Spartan Stores Announces Fiscal 2011 Third Quarter Financial Results

Consolidated net sales for the 16-week third quarter were $782.3 million compared with $786.9 million in the same period last year. The slight decline in consolidated net sales was due primarily to lower supermarket sales, substantially offset by higher fuel center and distribution segment sales.  Adjusted Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation and Amortization the quarter were $25.7 million, or 3.3 percent of net sales, equivalent to the percentage of net sales in the year-ago period. 

Business Wire

Shoppers Food Closing Five Stores

Shoppers Food & Pharmacy will close two unprofitable stores in Maryland.  The grocery chain is also closing three stores in Virginia. The closings come shortly after SuperFresh, whose parent company is operating under bankruptcy, also closed stores in Maryland.  "Given the competitive markets we operate in, and today's difficult economic environment, it is occasionally necessary to close those stores that are not profitable," Shoppers said in a statement.

Explore Baltimore County

Marsh Renames Some of Its Local Stores

Marsh who? Starting today, Marsh Supermarkets Inc. said six of its grocery stores in Hamilton, Fairfield, Franklin and Cincinnati will be called MainStreet Market instead.  According to the company, there will be a new logo on buildings, road signs and display signs and tags throughout the stores that have the change.  The marketing change was made to better align offerings of Marsh's smaller and more traditional facilities with consumer preferences in these areas.

Middletown Journal

Sears Delivers Physical Goods Ordered Via Mobile

Sears Holdings Corp. is letting consumers order groceries, pharmaceutical prescriptions and other products using their smartphones and pick them up at the nearest Kmart or get them delivered.  Sears launched its mygofer service to respond to the evolution of the traditional grocery store concept from bricks-and-mortar stores to shopping for food and prescriptions online and directly via consumers' phone. 

Mobile Commerce Daily

Weis Launches Mobile Website

Weis Markets has launched a mobile version of its website that offers customers access to its weekly circular, online ordering options for gift cards and party platters, prescription refills and a new Healthy Living section.  Through the mobile version of its website, Weis Preferred Shoppers Club members go to the My Weis section to sign up for e-mail specials and online coupons, and develop shopping lists tailored to specific health or dietary needs.

Progressive Grocer

Kesko Reports Weak Q4 Profit

The Kesko group has reported weaker-than-expected profits for its year-ending quarter. The retailer and wholesaler also it expects the continued expansion of its store network to affect profits this year.  For the three months to end-December, operating profit rose by 18% to €80.5m, while sales rose by 7.3% to €2.3bn. Sales at Kesko Food rose by 5.3% to €1.02bn, but this was dragged down by a 0.1% rise in sales to €501m at its Hardware unit. The DIY unit registered the strongest growth, with sales up 19.1% to €625m.

Kam City

Plug Pulled on Tesco Car Wash

Supermarket giant Tesco has pulled the plug on trolley hand car washes at its stores across the country.  The supermarket chain served notice on the franchise operators to quit at the end of last year as part of a national directive.  It follows customer research last summer showing the vast majority of Tesco customers did not like the trolley hand car wash service.  "We had them at about 100-odd stores and we have decided to remove them from our car parks," said Tesco spokesman.

Tewkesbury Asmag