EQUITY RETAIL BLOG

Kroger-Albertsons merger would create a company that could rival Walmart and Amazon

The Kroger-Albertsons merger announcement was a surprise to many and faces high regulatory hurdles. Some say “it’ll never happen” while others aren’t so pessimistic as long as the two companies make the appropriate – and difficult – decisions in terms of divestitures and closures. In an article posted yesterday, Russell Redman of Supermarket News detailed […]

Kroger in talks with Acme's parent company about a merger

Kroger, the nation’s largest supermarket operator, and Acme Markets parent company Albertsons are in talks about a merger, according to multiple reports. Bloomberg News, which first reported the news, said a deal could be reached as early as this week. Acme currently operates 164 stores in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, New York, Connecticut and Maryland. […]

Top Economist Expects Inflation to Cool

Geopolitics, The Fed and COVID Policies Will Decide Economic Future According to economist Bernard Baumohl, one of the top questions pending for the fate of the U.S. economy and the hotel industry is just how far the Federal Reserve is willing to push its plan to raise interest rates and tamp down inflation. Speaking during […]

Employees at Brooklyn Trader Joe's may unionize

According to reports, employees at a Trader Joe’s grocery store in Williamsburg, Brooklyn are petitioning to unionize. This effort follows two other Trader Joe’s locations – in Massachusetts and Minnesota – that have unionized this year. Employees at the Williamsburg store claim that working conditions are poor, and that they are experiencing racial discrimination and […]

Costco posts top line growth, plans for 25 new warehouse clubs in '23

Costco reported double-digit net sales growth for its fiscal fourth quarter and full year, with shopping frequency up 7.2% worldwide (up 5.2% in the U.S.) during the fourth quarter as compared to the same quarter last year. According to the company, the best performing core categories for the quarter were candy, frozen, kiosks, lawn and […]

Philly Update: Thousands of Comcast Employees Are Returning

Comcast workers are back in Center City. Their return is ‘flexible’ — but it’s already rejuvenating downtown The return of Comcast employees to the office signals a noteworthy moment in Philadelphia’s pandemic recovery, bringing thousands of people back into Center City after more than two years of working from home. Comcast sent a corporate memo […]

New Whole Foods CEO wants to add 50 stores

Jason Buechel began his tenure as Whole Foods CEO on September 1 by laying out his vision for the Amazon-owned grocer, a vision that includes adding 50 new stores to the company’s 534-store footprint. “Together, we’ll set bold long-term goals and build upon our industry-leading standards,” Buechel wrote in a letter to Whole Foods team […]

Sprouts to open in South Philly's Quartermaster Plaza

According to multiple reports, Sprouts Farmers Market has signed a lease to open in South Philadelphia’s Quartermaster Plaza. It will be the grocer’s second location in the city; Sprouts opened about four years ago at Lincoln Square along South Broad Street. Sprouts is best known for its fresh produce and bulk foods, along with a […]

Wegmans property sells for $22.6 million

The Wegmans property at the Montgomery Mall in North Wales, PA was recently purchased for $22.6 million by ExchangeRight, a California-based company that acquires net-leased properties and grocery-anchored shopping centers. The seller, Kohan Retail Investment Group of New York, bought the mall about a month ago in a foreclosure sale for $55 million. The Wegmans […]

Wegmans cites theft in ending self-checkout

Wegmans announced it will end its “scan and go” self-checkout service this weekend due to losses from theft. With the service – introduced early in the pandemic to provide a contactless in-store shopping option – customers connect to the store Wi-Fi and link to their loyalty account. Once connected they scan and bag as they […]