Tops Friendly Markets Unveils New Syracuse University Athletics-Themed Supermarket

Tops Friendly Markets unveiled its Syracuse University-themed supermarket, turning the former Peter's-to-P&C market into an SU shrine. The $2.5 million upgrade to the store on Nottingham Road in DeWitt near SU's South Campus includes aisles that look like basketball courts, a Syracuse Athletics-themed 'Cuse Cafe, orange shopping carts and life-sized photos of famous SU athletes. It's the only university-themed supermarket in the Northeast. The Williamsville-based chain made other upgrades to the interior decor of the store.

Syracuse

Save Mart Cuts Energy, Creates Jobs

Save Mart Supermarkets here saved more than $8,000 on a high-efficiency LED lighting retrofit at its Ripon, Calif., store location through a partnership with EnergySmart Jobs, a federally funded program to create jobs through the implementation of energy-saving upgrades at retailers. In collaboration with EnergySmart Jobs, Pacific Gas and Electric Company provided Save Mart with $11,462 in incentives for this energy efficiency project. By installing LED case lighting with motion sensors, the Ripon Save Mart will receive an estimated energy savings of 83,701 kilowatt-hours annually. 

Supermarket News

Five Below Kicks Off 2011 Expansion

Five Below, the extreme-value retailer for teens and tweens, will kick off its 2011 expansion with the opening of two stores in Greater Baltimore. At 7,500 square feet, the Catonsville and Severna Park stores exemplify the retailer's large-store model. The opening of these two stores on March 25 begins Five Below's 2011 growth initiative. The retailer plans to open 50 new locations throughout the year, including one more in Maryland this summer. Five Below currently operates 141 stores across 13 states. 

Business Wire

Supermarket Planned for Southern Idaho

Rosauers Supermarkets plans to open a new store at the southeast corner of Eagle and Ustick roads in Meridian. It will employ 120 people and will be the first Rosauers in southern Idaho. The Spokane-based company today announced the plans include a combination Rosauers Food and Drug and Huckleberry's Natural Market at the Gateway Marketplace project. The store will carry a broad selection of grocery, specialty and ethnic foods, including a full assortment of natural and organic items.

NWCN

Nordstrom Completes Acquisition of HauteLook

Seattle-based Nordstrom, Inc. announced the closing of its acquisition of HauteLook, Inc., a leader in the online private sale marketplace. The acquisition will enable Nordstrom to participate in the fast-growing private sale marketplace and provide a platform to increase innovation and speed in the way it serves customers in all channels. Nordstrom, Inc. is one of the nation's leading fashion specialty retailers, with 207 stores located in 28 states. 

PR Newswire

Rewe Group Plans Penny Market Network Expansion in Romania With 20 Stores

German retailer Rewe, which has recently opened a new Penny Market store in Cluj-Napoca, plans to open 20 more stores countrywide, the retailer has announced. The recently opened 1,384 sqm Penny Market store has 245 parking places and employs 12 people. Retail chain Penny Market/Penny XXL runs 118 stores on the Romanian market, making it the largest discount network, according to Rewe.

Romania Insider

Mercadona Reports Solid FY Growth

Supermarket giant Mercadona has reported a strong rise in profits and sales for its last fiscal year, despite what it called an "adverse trading environment". For 2010, net profit jumped up 47% to €398m, while sales were up 6.3% to €16.5bn. The company was helped by the opening of 46 net new outlets during the year, and said it will continue expanding, announcing plans to open another 60 outlets in 2011. Mercadona added that it will continue to focus on price, and will aim to reduce its costs even further.

Kam City

Sales Growth Slows at Sainsbury's as Shoppers Squeezed

Sainsbury's missed fourth-quarter sales forecasts, adding to signs of a slowdown in consumer spending as inflation climbs and government spending cuts bite. Sainsbury's said like-for-like sales rose just 1%, excluding fuel but including VAT, in the 10 weeks to 19 March. That was a slowdown from 3.6% growth in the previous quarter and compared with a forecast for 2.4%. Like-for-like sales for the full year were up 2.3%. 

Kam City