COGNICURRENT

Marks and Spencer (M&S) has announced the opening of seven new stores across the UK in 2026, including full-line stores and food halls.

Lithuanian retailer Maxima has reduced the regular prices of over 9,000 food products by up to 25% as part of its commitment to low pricing for customers.

Procon SP's summer operation discovered significant compliance issues in the food and retail sectors in Baixada Santista, with 30 out of 116 establishments inspected found violating consumer protection regulations.

Erewhon supermarket chain in Los Angeles is redefining food retail with exclusive memberships, premium prices, and a strong social media presence.

The Latvian Competition Authority has uncovered signs of a cartel agreement between the two largest food retail companies in Latvia, including Maxima.

Latvia's Competition Council has detected signs of prohibited agreements between the two largest food retail companies, impacting consumer interests.

Latvian competition authorities have found potential evidence of collusion between major food retailers that could harm consumer interests and violate EU regulations on agreements.

Discount non-food chains like Action and Pepco are increasingly popular in Poland, posing challenges for traditional hypermarkets.

Grupo La Comer reported a 9.5% increase in revenue for Q4 2025, driven by promotional campaigns and regional performance.

The article discusses the challenges grocery stores face in maintaining a low price food basket with ten product categories, highlighting disagreements between retailers and regulatory body PTAC.

Discount non-food retail chains in Poland are increasingly drawing customers due to competitive pricing and varied product range, posing challenges for hypermarkets.

Woolworths has reported a significant rise in net profit for the first half of the financial year, with shares surging as food sales exceeded expectations.

A contaminated chicken product sold at Rimi stores in Lithuania has led to a recall due to the discovery of Salmonella bacteria.

Clean Monday has transformed from a religious observance into a lucrative seasonal cycle for the retail food industry and dining establishments in Greece.

Food prices have experienced rapid increases in recent years, but recent trends indicate potential decreases in certain products globally, leading to speculation about retail prices in Latvia.

Finnish retailer K-ryhmä has reintroduced nostalgic snacks and drinks from the 80s and 90s, highlighting a trend in consumer nostalgia.

32 associations in France are urging major retailers to sell certain healthy food products at cost price to alleviate high costs for consumers.

The article provides a price comparison of traditional shrove buns available in Estonia for Shrove Tuesday, highlighting the best deals from various retailers.

Finnish discount store Fiksuruoka is set to open its second physical store in Jumbo shopping center, Vantaa in April.

The head of the Agricultural Committee in Czechia emphasizes the need for retail chains to ensure fairness in food pricing.

The Central Union of Agricultural Producers and Forest Owners (MTK) warns against fear-mongering by retailers regarding proposed changes to food marketing law and food prices.

A recent study revealed that Lidl offers the cheapest grocery basket among the five largest retail chains in Lithuania for February.

Atria's revenue grew to nearly 477 million euros in the last quarter, alongside a significant rise in adjusted operating profit, attributed to strong retail sales and the start of chicken exports to China.

M&S has reintroduced a popular chocolate bar in the form of a thick Easter Egg, stirring excitement among shoppers as Easter approaches.

The South Korean government is considering lifting restrictions on early morning deliveries for large supermarkets to counteract Coupang's dominant market position, though doubts persist about the effectiveness of such measures.

Kinmemai Premium is recognized as the world's most expensive rice due to its intricate production process and high retail price.

Selver's business director Kristjan Anderson noted that while 2025 started with optimistic expectations, the sales trends at the year's end showed signs of a cooldown due to rising food prices and declining consumer purchasing power in Estonia.

The food system transformation requires collaboration from all stakeholders, with the retail sector playing a crucial role in guiding food choices and driving positive change as discussed at a recent roundtable event.

M&S has launched a new flagship store in Bath, offering a fresh market-style food hall and plans to open additional locations across the UK.

Estonian retailers are increasingly selling private label products, but their continued expansion poses risks to local production according to the Food Industry Union.

The Finnish government plans to restrict the sale and production of private label products in stores, potentially leading to an increase in food prices, according to Helsingin Sanomat.

Experts from the Lithuanian retail chain 'Maxima' offer advice on storing vegetables at home and ways to unexpectedly enhance traditional potato dishes.

A government bill that would prohibit stores from favoring their private labels has drawn significant criticism, with experts warning that it could lead to higher food prices and reduced selection.

Marks and Spencer plans to open a new flagship store in Bath and aims to double its number of food halls in the UK with a total of 500 new and revamped locations.

Magnit, a major Russian grocery retailer, plans to expand into Russian-occupied areas of Ukraine, starting by supplying products to a local chain in Donetsk, Mariupol, and Luhansk.

UK retailers experienced disappointing sales during December, marked by a decline in non-food product purchases despite a slight overall retail sales increase.

The SPD is advocating for a discount grocery basket from retailers like Edeka and Aldi to combat rising food prices, a move that faces opposition from the CDU and retailers.

The SPD is calling for retail chains to offer staple food items more affordably under a proposed 'Germany Basket' concept amid rising food prices.

UK shoppers are purchasing less food and drink this Christmas, with retail experts attributing this decline to the popularity of weight loss injections.

The acquisition of Kritikos by Masoutis significantly reshapes the Greek food retail market, making Masoutis the third major player in the sector with a substantial turnover and extensive presence across Northern and Southern Greece.

After nearly a year of negotiations, the powerful regional players Masoutis and Kritikos have sealed an agreement that creates a new strength in the Greek food market with a combined turnover of nearly 2 billion euros.

Tesco plans to increase its grocery market share following its strongest Christmas sales performance in over a decade, particularly benefiting from fresh food and its Finest product range, despite a recent drop in share value.

The Dutch retail chain 'Action', known as the 'price killer', is set to open in Croatia this spring, offering extremely low-priced non-food products across its stores in Europe.

Farmers in Germany are protesting outside supermarkets over falling butter prices, highlighting deeper issues within agricultural policies that keep them dependent on low food prices.

UK retailers are increasingly investing in physical stores, particularly shopping centers and food outlets, marking a revival after a challenging decade exacerbated by pandemic lockdowns.