Top 7 grocery retail stories from around the world
ShelfLife’s pick of the week’s top global industry stories
Print8 September 2025
From bold retail tech moves to brand shake-ups, supply chain shifts, and in-store innovation, this week’s round-up spotlights the key developments reshaping the grocery industry worldwide.
Whether it’s a strategic pivot by a major retailer or a breakthrough in how food gets from shelf to shopper, these are the stories you can’t afford to miss.
1/ Nestlé Board appoints Philipp Navratil as CEO following the departure of Laurent Freixe
Nestlé’s board of directors has recently announced that Philipp Navratil has been appointed as CEO of Nestlé, S.A., following the dismissal of Laurent Freixe with immediate effect, Nestlé reveal.
The departure of Laurent Freixe follows an investigation into an undisclosed romantic relationship with a direct subordinate which breached Nestlé’s Code of Business Conduct. In line with best practice corporate governance, the Board ordered an investigation overseen by Chairman Paul Bulcke and Lead Independent Director, Pablo Isla, with the support of independent outside counsel.
2/ Aldi wants to conquer the American grocery store landscape
German discount grocer Aldi is increasing an already big bet on the U.S. market, pushing into new cities and neighborhoods as it undergoes its biggest-ever expansion in this country, the Wall Street Journal has reported.
Aldi plans to add more than 200 stores on a net basis in the U.S. in 2025, making it America’s fastest-growing retailer this year after the two big dollar-store chains, according to data firm Coresight Research. Company executives say they are responding to a customer base of inflation-weary shoppers eager for lower grocery bills, but also for organic produce and select-cut meats.
3/ Tom Denyard named managing director of Waitrose & Partners
John Lewis Partnership has named Tom Denyard as its new managing director of Waitrose, the Retail Gazette reveals.
The executive is set to join the partnership in January, succeeding James Bailey who is leaving Waitrose at the end of September.
4/ Bigger than expected pay rise for thousands of Aldi store colleagues
As of 1 September, over 28,000 Aldi hourly paid store colleagues across the UK will receive a bigger than expected pay rise as the supermarket reinforces its pledge to never be beaten on pay.
In July, Aldi said it was increasing pay for store assistants from £12.75 (€14.71) an hour to £13.00 (€14.99) from 1 September, to become the first supermarket to offer this minimum rate.
It has now made a further increase to £13.02 (€15.02) an hour to maintain its position as sector leader. The rate increases to £13.95 (€16.09) with length of service.
5/ EuroShop Middle East to Launch in Dubai in 2026
EuroShop, the global retail trade fair brand, will extend its international presence with the inaugural edition of EuroShop Middle East, taking place in Dubai from 26 to 28 October 2026, as reported by 365 Retail.
Positioned as a key platform for the Middle East retail sector, the new event will focus on areas including store fitting, lighting, retail technology, marketing, food service equipment, energy management and exhibition services.
6/ Lidl Switzerland is reorganising
The newly created position brings together departments such as Marketing, Brand, Customer Relations, and Sales. This change will ensure that the customer’s perspective is even more strongly considered in all decisions. Bram van der Valk, a long-time member of the Lidl Group, will take over this position and will lead all customer-facing departments in the future.
7/ Charter opens 25 supermarkets in the first half of the year
Charter, the Consum franchise, has opened 25 new supermarkets in the first half of its 2025 financial year, representing 71% of the total planned for the entire year. Catalonia and the Valencian Community accounted for 21 of these openings. Charter’s target for this financial year was to open 35 stores across Catalonia (18), the Valencian Community (9), Castilla-La Mancha (3), Andalusia (4), and the Region of Murcia (1).
© 2025, by ShelfLife reporters
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