Rewe Group has sold its 25.1% stake in the joint venture with Galeria Karstadt Kaufhof under which it operated grocery outlets for the German department store group. Karstadt expects the separation of Rewe will allow for further expansion of its food and catering businesses. Article is written in German. From Manager Magazine
June 14 – Carrefour Launches Facial Recognition Store
At its headquarters in Massy, France, Carrefour has launched its first Facial Recognition Store. In the small, automated store customers do not need to go to the register to pay, they can simply pay by having their faces scanned. From Retail Detail
June 14 – Germany’s Rewe Increases Private Label on China’s Tmall
Germany’s Rewe will soon open a flagship shop on Alibaba’s Tmall site, selling private label products. From Kantar Retail IQ
June 13 – Costco Plans Opening in New Zealand
Costco has announced plans to open its first outlet in 2021 in Northwest Auckland. The 45,000 square feet store is expected to cost about $59 million. From Supplier Community
June 12 – Casino Sells Brazil’s Via Varejo
Groupe Casino’s GPA Brazil has announced the decision to sell a 36% stake in retailer Via Varejo, which has struggled with Brazil’s slow economic recovery and failed to keep up with competitors such as Magazine Luiza SA. From Bloomberg
June 12 – France’s Boulanger Acquires Belgian Chain
French electronics operator, Boulanger, has acquired Belgian chain Krëfel with 74 stores, including its Luxembourg subsidiary Hifi International with 11 outlets. Article written in French. From LSA Commerce & Consommation
June 12 – Australia’s Westfarmers to Purchase Catch Group
Westfarmers, Australian retail conglomerate (Australia’s Bunnings, Officeworks, Target and Kmart) has agreed to purchase Catch Group. The conglomerate plans to leverage this daily deals retailer to grow capabilities and accelerate the consumer-driven, omni-channel initiatives across department stores Kmart and Target. From Insider Retail
June 11 – Amazon Aims to Expand into Rural Areas of India
Amazon is eyeing tier-II and tier-III cities as it looks to expand its distribution network, partnering with small grocery store owners. From Hindu Business Line
June 10 – UK’s Debehnams Announces Store Closures in Recovery Plan
In an effort to survive online competition, Debenhams has announced that it will close 30 of its 165 stores and shrink about a third of its existing stores. From Retail Gazette
June 6 – Aldi Opens First Stores in China
Already present online in China via Alibaba’s Tmall Global platform since 2017, Germany’s Aldi will open its first two brick and mortar outlets in Shanghai on June 7. From That’s Mag
June 5 – Alibaba to Invest Heavily in Russia
China’s Alibaba will form a joint venture with Russia’s RDIF sovereign wealth fund, each investing $100 million in the partnership. From Reuters
June 4 – Argentina’s MercadoLibre Opens New Distribution Center in Mexico
MercadoLibre plans to open three new distribution centers in Latin America in Argentina, Brazil and Mexico. The first opening will be in Tepotzotlán, Mexico and will be more than three times the size of its first Mexican warehouse in Cuautitlán. From Reuters
