Global retail update

Amazon’s buy and sell

The e-tailer is looking to bolster its global inventory by offering to buy products from its third-party merchants at full price before selling them to customers around the world. Meanwhile, a group of Democrats in Congress want the Whole Foods purchase reviewed over concerns it will limit access to healthy foods in less privileged areas.

Walmart’s pickup line

The big-box retailer plans to expand its fleet of pickup towers for online orders to another 80 locations across the country, up from 20 at present. The expansion reflects the retailer’s strong focus on streamlining its online delivery network.

Novel ideas

Beauty giant Sephora has launched a new store concept, called Sephora Studio. The store is big on digital features and small on space. Fast food giant McDonald’s has launched its own clothing line, which customers in selected locations can get free when they order a meal delivery for a limited time.

Eyes on Melbourne

Speculation is rife that Amazon’s first Australian warehouse will be located on the outskirts of the city, following the posting of several job ads. A giant fulfilment centre would be vital to the e-commerce giant gaining market share in the country.

China for e-fashion

Teen fashion brand Abercrombie & Fitch is looking to ramp up activity in the region, partnering with online mega retailer Alibaba. Meanwhile, Louis Vuitton has launched its own online platform in the country, looking to give local e-commerce giants a run for their money.

Familymart’s new recruits

Japan’s second biggest convenience store chain says it is hoping housewives are the answer to its staffing challenges – with the retailer looking to hire 100,000 part-timers over the next two years.

Boots under fire

The British pharmacy chain has backed down after its refusal to reduce the price of emergency contraception escalated into calls for a boycott. The move comes off the back of a nation-wide campaign by the British Pregnancy Advisory Service – which saw Tesco and Superdrug halve prices of its stock.

People power

Carrefour is making the most of word-of-mouth endorsement, bringing online reviews to 200 of its private label products instore. The French grocer will display two-year’s worth of selected reviews on the products, against the backdrop of a challenging local market for private labels.

Greenwash effect

Coop Danmark’s upmarket brand Irma is trialling vegan and vegetarian sections in its stores, coined “Det Grønne Måltid” (the green meal). LZ Retailytics sees it as a clever move in a fiercely competitive local market. Lidl in Spain has become the first retailer to be awarded the “Zero Waste” certificate from Aenor.

In takeover mood

Struggling grocer Asda could be the latest supermarket to expand its estate in a high-profile acquisition. The British Walmart-unit is reportedly considering a GBP 4.4 billion bid for discount retailer B&M. But an analyst warns that the move could distract its parent company from its real task in Britain.

Battle for soil

Lidl is approaching large-scale farmers to deliver directly to the fruit centres that serve the discounter’s 3,200 German stores, bypassing procurement organisations. LZ Retailytics thinks that working with a handful of bigger suppliers might give Lidl comfortable advantages.

Tesco delivers

The UK supermarket leader will be the first retailer to offer nationwide same-day grocery delivery. The company announced that the service, which started in 2014, will get underway in August. Tesco has seen an 18% growth in demand for the same-day service throughout 2017.

Rebranding in Estonia

Coop Eesti, the country’s leading supermarket operator, is set to rename all three of its grocery banners. The initiative supports the retailer’s strategy to double its market share by 2025 and coincides with the previously launched store refurbishment programme.

Bakery deal

In a major expansion of its global reach, Mexican bread empire Grupo Bimbo, has reached an agreement to buy East Balt Bakeries, a supplier of buns and muffins to fast-food chains. The deal is said to be worth US$ 650 million.

Inside Whole Foods

The organic grocer has opened a new store in New York’s Harlem, highlighting a selection of local products. Here are some images. Meanwhile, the company’s potential buyer, Amazon, has started to re-file documents as the Whole Foods deal has come under scrutiny.

Crunching numbers

Consumer products company Colgate-Palmolive has posted worldwide net sales of US$ 3.8 billion in Q2, and Alphabet is raking in cash. The parent company of Google enjoyed a quarterly revenue of US$ 26 billion despite the hefty US$ 2.7 billion fine from the EU.

Payment partnership

Alibaba’s financial affiliate Ant Financial and Malaysia’s second-biggest bank will form a joint venture to provide mobile wallet and related financial services in the southeast Asian country. Both parties are determined to create a ‘world-class online and offline payments provider’.

Courier problems in China

Deutsche Post DHL, Europe’s biggest mail and express company, is looking to partner with a mainland delivery counterpart to help cope with the surging volume of European goods shipped into China. Meanwhile, Chinese e-commerce platform JD.com is locked in a war with two of the country’s major courier companies.