EQUITY RETAIL BLOG

Walmart to rebrand Express stores as Neighborhood Market

Walmart announced earlier this month that it would rebrand its Walmart Express stores as Walmart Neighborhood Markets since the two concepts serve similar missions. At 38,000 square feet, Neighborhood Market stores are more than three times larger than Express stores, but they carry similar product assortments. Walmart has learned that customers at both stores primarily […]

Peapod expands to Lehigh Valley

Peapod announced yesterday that it has introduced its home and business delivery service to parts of Lehigh and Northampton Counties in Pennsylvania. Peapod delivery is now available in Allentown, Bethlehem, Easton and several other area communities. Peapod is a division of Ahold USA (Giant Food), and now offers its service to over 15 million households […]

Supervalu customer data hacked for second time in six weeks

Supervalu experienced a security breach in its data systems for the second time in six weeks, the company said yesterday. According to the company, an intruder installed malware into the portion of its computer network that processes payment-card transactions for some of its retail customers. Supervalu does not believe the intrusion succeeded in capturing data […]

Whole Foods embracing technology via Instacart and Apple partnerships

Whole Foods announced earlier this month it would partner with Instacart to offer customers one-hour delivery service, as well as an option to place orders through Instacart for in-store pick-up. The delivery service will start in the 15 cities Instacart currently operates in, including Philadelphia. The in-store pick-up service will start in select Austin, TX […]

C&S Wholesale bids to acquire AWI

C&S Wholesale Grocers has entered into an agreement with Associated Wholesalers Inc. (AWI) that would make C&S the “stalking horse” bidder in an upcoming bankruptcy auction. AWI filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy last week. C&S’s offer is subject to offers by other interested parties. C&S is the largest wholesale grocery supply company in the U.S. […]

Amelia's Grocery Outlet parent to be purchased by investment firm

“Extreme-value” retailer Grocery Outlet, which operates 198 stores in the Western U.S. plus 16 Amelia’s supermarkets in Pennsylvania, has entered into an agreement to be acquired by Hellman & Friedman, an investment firm in San Francisco. The chain’s principal owner for the last five years has been Berkshire Partners, based in Boston. The chain was […]

Family Dollar rejects Dollar General's higher offer, to pursue deal with Dollar Tree

Last week I blogged about Dollar Tree’s $8.5 billion deal for Family Dollar Stores, which was followed by Dollar General’s $9.2 billion cash offer for the same company. A few days ago Family Dollar rejected the higher offer and said it will pursue its prior agreement with Dollar Tree, citing antitrust considerations. Dollar General said […]

Delhaize May Pull the Plug on Bottom Dollar

Food Trade News reported in its August issue that Bottom Dollar Food, a division of Delhaize America, “has reportedly felt enough competitive heat and is exploring the sale of its 66 stores located in Pennsylvania, Southern New Jersey and Northeast Ohio.” 46 of the 66 stores are in the Greater Philadelphia market. Reportedly several retailers […]

Delhaize may pull the plug on Bottom Dollar

Food Trade News reported in its August issue that Bottom Dollar Foods, a division of Delhaize America, “has reportedly felt enough competitive heat and is exploring the sale of its 66 stores located in Pennsylvania, Southern New Jersey and Northeast Ohio.” 46 of the 66 stores are in the Greater Philadelphia market. Reportedly several retailers […]

Walmart's Neighborhood Markets are thriving, but at what price?

Walmart reported its second quarter earnings, and despite the company’s seventh straight quarter without sales growth at stores open at least one year, as well as a downgraded full-year profit outlook, Walmart reported that its small-scale Neighborhood Market locations are thriving. Neighborhood Market same-store sales grew by 5.6% compared to the previous quarter, and traffic grew […]