France: Carrefour enters Ethiopia with Midroc partnership
Carrefour, the French multinational retail group, has announced its entry into the Ethiopian market through a franchise and supply agreement with Queens Supermarket. Under the terms of the deal with Queens Supermarket, a subsidiary of the Ethiopian conglomerate Midroc Investment Group, 13 existing outlets will be rebranded under the Carrefour Market banner during the first […]
Spain: Lidl announces €600 million investment
Lidl, the German discount supermarket chain, has announced plans to invest €600 million ($657 million) in its Spanish operations over the next three years, while simultaneously targeting a 300-store milestone in Portugal. In Spain, the retailer intends to bolster its logistics infrastructure and retail footprint between 2025 and 2027. This follows the recent opening of […]
UK: Morrisons to shutter Rathbones bakery site
Morrisons, the UK’s fourth-largest supermarket chain, has announced plans to close its Rathbones bakery manufacturing facility in Wakefield, West Yorkshire, putting 115 jobs at risk. The decision follows a period of restructuring for the 28,000 sq ft site, which produces specialist items such as crumpets, pancakes, pitta bread and naan. While Morrisons originally considered closing […]
UK: Co-op to launch ‘GLP-1-friendly’ ready meals
Co-op, the British consumer cooperative and food retailer, has launched a new range of ‘GLP-1 friendly’ ready meals, reportedly becoming the first UK convenience retailer to specifically target shoppers using weight-loss medications. Marketed under the new Good Fuel health-oriented sub-brand, the range debuted in stores on 7th January 2026. The launch includes four “mini meals” […]
UK: Co-op unveils £1 billion investment plan
Co-oper, the UK grocery retailer, has announced a £1 billion ($1.27 billion) “Backing Britain” investment plan which includes the opening and refurbishment of approximately 100 stores over the next year. The mutual retailer revealed that the substantial financial commitment involves a combination of network expansion, pricing strategy and supply chain support. Specifically, Co-op plans to […]
France: Auchan to convert around 300 supermarkets into Intermarche and Netto outlets
Auchan, the French retail group owned by the Mulliez family, has announced plans to convert nearly 300 of its supermarkets in mainland France into stores operated under the Intermarche and Netto banners by the end of 2026. Under the plan, the supermarkets – currently operated by Auchan Retail – will be run under a franchise […]
Australia: Woolworths unveils new A$1.3 billion distribution hub
Woolworths, the Australian grocery retailer, has officially opened two state-of-the-art distribution centres in Western Sydney via a A$1.3 billion ($830 million) investment, the largest single-site investment in the company’s history. The new Moorebank Logistics Precinct comprises a regional distribution centre (RDC) alongside a national distribution centre (NDC), together covering 75,000 sq m of warehousing. The […]
UK: M&S accelerates shift towards larger food & drink stores
Marks & Spencer (M&S), the UK-based retailer, has intensified its transition towards a more food-led business model by launching a list of 500 potential locations for new or renewed M&S Food stores, as it steps up efforts to double the size of its food division. The announcement marks a significant acceleration of the company’s estate […]
Australia: M&S enters wholesale food partnership with Coles
Marks & Spencer (M&S), the British multinational retailer, has entered the Australian grocery market through a new wholesale partnership with Coles, one of the country’s largest supermarket chains. From 19th November, Coles stores nationwide will stock M&S items such as Percy Pig and Colin the Caterpillar confectionery, shortbread and luxury tea. While the initial launch […]
USA: Amazon launches budget private label brand
E-commerce giant Amazon has announced the launch of Amazon Grocery, a new private-label brand featuring more than 1,000 foods with a customer rating of four stars or higher. Amazon said its range includes milk, olive oil, fresh produce, meat, and seafood with the majority of products priced below $5 for strong customer value. The private-label […]