Target, Wal-Mart on Best Citizens List

Target and Wal-Mart Stores were selected to be on Corporate Responsibility Magazine's annual 100 Best Corporate Citizens List, ranking 42 and 95, respectively. In compiling the 12th annual list, the magazine assessed companies in the following categories, culled from publicly available information: environment, climate change, human rights, employee relations, corporate governance, philanthropy and financial. 

Supermarket News

Toys"R"Us, Inc. Reports Results for Fourth Quarter and Full Year of Fiscal 2010

Toys"R"Us, Inc. reported financial results for the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2010 ended January 29, 2011. For the fourth quarter, the company reported net sales of $6.0 billion, an increase of 2.0% compared to the prior year, due to new locations including Toys"R"Us Express stores and comparable store net sales growth of 1.8% in the Domestic segment. E-commerce sales growth was particularly strong as they continue to benefit from their enhanced capabilities in that area.

Business Wire

Biggest Latino Supermarket in Utah Set to Open

An underreported result of Utah's explosive growth in its Latino population is experiencing an equally large explosion in art, culture and color. One example is a new supermarket on Salt Lake City's west side. The Ogden-based Viva Markets is opening its biggest store yet at the site of the former Albertson's at 900 W. North Temple. Besides fresh vegetables, meats and a wide array of Latin American food, spices and herbs, the new Viva Market will include a dose of culture in a celebrated Mexican format - murals.

Salt Lake Tribune

Foodtown Launches Digital Coupons

Foodtown began offering downloadable digital coupons through its website, Foodtown.com. The coupons are downloaded directly to the accounts of users' Foodtown Club Cards. The Foodtown website offered 18 product coupons, which could be sorted by expiration date, category, brand, popularity and other characteristics. Foodtown is a cooperative of 66 independently owned stores in New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania. 

Supermarket News

Carrefour Posts Full-Year Net Income of $600 Million

Carrefour SA reported annual profit that trailed analysts' estimates and Chief Executive Officer Lars Olofsson pledged to inject "new momentum" into the retailer by accelerating store openings in 2011. Net income rose to 433 million euros ($600.5 million) from a restated 276 million euros, the Paris-based grocer said in a statement. Carrefour's annual activity contribution, a measure of operating profit, was 2.97 billion euros in 2010.

Bloomberg

Coop Streamlines Operation with Closure of Fakta HQ

The Coop chain continues to streamline its operations as it grows across Northern Europe, with the announcement that it is to merge the head office of its Fakta supermarket subsidiary with its group headquarters. Fakta employs 98 staff at the headquarters in Vejle (Jutland), which will now be part of the Coop headquarters in Albertslund, effective September 2011.

Kam City

Half Term Lifts Sales at John Lewis

Sales at John Lewis were sharply higher last week following five consecutive weeks of subdued sales, boosted by the later falling of half term school holidays in England this year. The department store chain, which has long outperformed the broader retail sector, said sales rose 7.2% to £54.0m in the week to 26 February. Fashion sales increased 10%, while sales in the electricals and home technology and home categories were up 6% and 5% respectively. At John Lewis' sister chain Waitrose, sales rose 6.2% to £94.9m, also boosted by half term.

Kam City

Wahaha Plans Hypermarket Chain

Wahaha Group, China's top beverages maker, plans to build a hypermarket chain to compete with Wal-Mart and Carrefour. Wahaha aims to build 100 hypermarkets in China over the next few years and may eventually list the business. The planned diversification will help the group realise its goal of achieving 100 billion yuan ($15.2 billion) in sales. Last year, Wahaha had sales of about 55 billion yuan. Wahaha's hypermarket business model will be similar to that of its international competitors but with some of its own innovations.

Reuters