The Canadian grocer’s parent company Empire said in its fourth-quarter results that it’s shelving plans to open a fourth fulfilment centre so it could “focus on driving performance and volume” at its three existing hubs. (The Logic)

Talking point: The move could signal Empire is rolling back its focus on tech-driven fulfilment centres for its e-commerce strategy. The Vancouver centre, like the previous hubs, was to use robotics technology to sort warehouse inventory. As my colleague Aleksandra previously reported, Empire and other rivals like Loblaw and Metro began investing more in technology following the global pandemic, when grocery chains’ profits soared as people were forced to eat at home. Empire posted net earnings of $149 million in its latest results, down from $183 million a year earlier. Shares in Ocado Group, the U.K. technology firm that has supplied Empire’s warehouse robotics tech, slumped on the news.