Daniel Stahljans’ Post

Athough #RetailMedia has been a slower burn in #Japan, it's worth noting that the trend towards the digitation of in-store assets may accelerate this, with the top three retailers in the world, by store count. This graphic shows the top retailers in the world by store count, based on data from the National Retail Federation. Leading by a wide margin is Japan’s Seven & i Holdings, with 40,454 store locations worldwide. The retail giant includes the 7-Eleven franchise along with Ito-Yokado, its supermarket chain. While the world’s largest convenience chain traces its origins to Dallas, Texas, the remainder of the U.S-based company (27%) was acquired in 2005 in a $1.2 billion deal that took the company fully private. Today, the company operates in 10 markets globally. Next in line are Japan’s FamilyMart Co.,Ltd. and Lawson, each boasting over 20,000 locations. For perspective, Walmart, America’s largest retail company by revenues, operates 10,569 locations globally. In Europe, Germany’s discount grocery chain Schwarz Gruppe takes the lead, due to its extensive network of stores. Operating across 30 countries and with over 500,000 employees, the no-frills chain stands as a powerhouse. France’s supermarket giant, Carrefour, follows closely behind. Ranking in eighth is Canadian retailer, Couche-Tard, with stores largely concentrated in North America and Europe. Since 2004, the company has made over 60 acquisitions, including 2,200 gas stations from French oil company TotalEnergies in 2023. The company is known for its Circle K brand, which operates in 24 countries globally. Closing off the list is Walgreens Boots Alliance, the only American retailer in the rankings. The company owns the ubiquitous UK-based Boots UK brand, which was founded in 1849 in Nottingham. Yet as profits margins face increasing strains, it is looking to sell the subsidiary and instead focus more heavily on its U.S. pharmacy and healthcare businesses. With a presence in 13 countries, the pharmacy chain operates 12,961 stores worldwide. #retail #retailnews #instore #stores #omnichannel Walgreens Walgreens Advertising Group ALDI USA ALDI SÜD ALDI Stores Australia AS Watson CP ALL Plc Taro Fujinaka Source: Voronoi App

France’s Carrefour SA has shut more than 140 mainland stores, leaving just four remaining outlets, and the UK’s Tesco PLC has exited entirely. Traffic-driving membership chain Sam’s Club is a bright light for Walmart Inc., which has had to rethink its China strategy. An unlikely chain has bucked the trend: Pangdonglai, with just a dozen or so stores in the heartland province of Henan, whose residents’ disposable income is less than one-third of their peers in Shanghai. The grocer has established the supermarket as a place that Chinese shoppers want to go — even if they don’t have to, given the ubiquity of wet markets and quick e-commerce options. Charge more for higher-quality products and nicer stores to draw in customers hoping to shop their economic blues away. But it remains to be seen if the model can be scaled up successfully for chains that operate thousands of outlets across a vast country with differing regional tastes and consumer expectations. Despite its size and distance from China’s most important cities, Pangdonglai’s influence has percolated through the industry. Walmart’s Chinese executives are studying it. That’s not stopping the previously unheralded Xuchang — boosted by influencers posting videos from Pangdonglai’s aisles — from becoming an unlikely tourist destination for people coming to shop its products.  “Other places don’t feel like here,” she said. “People can trust the quality, and that definitely makes one feel more at ease than other places.” #consumerconfindence #chinamarket #chinabusiness #retailbusiness #retailmarket #hypermarket #businessstrategy #investmentstrategy

eMarketer Key stat: Aldi opened more US stores in 2022 and 2023 than any other grocery chain, according to February 2024 data from JLL and RetailStat. With 87 grocery store openings in 2022 and 109 in 2023, Aldi more than doubled second-place Publix. Beyond the chart: Aldi plans to open 800 new US stores by 2028, as part of a $9 billion expansion plan. The plan also includes completing the acquisition of Winn-Dixie and Harveys Supermarket brands, many of which will be converted to Aldis starting mid-summer 2024. The store expansion will reach consumers who are “more focused than ever on saving money,” according to Aldi’s press release. One-third (33%) of shoppers have switched grocery stores to save money, per a February 2023 report by Advantage. #groceryretail #storeopenings #emarketer

EXCERPTS: The envisioned deal comes as Walmart refines its strategy in the world’s second-largest economy, where retail is dominated by online platforms such as Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. and Temu-owner PDD Holdings Inc. The share sale would mark the end of a partnership between the two companies that started when Walmart acquired a 5% stake in the Chinese company in 2016. That deal also involved JD.com taking over Walmart’s Yihaodian online marketplace, which focused on selling groceries to higher-end female shoppers in major Chinese cities, the companies said then. Later that year, Walmart increased its holdings in JD.com to 10.8%.

🇺🇸 Aldi's strategic expansion initiatives Discount Retail Chain Aldi's extensive expansion plan in the US is strategically designed to reinforce its market presence and challenge Lidl's growth. Allocating a substantial US$9 billion investment, Aldi aims to add 800 new stores to its current count of 2,360 locations by 2028. This includes the conversion of nearly 400 Winn-Dixie and Harvey supermarkets in the southeast, along with the addition of new locations in California and Phoenix, Arizona. Simultaneously, in response to Lidl’s fierce regional competition in Great Britain, Aldi has disclosed an investment program of half a billion British pounds to bolster its retail network this business year. These aggressive expansion strategies substantiate Aldi's commitment to securing a stable position in key markets and potentially offsetting Lidl's advances. Read more: https://lnkd.in/ecAg5kHm #smartdiscount #aldi #expansion #lidl #usa #uk #investment #growth #store #competition #drc #discount #retail #consulting #discountretail #discountretailconsulting #retailconsulting #google

The top 10 retailers in the world by store count are all convenience chains or discount grocers! Their focus on speed and affordability allows them to blanket markets with locations, making them ultra-accessible to customers. Here's a glimpse at the top 10: 1️⃣ Seven & I Holdings (Japan) - 40,454 stores 2️⃣ FamilyMart (Japan) - 24,251 stores 3️⃣ Lawson (Japan) - 21,902 stores Even retail giants like Walmart (10,569 stores globally) can't compete with the sheer number of convenience stores. 🇺🇸 Europe's discount grocery chains like Schwarz Gruppe (Germany) and Carrefour (France) also make a strong showing. 🇩🇪 North America is represented by Couche-Tard(Canada), whose Circle K brand boasts a presence in 24 countries. 🇨🇦 #Retail #GlobalRetailers #BusinessInsights #DataDriven

Some ambitious expansion plans from ALDI USA, which plans to open 800 US stores by the end of 2028. These will be a combination of new openings and store conversions from the Southeastern Grocers acquisition. Aldi is effectively throwing down the gauntlet and its challenge will cause disruption and pain for other grocery retailers. The timing of the move is fortuitous as consumers, still reeling from hefty inflation in food, are actively seeking cheaper grocery baskets. Rates of shopping around have increased, and this churn is driving more shoppers to value channels. Aldi has already taken advantage of this at many of its existing stores and has increased its local market shares, however, to benefit more fully it is increasing its store coverage. Aldi has several weapons in its armory that other grocers need to be cautious of. First, it is a value leader with extremely competitive prices. Second, it has a relatively simple offer with limited SKUs, which improves efficiency and protects margins as well as allowing consumers to easily find value and limit their spend. Third, as a global group it has enormous buying power than belies its relatively small market share in the US. On top of this, Aldi has worked hard to create a compelling shopping experience at its US stores and, despite its low prices, often has more modern and better-looking shops than some of the older, shabbier outlets at traditional grocers like Kroger and Albertsons. While stealing customers and market share poses a big threat to other players, Aldi’s influence on the market should not be underestimated. The company’s price-leadership can force other retailers into reducing their own prices to compete. We have seen this play out in other markets, like the UK, and it has the potential to squeeze margins. Ultimately Aldi’s expansion is good news for US consumers. However, it will ramp up the competitive pressure in the grocery market. #retail #retailnews #grocery #Aldi

Your commerce and market corner: Aldi is expanding its store footprint nationwide and will be adding 800 stores over the next 5 years. Speaking of which, where would you like to see the next Aldi? While the company is not publicly traded, this would be a great example of a business worth investing in while yet at the ground floor. It exemplifies a great model, projected growth, and likely good EBITDA if we could get a glimpse into its K1. Question: What do you see as a challenge for your community as it pertains to housing and or business/trade? Comment below with location and what you think

Aldi's aggressive expansion is set to revolutionize the grocery industry! 🛒With plans to add 800 new stores in key U.S. regions and convert 400 Winn-Dixies and Harveys, the landscape is changing. What does this mean for traditional and emerging retailers? Find out on #ExpertsTalk with Daniel Litwin, #RetailInnovation #BusinessGrowth #AldiExpansion