Trader Joe’s price investments widening the gap with Whole Foods
According to an analyst, Trader Joe’s may be widening its price advantage with Whole Foods. Karen Short of Deutsche Bank Securities said in a report recently that a Trader Joe’s in the New York market had a total price advantage of 26% over a neighboring Whole Foods Market across a basket of 77 like items. […]
Dollar General sees opportunity in consumables
Dollar General cited stagnant wages relative to rising consumer prices, and negative income growth projected through 2020 for customers earning less than $50,000, as reasons for the company’s plan to capture additional customers through improvements in its consumables assortment. CEO Todd Vasos claimed earlier this year that based on current sales, Dollar General has significant […]
Wegmans and Aldi are cleanest stores in Philly, Bucks
The Philadelphia Inquirer examined two years of health department reports for large grocers in Philadelphia and Bucks Counties and determined that Wegmans and Aldi were the cleanest supermarket chains. Fresh Grocer, Whole Foods and Shop N Bag ranked at the bottom of the list, while Giant, ShopRite and Acme were in the middle of the […]
H Mart partners with Instacart
H Mart announced recently that it would partner with Instacart to deliver products to its customers, and an H Mart store in Upper Darby (near the Philadelphia border) would be the first store to activate the program. H Mart is a national Asian-American supermarket chain that has 51 stores nationwide, including three in PA and […]
Whole Foods 365 concept to include tea bar, vegan restaurant in Los Angeles
Whole Foods provided some details last month about their 365 small-store concept, describing it as a “quality-meets-value” interpretation of its traditional store “in an environment that’s fun and convenient for shoppers.” A 30,000 square foot store, set to open in Los Angeles later this month, will feature a self-service tea bar, a vegan fast-casual restaurant […]
Wegmans beats out Trader Joe’s as nation’s best grocer
For the first time in four years, Trader Joe’s wasn’t ranked as the nation’s best grocery chain. That honor recently went to Wegmans, which ranked ahead of Trader Joe’s and Publix in a survey of more than 10,000 consumers conducted by Market Force Information. Hy-Vee Food Stores ranked fourth, and Aldi was fifth. The top […]
Weis to increase cap-ex to $140 million
Weis Markets announced last month that it plans to increase capital spending by 33% this year to a record $140 million. The funds will cover the cost of three new stores, 20 remodels and technology investments. Last year’s capital spending totaled $92 million and covered 14 remodels and five Gas N’ Go centers. Weis operates […]
ShopRite opens in Glenolden, PA
ShopRite opened a state-of-the-art, 58,000 square foot store on MacDade Blvd. in Glenolden, PA last week. The store represents Collins Family Markets’ fifth ShopRite location. Overall, ShopRite now has 260 locations throughout New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Delaware and Maryland.
Analyst says Aldi and Lidl to hurt small grocery operators
A Supermarket News story recently quoted an analyst who predicted that the “invasion” of Lidl into the U.S., combined with Aldi’s rapid expansion, will prove to be problematic for smaller operators and those focused on lower-income shoppers. The analyst did not think the two European powerhouses would have as devastating an effect on top U.S. […]
Ahold’s bfresh signs lease in Philadelphia neighborhood
Ahold confirmed last month that it signed a lease for its bfresh concept to occupy space on the ground floor of the Abbotts Square condos at 2nd and South Streets in Philadelphia’s Society Hill neighborhood. Fresh Formats, the concept that evolved into Ahold’s bfresh banner, has operated in Philadelphia since 2014, when it opened a […]