Target CEO provides his take on PFresh
In a recent interview for USA Today, Jayne O’Donnell asked Target CEO Gregg Steinhafel to describe the PFresh concept. Here’s what Steinhafel had to say. “PFresh is a comprehensive remodel within our stores’ environment that does a number of things. It adds a much larger assortment of dry, dairy and frozen, then we add fresh perishables to […]
Walmart Express debuts in Gentry, Arkansas
Recently Walmart unveiled the first of their Walmart Express stores to the press. According to reports, this Gentry, AK store actually looks like a smaller version of Walmart’s 180,000 square foot store, even though it’s only 15,000 square feet. The store has exposed pipes and yellow walls, carries about one-tenth of what a superstore carries, but […]
The Lehigh Valley grocery scene continues to evolve
One might think that a drive up north to the Lehigh Valley would alleviate the grocery schizophrenia we experience in the Philadelphia market. Not so. Apparently, Lehigh Valley consumers need a scorecard – not to mention a pencil with a good eraser – to keep track of the industry players and their comings and goings. Coming: […]
Aldi to open 80 stores in the U.S. this year
Aldi says it will open 80 stores this year, which will give the German company more than 1,200 stores in the United States. (By comparison, Save-A-Lots’ goal is 2,400 stores by 2015.) The typical Aldi store is between 11,000 and 17,000 square feet, and that shouldn’t change much in the near future. However, they […]
Kroger reports 30 consecutive quarters of sales increases
Kroger, the nation’s largest traditional grocery retailer (Kroger, Ralph’s, Fred Meyer and many more brands), reported total sales, including fuel, increased 11% to $27.5 billion in the first quarter of fiscal 2011 as compared to the same period last year. Total sales excluding fuel were up 4.8%. Perhaps even more remarkable is the fact that […]
It’s Gettin’ Real in the Whole Foods Parking Lot
I feel it’s my responsibility to share this video with my peeps. Whole Foods Parking Lot from djdave Peace out.
Grocery prices are up, but spending is down
According to the semi-annual Acosta Sales & Marketing report titled “The Why Behind the Why,” average monthly spending on groceries is 7% less than it was one year ago. This spending decrease is despite the fact that grocery prices are higher than they were in 2010. Other report findings include the following: Americans spend […]
Update: Judge approves sale of most Maryland Super Fresh stores
I’ve blogged a couple times about the sale of 12 Super Fresh stores in Maryland and the issues some landlords have with the sale (June 10 – More hurdles in the sale of Mid-Atlantic Super Fresh stores; May 31 – Landlord objects to Super Fresh sale to Green’s Natural Market). On Tuesday, the judge in A&P’s bankruptcy […]
Walmart still feared by supermarkets, but not as much as last year
Every year Supermarket News asks supermarket operators which competitors they fear the most. Walmart remains the top choice, but their fear factor is waning. In 2009, 64% of all respondents identified Walmart as their biggest threat. That percentage decreased to 50% last year and 45.3% this year. Dollar stores (17%) were identified as the second […]
More hurdles in the sale of Mid-Atlantic Super Fresh stores
Ten days ago I wrote about one landlord’s objection to A&P’s sale of a Super Fresh store to Mrs. Green’s Natural Market on the basis that it could not be sure the new tenant could meet the obligations of the lease. Since that time, more objections have been filed. Another landlord has filed a similar […]