Happy International Women’s Day! It’s time to look back on the movements in the FMCG sphere this week.
Coles launched ‘Quiet Hour’ to 79 more stores
Supermarket giant Coles is supporting Aussies who have autism through Quiet Hour. The grocery reduces the noise in stores by switching off Coles Radio and lowering the volume on cash registers and scanners. Lighting and other distractions are also altered to create a calmer ambiance for customers who find it difficult to shop in a high sensory environment. Coles shopper David Brinkley suggested the idea back in 2017 in Healesville so that children with autism can have a good experience shopping with the parents at the groceries.
Woolworths to end period poverty
Australian grocery Woolworths has partnered with women’s charity group, Share the Dignity. It will be donating five cents from every sanitary item sold. This move will enable them to help women living below the poverty line who cannot afford to buy products, such as sanitary pads, tampons, liners or period briefs.
Kaufland received stamp of approval
German hypermarket Kaufland has finally gotten a stamp of approval for its first three sites in Australia. It has permission to open stores at Chirnside Park, Dandenong and Epping despite the objections of many other players in the market. A state-of-the-art distribution centre in Mickleham will be the largest in Australia. The proposed Melbourne headquarters was also approved.
Amazon plans new grocery service
Online retail giant Amazon is strengthening its supermarket brand by buying local grocery chains. The Wall Street Journal reported that the first store is expected to open in Los Angeles by the end of the year, with leases signed for two more locations, set to open by early 2020. Amazon is also planning stores at shopping malls in San Francisco, Seattle, Chicago, Washington, DC and Philadelphia.
Costco gains top spot in online customer satisfaction report
US retailer Costco has gained the lead in the recent The American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) Retail and Consumer Shipping Report 2018-2019. It scored 83 out of 100 due to Kirkland boosting the company sales. Amazon came in second place with a score of 82. Trader Joe’s took the top spot for supermarkets and best of all retailers across the sector, including e-commerce giant Amazon. The company rated the best in class for checkout speed and staff courtesy. Wegmans and ALDI took second and third place respectively.
That’s all for this week. We will be back on Monday morning with the latest FMCG news.
