COVID-19 latest news from around the world

Rising COVID-19 cases in many parts of the world, driven by more virulent strains of the Omicron variant, means that retail hasn’t been able to fully move out of the pandemic’s shadow. We look at how this is interplaying with several of the other trends shaping the market and what to expect from retailers over the next six months. Heading to a post-pandemic future This is a headline that ha...

This year the 618 shopping festival generated a total sales revenue of RMB 695.9bn (USD 103.8bn) through ecommerce channels (excluded quick commerce and community group buying), reports Syntun. This is an increase of 20.3% year-on-year, but down 6.2% compared to the previous year's 26.5% sales growth. Besides driving sales through slashing prices and discount coupons, what significant findings...

Availability issues Operational labour and HGV driver shortages continue to disrupt food supply chains. Food and consumer goods businesses have been hit hard by recruitment and retention challenges. This is resulting in lower order fulfilment levels than normal, meaning there is an impact on availability of some food and groceries. The government has committed to a package of support i...

The increase in COVID and stringent control measures are causing China's grocery market to recover at a slower pace. China’s grocery market: challenges ahead We are seeing strong growth of sales in China’s grocery market at the start of this year. However, the growing outbreaks of COVID and recent cities lockdowns are expected to weaken consumption. Control measures are tightening in some k...

Availability issues Operational labour and HGV driver shortages continue to disrupt food supply chains. Although there are some regional variations, absence rates within the food and consumer goods industry due to the Omicron variant are declining . Food and consumer goods businesses have been hit hard by recruitment and retention challenges. This is resulting in lower order fulfilment lev...

We look at Loblaw’s fourth quarter and full year performance, including the growth of ecommerce, the flight to value and its new sustainability commitment. Q4 and full year key numbers Fourth quarter total revenue increased by 2.8% to $12.8 bn, with retail segment sales up 2.6% to $12.5 bn Food retail same-store sales growth of 1.1% Drug retail same-store sales up 7.9%, with pharma...

The US annual Consumer Price Index (CPI) rose to a 40-year high of 7.5% in January, with food CPI up 7.0%. This reflects the impact of multiple price increases at retail as suppliers react to higher commodity, packaging, labour and freight costs. Key messages Although inflation is at a 40-year high, it is expected to continue rising through the first half of the year While volumes hav...

Availability issues Operational labour and HGV driver shortages continue to disrupt food supply chains. Although there are some regional variations, absence rates within the food and consumer goods industry due to the Omicron variant remain largely manageable and are starting to decline . Food and consumer goods businesses have been hit hard by recruitment and retention challenges. This is...

We look at how Metro Inc. is responding to the current COVID-19, supply chain and inflation challenges. Metro first quarter key numbers Q1 sales increased 0.9% to $4.3bn Food same-store sales fell 1.4% while pharmacy same-store sales increased 7.7% Net earnings increased 8.6% to $207.7m Responding to operational challenges The quarter brought a familiar story of the last tw...

Availability issues Operational labour and HGV driver shortages continue to disrupt food supply chains. Although there are some regional variations, absence rates within the food and consumer goods industry due to the Omicron variant remain largely manageable and are starting to decline. Food and consumer goods businesses have been hit hard by recruitment and retention challenges. This is resu...

With case numbers hitting record levels in the USA and Canada, we look at how retailers are being impacted by the surging Omicron variant. Surging COVID-19 cases North America is experiencing a surge in COVID-19 cases, accounting for around a third of all infections being reported globally. The latest seven-day averages for the USA and Canada are exceeding 400,000 and 35,000 cases respectiv...

Availability issues Operational labour and HGV driver shortages continue to disrupt food supply chains. Food and consumer good businesses have been hit hard by recruitment and retention challenges in 2020 and 2021. This is resulting in lower order fulfilment levels than normal, meaning there is an impact on availability of some food and groceries. The government has committed to a package ...

With governments globally introducing travel restrictions in response to the emergence of the Omicron variant of COVID-19, we outline what to expect in grocery retail. Uncertainty dominates As awareness of the Omicron variant has gained traction over the last week, new restrictions have been put into place in various countries. These include air travel restrictions from selected African count...

Availability issues Operational labour and HGV driver shortages continues to disrupt food supply chains. Food and consumer good businesses have been hit hard by recruitment and retention challenges in 2020 and 2021. This is resulting in lower order fulfilment levels than normal, meaning there is an impact on availability of some food and groceries. The government has committed to a package...

Canada’s Metro Inc. delivered a solid performance for fiscal 2021. As lockdowns and restrictions continue to ease it is seeing a switch to pre-pandemic trends. However, one are that is seeing stickiness is ecommerce. We look at some of the initiatives it has underway in the channel. Metro fourth quarter and full year key numbers Q4 sales fell 1.2% to $4.1bn Food same-store sales fell ...

Labour shortages impacting availability – shopper research 05-07 November 2021 Availability issues Operational labour and HGV driver shortages has become severe enough to disrupt food supply chains. Food and consumer good businesses have been hit hard by recruitment and retention challenges in 2020 and 2021. This is resulting in lower order fulfilment levels than normal, meaning there is an...

In line with our post-COVID-19 expectations, the process of industry consolidation has accelerated in the US grocery retail market. This month, Brookshire Grocery Co. (BGC) and Reasor’s are the latest in a line of grocers planning to come together. Brookshire Grocery Co. plots regional expansion Texas-based BGC plans to acquire Reasor’s, which operates 17 stores in Oklahoma. With over 200 s...

Availability issues Operational labour and HGV driver shortages has become severe enough to disrupt food supply chains. Food and consumer good businesses have been hit hard by recruitment and retention challenges in 2020 and 2021. This is resulting in lower order fulfilment levels than normal, meaning there is an impact on availability of some food and groceries. The government has committe...

We look at Nestle’s expectations on rising input cost inflation and the prospect for further price increases next year. Broad-based growth Nestle reported a 7.6% increase in organic growth for the first nine-months of the year, driven by a 6.0% increase in real growth and a 1.6% pricing increase. The business continued to deliver a solid performance across developed and emerging markets as ...

With Q1 net organic sales down 0.4%, as it faced tough comparables from last year, the business is heading into the key trading seasons facing several cost and supply chain headwinds. However, it has increased its outlook for full year as it expects at-home demand to remain elevated.  Consumer demand trending ahead of its original expectations The decrease in organic net sales was driven by...