Food
After a successful trial in Valenciennes (Northern France), Dutch online supermarket Picnic will expand its activities into neighbouring Lille on 13 October.
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Dutch online-only supermarket Picnic has secured an investment of 600 million euros to speed up its European expansion. Investors include current stakeholders and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Trust.
The landscape of European purchasing alliances is shaken up once again: German chain Edeka joins forces with colleagues Biedronka, ICA, Jerónimo Martins, Magnit, Migros and Picnic to negotiate conditions with brand manufacturers.
General
Due to the rapid increase in infections with the delta variant of the coronavirus, many retail employees have to go into quarantine. Especially in the UK, but also in the Netherlands, this leads to empty shelves and even store closures.
With a distinctive business model that is midway between a speedy delivery service and an online supermarket, Czech company Rohlik sees opportunities to conquer Europe. The war chest is well filled: the startup recently raised 100 million euros.
Picnic is expanding its field of action towards the Belgian border. Soon, the online supermarket will also serve the cities Roosendaal and Bergen op Zoom, bringing Antwerp within reach.
In the Netherlands, Albert Heijn remains the clear market leader in the online grocery market. Pure player Picnic has pushed Jumbo out of second place.
Dutch online supermarket Picnic is officially launching in France. After a test in Valenciennes under the pseudonym TocToc, the company is now going for a phased roll-out.
Since the corona pandemic, e-commerce has been an absolute top priority for food retailers, but the profitability of online shopping remains a major challenge. McKinsey defines three conditions for a successful digital transformation.
Edeka has increased its stake in Picnic. Since last week, the top man of the German group, Markus Mosa, is also board member at the Dutch online supermarket.
The implosion of the AgeCore alliance is sharpening the conflict of interests between supermarkets and brand manufacturers: multinationals are demanding action against abuse of power, while food retailers are defending the free market. Warning: even bigger buying groups may be in the making.
As retail alliance AgeCore breaks up, a movement of alliances in food retail is imminent. This could lead to a further spread of unfair trading practices in the EU, brand manufacturers fear.
After German Edeka, French retailer Intermarché also wants to leave the AgeCore alliance. In the background is a redrawing of the landscape of French purchasing alliances: "Everyone talks to everyone".
The future of European retail alliance AgeCore is highly uncertain now that German supermarket chain Edeka is cancelling its membership. One of the reasons is a lawsuit in France about possible abuse of power.
Dutch online supermarket Picnic aims to start its French activities in Valenciennes in a few weeks' time, and has teamed up with Belgian hypermarket chain Cora.
German supermarket group Edeka - which has an interest in Dutch web supermarket Picnic - is selling its delivery service Bringmeister to Czech investment group Rockaway. This may increase German online competition.
