Kroger Reports Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2010 Results

The Kroger Co. reported total sales, which include fuel, increased 7.4% to $19.9 billion in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2010 compared with $18.6 billion for the same period last year. Net earnings for the fourth quarter, which ended on January 29, 2011, totaled $278.8 million. For fiscal year 2010, total sales increased 7.1% to $82.2 billion compared with $76.7 billion for fiscal year 2009. Kroger, the nation's largest traditional grocery retailer, serves customers in 2,458 supermarkets and multi-department stores in 31 states under two dozen local banner names.

SYS-CON

Discount Retailer Loehmann's Emerges from Chapter 11

Discount retailer Loehmann's said it has emerged from bankruptcy protection, which it sought in November after its Dubai government-linked owner failed to reach a debt-extension deal with creditors. New York-based Loehmann's said it secured $45 million in financing while saying its restructuring eliminated $110 million in long-term bond debt, $14 million in interests and included $23 million in other cost reductions.

CNBC

Winn-Dixie Sanitizing Shopping Carts

Winn-Dixie Stores announced it recently signed an exclusive agreement to use a patent-pending process to clean, sanitize and protect shopping carts, hand baskets, handicap carts, food trays and other equipment at the chain's 484 stores. Mobile sanitizing units act like a car wash, cleaning shopping carts and other equipment with a high-temperature, pressurized shower sterilized with hydrogen peroxide and ultraviolet light.

Supermarket News

Fresh & Easy's First Foray into a New Market Area

Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Market opened its first two stores in Northern California, marking the company's first foray into a new marketing area since it entered the U.S. in late 2007 with simultaneous entries in Southern California, Las Vegas and Phoenix. The Northern California stores are located in San Jose and Danville, both in the San Francisco Bay Area. The company said it plans to open more than a dozen units in Northern California early this year. 

Supermarket News

New Face, New Tastes for Emigration Market

Harmons Grocery Stores has began renovation of its Emigration Market in what could be a preview of smaller stores it will build along the Wasatch Front that cater to the tastes of individual neighborhoods. The location will be the grocer's smallest, with 10,000 square feet of space. Grocery selections will carry some of the chain's largest-selling items, but instead of "15 flavors of, say, spaghetti sauce, there may only be two or three," said co-owner Randy Harmon.

Salt Lake Tribune

Bi-Lo Rolls Out Storewide Nutrition Tags

The latest grocer to introduce some sort of in-store nutrition guidance system is Bi-Lo, which is unveiling storewide nutritional tags aimed at helping shoppers find with no fuss the foods that meet their dietary needs. Over the next several weeks, the tags roll out in all of the Mauldin, S.C.-based chain's stores. Featuring color-coded labels that identify the nutritional benefits of certain foods from a wide range of categories, the tags will be positioned beneath each item's shelf price sticker.

Progressive Grocer

Delhaize Confirms Delta Maxi Acquisition

Delhaize has confirmed that it will fully acquire the Delta Maxi retail group, from its parent Delta Holdings, for €932.5m (including €300m of debt). The deal, which is subject to regulatory approval in all the countries, is expected to be completed in the third quarter of the year. Delhaize also added that it expects the buy to be immediately earnings accretive as of 2011. The deal gives the Belgian group control of a 450-store chain across five countries in Southeastern Europe, a major boost to its existing operations in Romania (Mega Image) and Greece (Alfa Beta).

Kam City

Walmart Cashes Out of Russian Retail

American retail giant Walmart finally closed its representative office in Moscow after failing to cash in on the booming Russian market. The company saw acquisition of a local retailer as central to its entry strategy for Russia, Walmart International CEO Doug McMillon said on December 13, 2010 - the day the firm announced its plans to leave Russia, and a week after it missed out on a deal to acquire Kopeika, one of Russia's largest discount grocery chains. Some think Walmart did not have a strong enough presence to manage its entry into Russian retail and were too slow off the mark.

Ria Novosti

UK'S Favorite Retailers

John Lewis has been voted the UK's favorite retailer for the fourth consecutive year in Verdict Research's poll of consumers. The furniture giant IKEA has taken second place with Waitrose, John Lewis's sister company, following close behind in third position. In particular, John Lewis was highly rated on service where, aside from its sister company Waitrose, it received double the score of any rival. It also performed well on range, quality, and store ambience. Other top retailers include Superdrug and Amazon.

Kam City

Gok Wan to Design Clothing Range for Sainsbury's

As part of plans to expand it non-food activities, Sainsbury's has announced a partnership with fashion expert Gok Wan. The TV personality and style guru Gok will create a number of womenswear collections for the supermarket, with the first due to hit the shelves this autumn. Luke Jensen, Sainsbury's non-food Managing Director, said: "TU clothing has become a major growth area for Sainsbury's, based on the concept of delivering style and quality, at affordable prices. The brand now accounts for 3% of all clothing, footwear and accessory sales in the UK.

Kam City