SN's Top 50 Small Chains and Independents for 2011

This is the second installment of SN's Top 50 Small Chains and Independents list. To qualify, a company must have sales under $1 billion, and it must not be owned by a wholesaler or a larger retail entity. The top 5 small chains and independents include: Fareway Stores, Grocery Outlet, Woodman's Markets, The Fresh Market, and King Kullen Grocery Co.

Supermarket News

Macy's Earnings Climb; Profit Jumps 50%

A tight hold on expenses helped Macy's Inc. increase its fourth-quarter net income by 50 percent. For the fourth quarter, Macy's earned $667 million, or $1.55 per share. It posted net income of $445 million, or $1.05 per share, a year earlier. Adjusted earnings for the period that ended Jan. 29 were $1.59 per share. That excludes charges of 4 cents per share for store closing expenses and to reflect the declining value of some assets.

Herald-Dispatch

Best Buy Opens Local Mobile Stores

The electronics retailer Best Buy is opening three outlets specializing in mobile technology in local shopping malls. Best Buy Mobile, an offshoot of the larger, full-service store, sells cell phones, laptops, tablets and other portable devices and offers a choice of carriers. The rollout in Rochester is part of a company plan to open 150 Best Buy Mobile stores in the U.S. this year.

Democrat and Chronicle

Kmart Emphasizes Flu Shots at Its Pharmacies

Kmart implemented a discounted offer on flu shots to those who have not yet been vaccinated. Kmart said it is offering customers $15 flu shots, while supplies last, and also will offer 15,000 points (a $15 value) to members of its Shop Your Way Rewards loyalty program, when a vaccination is purchased. The flu shots are available at more than 500 Kmart Pharmacy locations and are administered by trained practitioners.

Drug Store News

Winn-Dixie Expands Fuel Discounts to South Florida

Winn-Dixie Stores Inc. said South Florida shoppers who use its redesigned customer reward card can now earn discounts called "fuelperks" at more than 200 participating Shell gas stations. For every $50 of qualifying supermarket purchases with the new reward card, customers will earn one 5 cents per gallon discount on fuel, up to 20 gallons, the Jacksonville-based grocer said. The fuelperks program, which initially launched in 2008, is making its debut in the South Florida, Fort Myers and Naples region.

Sun Sentinel

Mexican Retailer Soriana 4Q Net Profit Up 17% To MXN1.19 Bln

Mexican retailer Organizacion Soriana SAB said its net profit rose 17% in the fourth quarter from a year earlier to 1.19 billion pesos ($97.1 million) as new store openings accelerated growth in sales. Soriana's sales rose 6.1% in the quarter to MXN25.87 billion. Soriana said its stores open for at least 12 months rose 0.5% in the fourth quarter from a year earlier. The company opened nine stores in the October to December period and 38 in all of 2010, bringing its total store count to 508 units. 

WSJ Online

Konzum Reports Strong FY Growth

The Konzum retail chain, owned by Agrokor, has reported strong profit and sales growth for 2010, helped by expansion across the region. For the year, net profit jumped up 20.8% to 412.8m kuna (€55.7m), while sales were up 3.9% to 12.7bn kuna (€1.71bn). The chain currently operates more than 800 outlets in the country, and now employs more than 12,000 staff. 

Kam City

Mars Hypermarket Opens in Al Khuwair

Shaikh Ibrahim bin Yahya al Rawahi, Wali of Baushar, officially opened Mars International Hypermarket's sixth branch in the region in Al Khuwair near the Courts area. The outlet that consists of three floors of shopping area totals to almost 40,000 sq ft, dedicated floors for garments, department stores and electronics and foodstuff. The presence of such an outlet serves the requirement of a one-stop shop in the Al Khuwair region. The company also plans to have outlets in Barka, Sur and Sinaw by 2012. The Barka outlet is in the finishing stage and is likely to open soon.

Zawya

 News-Leader