The retail sector remains strong despite media reports
I read an interesting article on Forbes.com that sets out to dispel the myth that retail is struggling. Although it’s not purely grocery-related, I thought I would share it. Below are the six “fast facts” cited by the article, as well as a link to the story for more info on each one. 1. National […]
Aldi to spend billions in new store growth
Aldi announced earlier this month that it would invest $3.4 billion to expand to 2,500 locations in the U.S. by the end of 2022. Currently Aldi has 1,600 locations and is in the midst of a $3 billion expansion effort to have 2,000 stores by the end of 2018. If they reach 2,500 stores, Aldi […]
George Will weighs in on Amazon, then bums me out
George Will wrote an interesting column earlier this month that I read in Investor’s Business Daily titled “Let Us Plunge Towards Our Fast-Unfolding Future.” After reading it a couple times and looking up the big words, I found it to be thought-provoking. The column cites the current state of grocery retail – including Amazon’s plans […]
Wegmans tops Consumer Reports list again
Wegmans grabbed the top spot in a survey of grocery chains conducted by Consumer Reports, which received feedback from nearly 58,000 subscribers. Wegmans has held the top spot in the annual survey since 2006. For 2017, the company received excellent ratings in categories such as cleanliness, fresh store-prepared foods, staff courtesy, checkout speed, produce quality […]
Eight US companies make “world’s fastest growing retailers” list
Recently 24/7 Wall St. analyzed data from the National Retail Federation and released a “World’s 25 Fastest Growing Retailers” list. Eight U.S.-based retailers made the cut, three of which are grocers. Here are the eight American companies on the list: Albertsons Companies (5-year annual growth: 74.1%) Sprouts Farmers Market (47.4%) Southeastern Grocers – BI-LO, […]
Instacart partners with Giant, Wegmans
Instacart announced that it has joined forces with Giant and Wegmans to bring online shopping and delivery to customers in select areas for the two food retailers. Giant’s partnership will benefit Philadelphia-area customers, and the service for Wegmans will be available in Northern Virginia and Maryland. With Instacart, customers in the service areas can order […]
Walmart testing automated grocery pickup
Walmart announced earlier this month that it is testing an automated kiosk to distribute online grocery orders to its shoppers at a store in Oklahoma. Customers who order online can go to the store for pickup, but instead of going inside (and instead of interacting with a human being) they simply enter a confirmation code […]
Lidl stores open in three states
The first Lidl stores in the U.S. opened earlier this month in North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia. At 36,000 square feet, reports say the stores look more like car dealerships than grocery stores, with floor-to-ceiling glass covering much of the exterior. The selections are nearly all private brands, with the packages made specifically for the U.S. market and […]
First 20 Lidl stores coming this summer
Lidl revealed this morning that it plans to open 20 stores this summer, with the earliest openings coming in June. The company didn’t specify which stores would open next month, but did release a list of the first 20. They are in North Carolina (9), Virginia (9) and South Carolina (2). All 20 stores will […]
Aldi reacting to Walmart’s efforts to become low price leader
Recent reports say that Aldi is responding to Walmart’s aggressive pricing in an effort to remain the nation’s overall grocery price leader. Aldi’s adoption of a more flexible pricing strategy comes as the company plans to spend $1.6 billion on store remodels (see “Aldi remodeling stores ahead of Lidl openings“) and open about 400 new stores […]