COVID-19 latest news from around the world

We round up developments from Kenya and Nigeria. Kenya: Carrefour expands its retail reach Carrefour, operated by Majid Al Futtaim in Kenya, has opened its eighth store in Nairobi’s Mega Shopping Mall. The store offers over 39,000 food and non-food items, with the retailer stating 99% of stock will be sourced locally. The store will also offer home delivery services aiding consumers struggl...

AEON has provided new ways for shoppers to buy their groceries during the lockdown period due to COVID-19 in Malaysia. Its latest initative is to launch a new supermarket online service on 14 July 2020. New online grocery shopping platform AEON is launching its own online grocery platform at https://fresh.myaeon.com.my . The service provides delivery within 30 minutes of its fulfilment cen...

We look at how population mobility, store closures, meal consumption and the economic backdrop are impacting PepsiCo’s financial performance. Top line results PepsiCo’s second quarter revenue fell by 3.1% with organic revenue down 0.3% While it saw strong growth in its Quaker Foods and Frito-Lay North American businesses, PepsiCo Beverages in the region was negatively impacted by the ...

Costco's sales continue to improve, with net sales in June up 11.1% to $16.18bn. This reflects the shift towards one big shop and Costco's strength in this area. Strong growth across its markets The performance in June builds on the progress made in May, when net sales increased 7.5% to $12.6bn. During the month of June, sales were up in all regions, with the US growing by 11%, Canada up 8....

Following a spike in new cases and the renewed lockdown of parts of Australia's second largest city, how have retailers responded and what can other businesses and markets learn? 1. Short term buying restrictions As reports of new COVID-19 cases in Melbourne were revealed, Coles and Woolworths were both quick to respond to reinstigating buying restrictions on certain products in response to...

Japan's four largest retailers, Seven & i Holdings, Aeon, FamilyMart and Lawson, have posted their Q1 results for the three months from March 1 to May 31, 2020. Summary and our view The big four’s Q1 results show the sheer impact of COVID-19 has had on trading in Japan. The period saw a declaration of a state of emergency in Japan from April into May, temporary closure of various facilities...

We round up initiatives from the Nigerian ecommerce retailer, Jumia, as it looks to drive profitable sales growth. Jumia opens logistics services to external clients in Kenya… Jumia has opened its logistics services to external clients, including individuals and businesses. Shoppers in Kenya will have the option of dropping off their parcels at Jumia drop-off centres in Nairobi or have them...

Leading UK food-to-go retailer, Pret, has announced that 30 sites will close permanently as part of a restructure to cope with the impact of COVID-19.  The closures represent just over 7% of Pret’s 410-strong estate. Two-thirds of the closures will be outside London, including sites in Glasgow, Reading, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Nottingham and Sheffield.  It will also start a consultation to reduce hea...

COVID-19 pandemic has generated a surge in demand for online grocery shopping around the world. In Singapore, shoppers could not get delivery slots across the major grocery retailers in the initial phase of the pandemic, resulting in a lot of frustration. The situation has improved significantly in the last couple of months. We round up the key initiatives of major retailers to meet online shoppi...

The price war between Aldi and Lidl in Germany is escalating quickly, with the two discounters pushing prices down further. Most retailers are focusing their advertising and communication on low prices, following the VAT rate cut implemented by the government. VAT cut to help population and consumption Following the COVID-19 pandemic, the German government has implemented a temporary VAT ra...

Irish retailer Dunnes has begun trialling an online service from one of its stores, as a response to shoppers increased demand for delivery. Order via website or app Shoppers can now order online delivery from Dunnes Cornelscourt store in Dublin. They can choose from over 230 products, with a minimum order of €20 and a delivery fee of €3. Source: Google Play ...

The COVID-19 pandemic has been global, affecting all countries. However, its impact has been very different from one country to another, leading governments, manufacturers, and retailers to take a tailored and local approach. As we start to move into the post-COVID-19 world, it will be key for businesses to consider and understand these differences and local responses. International pandemic, ...

Like many markets around the world, Japan has seen a surge in demand for online grocery following the outbreak of COVID-19. Online grocery adoption increasing COVID-19 has changed some long-established shopping habits, e.g. daily shopping trips. At the start of the pandemic, fear of product shortages and empty shelves in-store may have encouraged shoppers to explore alternative shopping cha...

We round up the latest COVID-19 related news from Japan as retailers respond to changes in consumer trends and government policies. 1 July - plastic bag charge now mandatory On 1 July, the government made plastic bag fees mandatory across the country. Matsumoto KiYoshi and some other businesses such as Aeon had already been charging fees for plastic bags  since April . 25 May state of ...

Woolworths has responded by rolling out increased online capacity in the state of Victoria, after a spike in demand of 40% over the past week. Thousands of new online slots for Victoria The surge in demand followed the news that Coronavirus cases in Victoria continued to grow. In response, Woolworths said that it was rolling out dozens of new delivery vehicles and making thousands of more s...

Coles and Woolworths in Australia have decided to reinstate buying limits on toilet roll and paper towels after a surge in demand. Reacting quickly is vital to manage stock flow Coles was the first of the two major retailers to lift all of its buying restrictions a few weeks ago, followed by Woolworths shortly afterwards. However, the recent demand has led Coles to restrict buying to one pa...

One of the key trends of the COVID-19 pandemic has been the surge in sales for large CPG suppliers, with a significant presence in core, centre-store categories. Conagra Brands has identified 12 consumer behaviours centred on re-discovery and discovery that are fuelling the growth of its brands. Growth across the portfolio Conagra Brands delivered strong growth in Q4, with organic sales up ...

IGD analysts share their thoughts regarding the impact of COVID-19 on grocery retail channels. “Discount growth could accelerate in the medium to long term” Maxime Delacour, Senior Retail Analyst Prior to the pandemic, the discount channel was enjoying some of the fastest growth in the industry. This is expected to continue, with discount retailers adapting quickly to market trends to ...

We review Couche-Tard’s fourth quarter performance and its outlook as it navigates the current phase of the COVID-19 pandemic. Key numbers Fourth quarter merchandise and service revenues fell 2.6% to $3.2bn Same-store merchandise revenues fell 6.5% in Europe and 0.5% in the US, while Canada saw a 4.7% increase Fourth quarter operating income increased 87.6% to $769.7m Full year ...

In the 12 weeks to 14th June 2020 take-home grocery sales in the Republic of Ireland grew 24.7%, according to Kantar. We explore the growth in more detail and look at key retailers' performance. Convenience and online drive growth The 12 weeks up to 14th June encompass the entire lockdown period. The additional spend equates to €628.7m (£573.7m). Similarly to the UK, shopping patterns in...