EQUITY RETAIL BLOG

Alternative grocery sales surpass supermarket sales

Alternative grocers like Amazon/Whole Foods, Walmart, Target, Aldi, warehouse clubs, dollar stores and pharmacies now comprise a majority of U.S. grocery sales. As a result, supermarkets are no longer the primary grocery store for a majority of Americans, according to a Supermarket News article by Scott Moses, managing director and head of grocery, pharmacy and […]

Prickett Preserve, Wegmans approved in Lower Makefield

The Lower Makefield (Bucks County) Board of Supervisors voted earlier this month to approve the Prickett Preserve at Edgewood, a mixed-use development that will include Wegmans along with several retail and dining establishments, as well as public space and upscale residences. The development, a joint project by Equus Capital Partners, Envision Land Use and DeLuca […]

JOANN Crafts A Comeback!

Riding The Etsy Boom To An IPO When Kimberly Hamlin decided to start selling high-end masks to brides, grooms and the rest of their bridal parties on Etsy last summer, she headed straight to the JOANN store around the corner from her house in Grand Rapids, Michigan, to thumb through bolts of lace, cotton and […]

Grocers have spent $24 billion on pandemic-related expenses

Grocers have spent approximately $24 billion on pandemic related expenses since March 2020, including safety, workforce and technology investments, according to a report from FMI that was written about in Chain Store Age. The report is called Receipts from the Pandemic: Grocery Store Investments Amid COVID-19 and the Resulting Economics of an Essential Industry. FMI […]

The Remote Work "Revolution" May Be Overblown

One year after the Covid-19 pandemic forced millions of workers to start clocking in from home, many companies are thinking about how to bring their employees back into the office. A number of firms think the past 12 months have proven the merits of remote work, and have pledged more flexible schedules. But increasingly, there […]

Trader Joe's hasn't seen a pandemic sales surge

A cover story in the March/April issue of Produce Blueprints Magazine pointed out that although Trader Joe’s was “proactive and nimble ” in protecting its employees and customers during the pandemic, the company did not experience the same surge in sales as other grocery stores. Phil Lempert, a retail consultant for Supermarketguru.com, cited the number […]

Albertsons and Google partner to enhance interactive shopping experience

One week after Albertson’s President and CEO Vivek Sankaran said that he could see online grocery reaching 20% of sales, it was announced this week that Albertsons and Google have partnered to bring more efficiency to customers both online and in-store. The multiyear pact includes efforts to integrate Google Search and Maps to help shoppers […]

New Target, Trader Joe's and Wegmans stores coming soon to Delaware

Residents of Delaware’s New Castle County will have more grocery choices in the near future. Target, Trader Joe’s and Wegmans are all on track for openings this year or next. Target According to a recent statement by Target Spokesperson Jill Lewis, “Our Wilmington Prices Corner Target store is planned to open this spring.” Since then, […]

See what the hourly wages are at Philly supermarkets

With Lidl’s recent announcement that it plans to raise the minimum wage to $15 per hour in several cities including Philadelphia, billypenn.com published an article last week that outlined what other grocery chains inside Philadelphia’s city limits are currently paying. Lidl – as mentioned, they plan to raise the base pay to $15 per hour. […]

Amazon "quietly building a national grocery chain"

Bloomberg reported on Thursday that Amazon is “quietly building a national grocery chain,” saying that at least 28 Amazon Fresh supermarkets are in the works. The report claimed that Philadelphia is a target market, which is a poorly kept secret in Greater Philly real estate circles. (Here’s my blog from last October about Amazon grocery […]