Supply Chain Analysis news

Following solid full year results, CEO Georges Plassat has outlined Carrefour's plans as the retailer’s strategy moves from review and refocus and into action. Start of a new strategic phase Carrefour revealed solid full year sales of €76.8bn in 2012, up 0.9% on 2011. The retailer also reduced its debt and saw more than a three-fold increase in net profit to €1.23bn. These results mark th...

Tesco has announced changes to make the sourcing of its food simpler, shorter and more transparent. Local sourcing Tesco has decided to extend its policy on local sourcing. Currently all of the retailer’s beef – fresh, frozen and in ready meals – comes from the UK and Republic of Ireland. As of July 2013, Tesco will source all of its fresh chickens from the UK and, over time, ensure that al...

UK based food manufacturer, 2 Sisters Food Group, has announced that it will acquire Vion’s poultry and red meat business in the UK. Meeting the growing demand Last November Vion NV announced it was to sell off its UK food businesses to focus on its core markets in the Netherlands and Germany. 2 Sisters’ decision to buy Vion’s poultry and red meat businesses in the UK means it will acqu...

Morrisons has decided to partner with technology company, Retail Assist, to support the launch of childrenswear brand, Nutmeg. Separate supply chain Nutmeg is Morrisons’ new brand of clothing and will be launched in 100 stores on 21 March 2013. The division will operate independently to the rest of the retailer’s supply chain and will be served by an outsourced distribution centre managed...

In an attempt to drive efficiencies, Kuehne + Nagle will merge many of its operations, streamlining regional structures and the respective management teams. Organisational changes The current organisation units ‘Central Europe’, ‘Northwest Europe’ and ‘Southwest Europe’ will be merged into a single region, ‘West Europe’. The ‘East Europe’ operation, with head office in Vienna, remains...

Norbert Dentressangle has reported an increase in sales and profitability on the back of international expansion through acquisitions. Positive results Norbert Dentressangle announced that its turnover increased by 8.5% to €3.9bn while net income improved by 18% to €74.7m in 2012. Organic growth remained stable throughout the period with growth coming from its acquisitions. Notable ac...

UK based fixed price discount retailer, Poundland, has announced plans for a new distribution centre (DC) in Harlow to serve the south-east, according to press reports. £40m investment Poundland will invest £40m to redevelop the former Pitney Bowes and GlaxoSmithKline sites in Harlow. Construction will begin on the 32,500 sqm facility once planning permission has been approved. The re...

Road haulage firms will be subject to new taxes introduced by the French and UK governments. Eco-tax on French trucks Starting on 01 October 2013, French transport companies are to be taxed for road usage within France. The tax will be a percentage of the cost of transport – added to all transport invoices. The tax will vary by region however there will be a flat rate of 4% for transp...

Leclerc has signed an agreement with automation company, Witron, to provide automation for a new distribution centre (DC) in Chalons-en-Champagne, France. Further automation for Leclerc This new development for Leclerc’s regional buying company, Scapest, demonstrates the retailer’s growing appetite to utilise automation within warehouse operations. Towards the end of 2012 Scapalsace also s...

German ERP software company, SAP, has acquired SmartOps. SmartOps specialises in inventory and service-level information software. Integrating technology SAP intends to add SmartOps inventory optimisation capability to its S&OP product, SAP HANA, in order to develop a ‘real-time supply chain’ solution. SAP’s head of customer engagement and strategic projects, Abdul Razack, said: “With th...