September 15 – Auchan to Invest in Urban Development of Retail Outlets
France’s Auchan aims to increase market share in urban centers by investing heavily in both proximity and digital services.  From European Supermarket Magazine

September 9 – Australia’s Myer Partners with Amazon
Australians are now able to buy items on Amazon and have them sent to their nearest Myer store to collect.  The model is based on the partnership that Amazon has with U.S. retailer, Kohl’s. From Inside Retail

September 7 – Carrefour Taiwan Opens iCarrefour 
Carrefour Taiwan has unveiled their iCarrefour concept, a staff-less convenience store. The retailer is experimenting with this store Taiwan where customers shall pay for their purchases without staff assistance, using technology on the Carrefour app. Article written in French. From LSA

September 6 – Italy’s Esselunga Installs Automated Locker
In an effort to enhance the online customer experience, Esselunga has installed automated lockers in one store to facilitate click and collect shopping. Article written in Italian. From Tech Princess

September 5 – JD.com Doubles Sales of Home Appliances
JD.com reported that new home appliance product sales more than doubled in the first half of 2020, compared with the same period last year.  JD.com has seen that customers are more likely to purchase new products within the first week that they launch on the site, including kitchen and bathroom products and home appliances. From JD.com

September 4 – UK’s Co-op to Open Additional Stores
The UK grocery chain, Co-op, has announced that it will open 50 new outlets.  The retailer also confirmed the opening of up to 12 new Co-op franchise stores and the expansion of its online offering. From BBC.com

September 4 – Amazon India and Flipcart Consider Warehouse Leasing for Festival Season
Both Amazon India and Flipcart anticipate festival sales to outpace the capacity of their existing warehouses and are looking for temporary leasing options. Festival season usually 40-45% of retailers’ annual sales in India. Online sales are expected to see a tremendous increase this year due to the pandemic. From ET Retail

September  3 – India Bans Alibaba, Taobao and Alipay. 
Some of China’s most popular apps are on the new, restricted list released by India’s Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, including ecommerce giant Alibaba’s Taobao and widely used payment service Alipay. From Caixin

September 3 – Amazon Brazil Opens New Distribution Center in São Paulo
Marking its fifth distribution center in Brazil, Amazon Brazil has opened a 100,000 square meter facility to support its commitment of fast delivery throughout the country. Article written in Portuguese. From Amazon.com.br

September 1 – Japan’s Supermarket Chain Seiyu to Streamline Delivery
Emulating parent company, Walmart, Japan’s Seiyu will debut an automated fulfillment center allowing triple the shipping capacity of an existing facility and reduce employee work by 60%. The new facility will allow product to be delivered directly to consumers. From Nikkei Asian Review

September 1 – Ahold Delhaize Expands to Brussels and Wallonia
Bol.com, the online general merchandise retailer of Ahold Delhaize, has expanded its business to Brussels and Wallonia, allowing the French-speaking Belgians easy access to millions of items including diapers, games and household products via the bol.com app. From Ahold Delhaize

September 1 – SPAR Australia Works with Local Suppliers and Start-Ups
In an effort to fulfill its “Young & Urban by SPAR” initiative in Australia, the retailer is working with local producers and suppliers to add to its cutting-edge products from young entrepreneurs in the food, household, and leisure sectors to its product range. From SPAR International

September 1 – Walmart Argentina Introduces Scheduled Shopping 
With an aim of diminishing wait times at stores, Walmart Argentina has introduced “scheduled purchase” a service allowing customers to pre-book their shopping time through a link. The service will be available at all outlets throughout Argentina. Article written in Spanish From América Retail

September  1 – Rewe Group Opens New Central Warehouse
Germany’s Rewe Group has opened a new warehouse to supply product to 275 of its Penny stores. The new warehouse, located in The warehouse located in Baden, has approximately 600 employees and will deliver more than 60 million shipments annually. From European Supermarket Magazine