Spain: Grupo DIA achieves double-digit sales growth in Q1 2026
Spanish grocery retailer Grupo DIA reported 11.1% year-on-year sales growth, to €1.41bln, in its first quarter of 2026. At the end of March, DIA was operating 2,373 supermarkets in Spain. Dia-branded products and fresh produce both saw a 14% sales increase, while fresh-product sales also grew by 14% during the quarter.
Source: esmmagazine.com
Heart of England Co-op launches price freezes on essential items
Heart of England Co-op has launched a pricing initiative at food stores across Coventry and Warwickshire to help shoppers cope with the cost-of-living crisis, as inflation continues. The retail society says the price of over 40 essential food items has been locked in, covering a range of affordable meat, fruit, vegetable and dairy products.
Source: thenews.coop
SPAR North Macedonia officially launches with opening of first stores
SPAR has launched in the North Macedonian market after a license to operate the SPAR brand in North Macedonia was granted by SPAR International to the Viva Fresh Group. The launch was marked through the opening of the first store, an INTERSPAR hypermarket located in the capital, Skopje. Standout departments in the INTERSPAR Skopje hypermarket include fresh counters such as meat and fish, as well as the fruit and vegetable departments.
Source: spar-international.com
M&S celebrates outstanding local farmers at Balmoral Show 2026
M&S reported: “M&S has recognised six exceptional farmers across the island at this year’s M&S Select Farm Awards, held during the Balmoral Show. Produce Excellence Award: Tim O’Malley – Co. Armagh. Tim O’Malley, of O’Malley Berry Co. in County Armagh, has been recognised at the 2026 M&S Select Farm Awards at Balmoral Show, winning the Produce Excellence Award. He was recognised for his commitment to quality, sustainability and innovation, as well as for bringing locally grown strawberries to M&S stores across Northern Ireland for the first time”.
Source: corporate.marksandspencer.com
Groupe Casino expands mobile grocery pilot in central France
Groupe Casino has expanded its mobile grocery pilot project to the Puy-de-Dôme region in central France. Customers have access to approximately 350 products – including dry goods, fresh produce, and cleaning supplies – from Groupe Casino‘s own brands and partners.
Source: esmmagazine.com
Croatia’s traditional markets lose ground to supermarkets
Locally grown fresh fruit and vegetables, seasonal produce, cheese, fish and homemade goods have traditionally been bought directly from small producers and vendors in open-air markets. Younger people, especially those living in urban areas, are increasingly turning toward supermarkets, discount chains and online delivery options. The reasons are mostly practical – convenience, longer opening hours, standardised pricing and easier one-stop shopping.
Source: total-croatia-news.com
Poland: Supermarket chain Dino Polska tops Q1 profit view, shares surge
Reuters and ESM reported: “Dino Polska has reported a slightly higher first-quarter profit of 316mln zlotys (€74.36mln). Dino’s revenue grew 14.8% to 8.44bln (€1.99bln) zlotys in the first quarter, boosted by the opening of 62 new stores and above-consensus growth of 4.4% in like-for-like sales”.
Source: esmmagazine.com
China: The expansion of Chaohesuan NB
Chaohesuan NB, the hard discount banner under Alibaba’s Freshippo (Hema), officially entered Anhui province by opening three stores simultaneously in Hefei. The flagship Hefei Manle City store highlights the brand’s localized rollout strategy: roughly 10% of the merchandise is tailored to local Anhui palates, specifically via regional produce (Dabie Mountain vegetables) and ready-to-cook (3R) local delicacies.
Source: discountretailconsulting.com
US: Tops celebrates one year of fresh finds & friendly smiles in Ellenville
Tops reported: “Tops Friendly Markets, a leading full-service grocery retailer serving New York, northern Pennsylvania, and western Vermont, is looking forward to celebrating it’s one year anniversary of its Ellenville, NY store (100 Tops Markets Blvd.)”.
Source: topsmarkets.com
The US Grocery Retail AI Visibility Index 2026
5W Research reported: “One retailer owns 23.6% of the US grocery market – and isn’t winning the AI answer. Walmart is the largest grocery retailer in the United States by every traditional measure: $276bln in US grocery sales, 4,605 stores, 255mln customer visits per week. Yet when American shoppers ask ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity, or Google AI Overviews where to buy their groceries, Walmart is not the retailer AI consistently surfaces first”.
Source: 5wpr.com
Canada: Liquidation grocery stores are booming as appetite for food deals soars
At Quebec-based Liquidation Marie Inc., dented cucumbers, slightly bruised bananas and discoloured broccoli aren’t a turn-off to shoppers anymore. Canned foods inching closer to their best-before dates or with slight production defects for a fraction of the price are attractive.
Source: thecanadianpressnews.ca