Safeway Boosts Pace of New-Store OpeningsSafeway plans to become more aggressive in opening new stores now that its lifestyle remodeling effort is nearly complete. Safeway expects to open 26 new stores this year - the highest number in the last four years, and to complete 30 remodels, at a cost of $1 billion. That compares with $800 million spent in 2010 to open 14 new stores and remodel 60, which brought the number of lifestyle stores up to 85% of the store base.
Supermarket News
Discounts Hit Profit at Sobeys Parent EmpireEmpire Co Ltd, parent of Canada's Sobeys grocery chain, reported a lower quarterly profit on Tuesday due to aggressive holiday-season discounting and falling food prices. At Sobeys, sales at stores open for at least a year, or same-store sales, a key measure for retailers, fell 0.4 percent in the quarter.
Reuters
Kohl's to Open 9 Stores in 7 States, Hiring 1,200Kohl's Department Stores Inc. is opening nine stores in seven states, a move it says will create more than 1,200 jobs. The mid-price department store chain said Wednesday it's opening stores in Illinois, New York, South Dakota, Texas, Virginia, Washington and Wisconsin. The Menomonee Falls company says it also plans to open about 30 more stores this year.
KBTX
Target Opening Clinics in Four Area StoresTarget Corp. said today it is opening health-care clinics in four east metro SuperTarget stores. Target currently has clinics in 37 of its stores. Besides the already-open Woodbury store, it plans to add seven more by the end of the year, including in three in Illinois and one in Florida.
Twin Cities Pioneer Press
Wal-Mart to Break Ground on Small Stores Next WeekWal-Mart Stores Inc. will next week start building its first Express stores, a format less than a tenth the size of an average supercenter, according to building permits. While Wal-Mart has kept details of the new stores a closely guarded secret, Steve Restivo, a company spokesman, confirmed the location of the store openings and the timing in an e-mail. Work on similar stores in nearby Prairie Grove and Gravette will also start over the next two weeks, said town officials. The new stores will feature a pharmacy and groceries section.
Bloomberg |