Carrefour To Cease Selling Meat From Mercosur Countries, CEO Bompard Says
ESM - European Supermarket Magazine
The industry magazine for C-suite executives and procurement managers working in the European grocery retail sector.
The CEO of Carrefour, Alexandre Bompard, has said that the French retail group has decided to stop selling meat from Mercosur, a bloc formed by Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay.
In a letter published on social media, he said the decision, which is effective immediately, is in solidarity with the agricultural world.
He noted that Carrefour is committed to not selling any meat from Mercosur countries, regardless of the "prices and quantities of meat" that these countries may offer.
The letter is addressed to Arnaud Rousseau, president of the National Federation of Agricultural Operators' Unions (FNSEA).
Bompard stated that the decision was made after hearing the "dismay and anger" of French farmers protesting against the proposed EU-Mercosur free trade agreement.
Slovenian retailer Mercator, owned by Croatia's Fortenova, has abandoned its bid to acquire Engrotuš (Tuš stores), news agency Sta reported.
The inability to secure regulatory approval within the one-year exclusivity period led to Mercator's withdrawal, according to the report.
Engrotuš's owners, however, remain committed to the company's long-term success and will seek alternative buyers.
'The partners of Engrotuš remain committed to the long-term development and successful operation of the company, and at the same time, further activities will also be aimed at finding the possibility of selling the company to more serious buyers,' Tuš Holding announced in a statement.
Last November, Mercator agreed to buy 100% of Engrotuš. excluding its separate pharmacy operations, for an estimated €30 million.
Both companies expected the merger to boost future growth and ensure long-term viability. Also in the running for Engrotuš was German supermarket chain REWE.
Quick commerce shoppers in Spain purchase baskets of smaller volume and value but shop on a weekly basis, an analysis of customers by Glovo and DIA showed.
Shoppers who opt for rapid deliveries make an average of 1.4 orders per week, and their baskets are usually smaller compared to consumers purchasing via traditional e-commerce channels such as dia.es, the retailer noted.
Purchases at DIA via the Glovo app include an average of 10 to 15 products and range between €25 and €30 per order on average.
Diageo needs its leading stout beer Guinness to keep growing fast and is pushing a zero alcohol alternative. But price hikes are turning off some UK customers and opening the door to rivals such as Heineken's Murphy's.
Guinness has been a much-needed bright spot in earnings for the world's top spirits maker, under pressure after a downturn in sales of other key brands like Johnnie Walker whiskey in some markets helped force a profit warning last year.
Diageo has made continued momentum for Guinness a key part of its growth strategy. Future drivers include a potential roll-out of Guinness 0.0, the zero-alcohol version, on draught in pubs beyond Ireland. It is currently testing the move at The Devonshire pub in London.
But years of double-digit growth for Guinness have caught the eye of rivals, including the world's top beer maker Anheuser-Busch InBev, which hope to become more serious competitors to Guinness, a dark beer with a rich malty taste.
Meanwhile, a series of price hikes has irked Guinness customers like Shane Ranasinghe, who with co-directors runs seven pubs across south London, including The Montpelier in Peckham and The Railway in Streatham.
He and two other UK publicans Reuters spoke to said they had started pushing rival brands, in particular Heineken stout Murphy's, to express their frustration and dent Guinness' hold on the market
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