Top 7 grocery retail stories from around the world
Print1 December 2025
From 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/ Aldi launches edible lickable wrapping paper
UK-based supermarket chain Aldi has dropped a holiday surprise. Aldi recently launched the world’s first gift wrapper that you can lick. The retailer took a Christmas classic, pigs in blankets, and gave it a spin. The mini sausages wrapped in bacon don’t need to be on just your dinner plates, Curly Tales reports.
2/ Chocolate Haggis maker ditches purple packs
Simon Howie has recently moved its Chocolate Haggis from purple to blue packaging following a legal dispute with Cadbury, it has been reported by The Grocer.
3/ Barilla opens global food innovation center
Barilla Innovation & Technology Experience (BITE) in Parma, marking the company’s most significant investment in food innovation in recent years. With almost 14,000 m², more than €20 million invested and an additional €2 million per year dedicated to equipment upgrades, BITE stands as a global hub designed to foster development across the Group’s portfolio. Pasta, sauces, and bakery become a territory of exploration here, where research and technology serve Barilla’s passion for good food.
4/ Asda criticises government over consumer confidence
Asda has criticised the government for “killing confidence” among consumers but blamed “self-inflicted” problems that left gaps on shelves for a big reverse in sales, The Guardian reports.
5/ Walmart opening second South Africa store
Walmart is set to open its second South African store at Fourways Mall in Johannesburg. Walmart said the new location has created 80 permanent positions, including roles for young first-time job seekers, Food Business Middle East & Africa.
6/ Hungary enforces lab-meat ban despite EU
Hungary’s national parliament voted by an overwhelming majority to ban the production and sale of lab-grown meat, setting the country up for another collision with Brussels.
The European Union has not yet authorised any meat products derived from laboratory-grown cells, and the first formal request came from a French company producing foie gras in 2024. Earlier this year, a Dutch company applied to sell lab-grown beef fat.
7/ Japanese grocery store announces Peninsula opening
Osaka Marketplace, a popular Japanese grocery store, will open 12 December in Foster City, offering everything from premium wagyu beef to Japanese beauty products.
An Osaka Marketplace already exists in Fremont, and another is expected to open in Pleasant Hill in summer 2026, according to a press release. That 42,000-square-foot outpost will replace a former Orchard Supply Hardware at 155 Crescent Plaza, it has been reported by the San Francisco Chronicle.
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