Friday Cash: Could Tesco Become an E-Commerce Provider for US Grocery Stores?

Tesco has long been synonymous with supermarkets in the UK, controlling more than a quarter of the country’s grocery market. It also has a significant presence outside the UK. Now the international retailer is looking to expand its presence internationally – through technology.

Like British company Ocado, which supplies automated order fulfilment systems to Kroger and retailers in other countries in addition to its own grocery retail business with Marks & Spencer, Tesco aims to grow its business by helping overseas food retailers streamline e-commerce order fulfilment.

For starters, Tesco’s e-commerce consultancy Transcend Retail Solutions has agreed to provide New Zealand grocery cooperative Foodstuffs with software and hardware to help workers fulfil online orders more efficiently, according to a Tuesday press release. The partnership begins with two stores under the Foodstuffs New World and PAK’nSAVE banners on the country’s North Island, and Foodstuffs plans to roll out Tesco’s technology across all of its stores on the island in the coming months.

As The Sunday Times reported earlier this month, Transcend was also in talks with other retailers, which were not named, about implementing its technology.

It’s not yet known whether Tesco’s e-commerce technology arm has its eye on the US market – but the company has previous experience in the US, and it didn’t end well. In 2006, Tesco announced it would develop a convenience store format for American shores – a venture that the company’s then-CEO described as “an incredibly exciting move”. But in 2012, the retailer said it would end the chain, known as Fresh & Easy, amid a torrent of red ink.

In case you missed it

Meijer adds new employee benefits

The Midwest retailer announced a new benefit Tuesday aimed at reducing the cost of family care for its employees. The benefit, which is available to employees from day one on the job, covers care for children, dependent adults and senior family members. Meijer employees can get a 20% discount at any of the more than 1,100 Learning Care Group schools or receive a 10% rebate on care from their personal provider.

Meijer said the benefit will save employees “hundreds of dollars” annually.

Innovation in automation continues

Warehouse technology provider AutoStore announced new capabilities for its grid system Thursday. They include the ability to have multiple temperatures in a single AutoStore cube, a grid expansion from 16 to 18 levels, a motorized service vehicle to make grid maneuvering easier and updates to the company’s cube control software.

AutoStore CEO Mats Hovland Vikse said the new capabilities will help customers “increase operational efficiency.”

Instacart expands retail media network roster

Instacart announced a media partnership with online grocery store Thrive Market on Tuesday.

Brand partners will be able to target specific campaigns to consumers shopping on the Thrive website and gain access to self-service tools for their campaigns. They will also be able to run campaigns using Instacart’s sponsored products and display advertising solutions on the Thrive website and app, Instacart said.

Impulse find

Can you eat too many cold cuts?

Jewel-Osco recently made waves on social media with a massive charcuterie board at its Mt. Prospect, Ill., store. The 125-foot-long board featured cheeses, olives and a variety of meats to celebrate the 125th anniversary of the Albertsons banner.

The grocery store didn’t stop with its anniversary celebrations. Just days later, a banner store in Westmont, Illinois, gave away King’s Hawaiian buns after displaying more than 14,000 pounds of the sweet rolls in a 50-foot display, ABC 7 Chicago reported.

Despite its impressive efforts, Jewel-Osco may be disappointed to discover that the Guinness Book of World Records declared Thursday that the giant charcuterie board at its Central Market store in Austin, Texas, is “the largest charcuterie board in the world ever created and eaten,” KXAN reports. A banner adorned the board, owned by H-E-B, celebrates its 30th anniversary.