Mass Market Retailers back issues from June 2003:
Dollar tree grows. (Industry News).(Dollar Tree Stores Inc. acquires Greenbacks Inc.)(Brief Article)
Jun 16, 2003 ... DOLLAR TREE GROWS: Dollar Tree Stores Inc. has signed a binding agreement to acquire Salt Lake City-based Greenbacks, a privately held chain ...
Eagle Food Centers. (Industry News).(supermarket operators receives court approval for debtor-in-possession financing facility)(Brief Article)
Jun 16, 2003 ... EAGLE FOOD CENTERS: Eagle Food Centers Inc., which owns and operates 60 supermarkets in the states of Illinois and Iowa, has received court approval of its $40 million debtor-in-possession financing ...
Sale of McLane O.K.'D. (Industry News).(Wal-Mart Stores Inc. able to sell McLane Co. to Berkshire Hathaway Inc.)(Brief Article)
Jun 16, 2003 ... SALE OF MCLANE O.K.'D: Wal-Mart Stores Inc. has received permission from the Federal Trade Commission to sell its McLane Co. subsidiary to Berkshire Hathaway Inc. for ...
Fleming gets help. (Industry News).(Fleming Cos. receives bankruptcy court approval to historical preserve net operating losses)(Brief Article)
Jun 16, 2003 ... FLEMING GETS HELP: Fleming Cos. has received approval from the bankruptcy court of its effort to preserve its historical net operating losses ...
Big lots directors. (Industry News).(Philip Mallott, Ned Mansour and Russell Solt elected to board of Big Lots Inc.)(Brief Article)
Jun 16, 2003 ... BIG LOTS DIRECTORS: Three new independent directors have been elected to the board of Big Lots Inc. Philip Mallott is an independent financial consultant and former vice president and chief financial officer of ...
Ahold gets hit again. (Spotlight).(accounting scandal widens)
Jun 16, 2003; ... AMSTERDAM -- Ahold NV's accounting scandal has widened with the revelation of irregularities at Tops Markets and other unspecified subsidiaries. The retailer, which earlier this year reported that its U.S. Foodservice Inc. subsidiary had overstated profits by $880 million, more ...
Two named VP, GMM for Kmart.(Robert Atteberry Joyce Dillon and Peter Whitsett promoted; Nicholas Just exits co.)(Brief Article)
Jun 16, 2003 ... TROY, Mich. -- Kmart Corp. has announced the promotions of Robert Atteberry and Joyce Dillon to vice president and general merchandise manager positions. In addition, Peter Whitsett, divisional vice president, merchandising food and consumables, will take on the added ...
CVS moves on diverse fronts.
Jun 16, 2003 ... WOONSOCKET, R.I. -- CVS Corp. has reaffirmed its second quarter earnings guidance and announced plans to enter the Minneapolis market. In addition the retailer will introduce digital kiosks into most of its stores. CVS says it continues to expect earnings of 46 cents to 49 cents ...
Safeway 'gets back to cost reductions'.(finanical strategy planned)(Brief Article)
Jun 16, 2003 ... PLEASANTON, Calif. -- Faced with declining profits and stagnant sales, Safeway Inc. is responding with cost cutting. "This is the year we set the strategy to get back to cost reductions," chairman, president and chief executive officer Steven Burd told shareholders at the company's annual ...
SEC looks at supplier rebates.(Securities and Exchange Commission)(Brief Article)
Jun 16, 2003 ... NEW YORK -- The Securities and Exchange Commission has reportedly begun looking at the way some retailers are handling supplier rebates. Late last month CVS Corp. and BJ's Wholesale Club Inc. said they had received and responded to informal letters of inquiry from the SEC, ...
Wal-Mart passes another milestone.(now nation's largest grocer)(Brief Article)
Jun 16, 2003 ... BENTONVILLE, Ark. -- Wal-Mart Stores Inc. became the nation's largest grocer last year, with more than $53 billion in food sales at its 1,258 Supercenters and 49 Neighborhood Markets. That is according to a recent article in The Wall Street Journal, which predicted that ...
'Shrink recovery is a top profit source'. (News).(National Supermarket Research Group survey reveals economic consequences of inventory shortages)
Jun 16, 2003 ... SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Food stores lose the equivalent of 2.32% of retail sales to theft and other inventory loss, according to the National Supermarket Research Group (NSRG). "Shrink continues to be a major source of loss for the supermarket industry," says NSRG director Larry ...
Target hones focus.(on food and pharmacy aspects)(Brief Article)
Jun 16, 2003 ... MINNEAPOLIS -- Target Corp. will heighten its focus on food and pharmacy as part of an effort to boost shopper frequency, company officials said at the retailer's annual shareholders meeting here. Some other areas of emphasis for the chain will be one-hour photofinishing, ...
Corrections.
Jun 16, 2003 ... In the May 12 issue of MMR, a photograph of a greeting cards section in a Dollar General Corp. store was included in a profile of Family ...
On-line retailing starts to pay. (News).(Brief Article)
Jun 16, 2003 ... WASHINGTON -- While last year was far from a stellar one for most brick-and-mortar retailers, it was much better for on-line retailing, according to a new report from the National Retail Federation (NRF). The study, which was conducted for NRF's Shop.org division by Forrester ...
Penn traffic considers options.(Brief Article)
Jun 16, 2003 ... SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- Penn Traffic Co. may file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection if it can secure the necessary debtor-in-possession financing. Voluntary reorganization is one of the strategic options the company is considering. The retailer, which operates more than 200 ...
Declining wholesale prices trigger more worries.(Brief Article)
Jun 16, 2003 ... WASHINGTON -- April saw wholesale prices, expressed in the Producer Price Index (PPI), fall a record 1.9%, setting off fears that the United States is headed toward a deflationary economy much like that of Japan, which has been stagnant for more than a decade. The plunge in the ...
Scoreboard. (Money News).
Jun 16, 2003 ... <Pre> SCOREBOARDQuarter Dollar % RETAILERS Ended Sales Change Big Lots 05/03948.4 mil + 4.9 BJ's (1) 05/03 1.44bil +15.7 Home Depot 05/04 15.1 bil + 5.8 Longs (2) 05/01 1.1 ...
Family dollar declares quarterly dividend. (Money News).(Brief Article)
Jun 16, 2003 ... FAMILY DOLLAR DECLARES QUARTERLY DIVIDEND: The board of directors of Family Dollar Stores Inc. has declared a regular quarterly cash ...
Ingles issues senior subordinated notes. (Money News).(Ingles Markets Inc.)(Brief Article)
Jun 16, 2003 ... INGLES ISSUES SENIOR SUBORDINATED NOTES: Ingles Markets Inc. has issued $100 million of 8.875% senior subordinated notes that will mature in 2011. The offering supplements a previous $250 million offering issued in December 2001. Net proceeds ...
J.C. Penney announces dividend. (Money News).(Brief Article)
Jun 16, 2003 ... J.C. PENNEY ANNOUNCES DIVIDEND: J.C. Penney Co. has declared a quarterly dividend of 12.5 cents per share on the ...
Biggest gainers. (Money).(Brief Article)(Illustration)
Jun 16, 2003 ... <Pre> BIGGEST GAINERS-- Close Change% Stock 05/23/03 vs. 05/02/03 Change Delhaize 29.03 +7.53 +35.0 Ahold 7.71 +1.73 +28.9 Value City2.50 +0.35 +16.3 A&P ...
Biggest losers. (Money).(Brief Article)
Jun 16, 2003 ... <Pre> BIGGEST LOSERS--Close Change% Stock 05/23/03 vs. 05/02/03 Change Smart & Final 3.53-0.87 -19.8 Whole Foods 52.60-8.73 -14.2 Wild Oats10.04-1.11 -10.1 Lowe's ...
Most active. (Money).(Brief Article)(Illustration)
Jun 16, 2003 ... <Pre> MOST ACTIVE-- Vol. (000) As a % Change vs. 1 Wk. Ended of Total 1 Wk. Ended Stock05/23/03 Shares 05/02/03 Smart & Final2230.8 +236.1 Longs 4,0449.9 +157.7 ...
Wal-Mart bottom line hits mark. (Spotlight).
Jun 16, 2003 ... BENTONVILLE, Ark. -- Although sales came up short of Wall Street's projections, first quarter earnings at Wal-Mart Stores Inc. hit the mark, helped, in part, by the effects of the weaker dollar. The world's largest retailer saw net income for the three months ended April 30 climb 14.1% to ...
Winn-Dixie results uneven in quarter. (Money).(Brief Article)
Jun 16, 2003 ... JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Winn-Dixie Stores Inc. saw income from continuing operations decline in the third quarter of fiscal 2003 in the wake of lower sales and operating profits. After-tax income from continuing operations dipped 1.6% to $50.7 billion during the 12 weeks ended ...
Eckerd operating profit. (Money).
Jun 16, 2003 ... PLANO, Texas -- Despite flagging sales growth Eckerd Corp. notched a double-digit increase in operating income in the first quarter of fiscal 2003. The chain's performance was the only bright spot for parent J.C. Penney Co., which hit a wall in its turnaround effort as both sales and ...
Target earnings up 1.3% as Mervyn's division stumbles. (Money).
Jun 16, 2003 ... MINNEAPOLIS -- Sales and profit downturns in the Mervyn's and department store segments cut into an advance in the core discount store business, to give Target Corp. a modest increase in first quarter earnings. Net income for the three months ended May 3 edged up 1.3% to $349 ...
Mass retailing stocks uneven. (Money).
Jun 16, 2003 ... NEW YORK -- Mass market retailing shares ended May mixed, as uncertainty lingered about the course of the nation's economy. An increasing number &economists, however, believe that consumer and business confidence will begin to rise during the remainder of 2003 and into 2004 ....
Chicago No. 1 in food; L.A. first in GM; N.Y. top in drug. (Top 100 markets).
Jun 16, 2003 ... NEW YORK -- The three most populated metropolitan areas in the United States--New York City, Los Angeles/ Long Beach and Chicago--are again the leaders in the nation's top retail markets. This is the third consecutive year that they have held their top positions. In the drug ...
Western markets are the best bet for retail expansion. (Top 100 Markets).
Jun 16, 2003 ... While the current economic doldrums are restraining growth for many retailers, the underlying strength of the United States economy assures renewed vitality. Looking ahead, retail expansion will continue to be concentrated in Western markets for the most part. Based on ...
In Inner City growth hard but doable. (Top 100 Markets).(Brief Article)
Jun 16, 2003 ... While the bulk of retail growth in the next few years is expected to take place in the the wide open spaces of the West, there is another frontier that many retailers have largely ignored, and that is the inner city. A groundbreaking study by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP (PWC) and ...
Big three still lead; Philadelphia, Atlanta move up. (Top 100 Markets).
Jun 16, 2003 ... NEW YORK -- Last year Atlanta and Philadelphia each moved up on the list of the nation's top 10 markets by total retail sales, but Detroit fell. The Los Angeles/Long Beach market remains the nation's top market (a position it took from Chicago in 2001) with $111.86 billion in ...
A potent factor in urban areas. (Top 100 Markets).(African Americans)(Brief Article)
Jun 16, 2003 ... NEW YORK -- African-Americans represent a significant market, totaling 36 million people, or about 13% of the population, according to a March 2002 Census Bureau report. Catering to this consumer segment is of particular importance for retailers in a number of key markets ....
Wal-Mart forces paradigm shift. (Top 100 Markets).
Jun 16, 2003 ... NEW YORK -- A look at the shares in the top 100 food retailing markets reveals intensifying competition, much of it coming from Wal-Mart Stores Inc.'s steady Supercenter rollout. But in spite of ongoing weak consumer demand, increasingly severe competition from other trade ...
Largest chains dominate drug. (Top 100 Markets).
Jun 16, 2003 ... NEW YORK -- Regional chains scored a pair of market share victories last year, although the nation's drug store business remains dominated by the top four chains. Collectively, Walgreen Co., Rite Aid Corp., Eckerd Corp. and CVS Corp. were the market share leaders in 83 of the ...
Wal-Mart keeps moving forward. (Top 100 Markets).
Jun 16, 2003 ... NEW YORK -- The challenge facing Kmart Corp. is clear from a look at its position in the nation's top 100 markets for general merchandise sales. Kmart, which in the 1970s was a discount juggernaut, does not currently have the market share lead in any of the nation's largest ...
Chicago offers rich tapestry for retailers. (Market focus: Chicago).
Jun 16, 2003 ... CHICAGO -- The city of Chicago, immortalized by the poet Robert Frost as the city of broad shoulders, continues to be a vibrant urban center in the middle of the American heartland. Chicago's history is long and colorful, embodying all of the tumultuous growth and energy of the ...
A happy melange of upscale, mom-and-pop.
Jun 16, 2003 ... CHICAGO -- Not only is Chicago the nation's second-largest retail market with 2002 sales of $105.8 billion, its retailing scene offers tremendous variety, ranging from the glitziest department stores and boutiques to neighborhood mom-and-pop stores. The heart of high-end ...
Hard times for no. 2 food chain. (Market focus: Chicago).(Safeway Inc.)(Dominick's Finer Foods Inc.)
Jun 16, 2003 ... CHICAGO -- The food-retailing landscape in metropolitan Chicago has long been dominated by two chains: Jewel Food Stores, now owned by Albertsons Inc., and Dominick's Finer Foods Inc., which was acquired by Safeway Inc. in 1998. Although Jewel has held the leading share in the market, ...
Wal-Mart leads; target gains at kmart's expense.(Kmart Corp.)(Brief Article)
Jun 16, 2003 ... CHICAGO -- Discount retailing has been a fiercely competitive business in the Chicago region, where the strong have gotten stronger at the expense of the weak. Not surprisingly, Wal-Mart Stores Inc. is the biggest player, with a share in excess of 40%. Target Stores moved ahead ...
In windy city, it's not all Jewel, Dominick's. (Top 100 Markets).
Jun 16, 2003 ... CHICAGO -- The nation's second city has long had a strong association with the food industry, dating back at least to the days when the Chicago stockyards were a major tourist attraction. As the country's largest food retail market, moreover, Chicago has presented a lively ...
Walgreens persists, succeeds. (Market focus: Chicago).
Jun 16, 2003 ... DEERFIELD, Ill. -- The Chicago market is home to one of the best retailers in the world: Walgreen Co. The nation's largest drug store chain in terms of sales, its consistently outstanding financial performance makes it no exaggeration to describe Walgreens as one of the best-run businesses ...
Walgreens execs make it happen. (Top 100 Markets).(Brief Article)
Jun 16, 2003 ... DEERFIELD, Ill. -- Perhaps the most important factor in the unrivaled success of Walgreen Co. has been the quality of its management. While the top executives of its closest rivals chose to emphasize growth over performance and ultimately were forced to retrench as a result, ...
Is Sears where America shops? (Market focus: Chicago).
Jun 16, 2003 ... HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill -- Sears, Roebuck and Co., the largest department store chain in the United States, is also the largest retailer based in the Chicago market. But the company that styles itself the place where America shops has been struggling with an identity crisis over the last few ...
L.L. Bean considers taking over Spiegel. (Top 100 Markets).
Jun 16, 2003 ... DOWNERS GROVE, Ill. -- The nation's lingering economic malaise has taken a heavy toll on one of Chicago's best-known retailers, catalog marketer Spiegel Inc. The company filed for Chapter 11 protection in March, propelled by declining sales in both its catalog and store units, and mounting ...
A retailing mecca ready to bounce back. (Market focus: Dallas).
Jun 16, 2003 ... DALLAS -- This Texas city prides itself on being a shopper's paradise, with more shopping centers per capita than any other major city in the United States. That makes it a competitive market for retailers, but also an appealing one. During the 1990s the area that encompasses ...
Eckerd defends market lead. (Top 100 Markets).
Jun 16, 2003 ... DALLAS -- Eckerd Corp. is the leading drug store retailer here, but the chain faces a major battle to maintain that position. Although it is based in Clearview, Fla., Eckerd would seem to have a number of hometown advantages in Dallas. The company's corporate parent, J.C. Penney ...
H.E. Butt has small presence, big impact. (Top 100 Markets).(H.E. Butt Grocery Co.)(Brief Article)
Jun 16, 2003 ... DALLAS -- H.E. Butt Grocery Co. has made a significant impact on this market with just three stores. The San Antonio-based chain, which has its strongest presence in central Texas, made its debut in the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex in 2001. But while H.E.B. operates mainly ...
Supers Hone Mix, marketing. (Top 100 Markets).
Jun 16, 2003 ... DALLAS -- The supermarket business is brutally competitive here, forcing small players to know their customers and find viable niches. Minyard Food Stores Inc., a locally owned, family run chain, serves local food shoppers with three separate banners aimed at different customer ...
Wal-Mart loses one, wins one. (Market focus: Dallas).
Jun 16, 2003 ... DALLAS -- Wal-Mart Stores Inc. is bringing its Supercenter concept to this city's urban shoppers after all. The giant retailer fought--and eventually lost--a long battle to build a two-stow Supercenter in an upscale neighborhood near downtown Dallas. That ...
Melon Seed succeeds despite odds.(Brief Article)
Jun 16, 2003 ... DALLAS -- A tiny company called Melon Seed, succeeding where much larger players have failed, is running a profitable on-line grocery shopping service in this sprawling market. Melon Seed, started in July 2002 by a couple in Piano, Texas, currently has about 200 regular ...
Kmart exit bad news for many. (Market focus: Dallas).
Jun 16, 2003 ... DALLAS -- Kmart Corp. has emerged from bankruptcy and is striving to win back customers. But not in Dallas. Kmart pulled out of the city, and indeed most of the state of Texas, as part of a round of store closings announced in January. That move involved 326 of ...
Mr. Discounter now Mr. Supermarketer. (Top 100 Markets).(Brief Article)
Jun 16, 2003 ... DALLAS -- Not content to be the largest general merchandise retailer in this market, Wal-Mart Stores Inc. is on its way to being its largest grocer too. Wal-Mart has a long history of selling food in this town. When the company first experimented with combining general ...
Grocery retailing a fine art for Target. (Top 100 Markets).(Target Corp.)
Jun 16, 2003 ... DALLAS -- Upscale discounter Target Corp. has carved a niche for itself in this city's competitive grocery arena, offering low prices as well as differentiated premium products. Target entered the grocery business here in March 2000, with the opening of four SuperTarget stores ...
A prime retail battleground for the early 21st century. (Market focus: Denver).
Jun 16, 2003 ... DENVER -- Unphased by the downturn in the local economy that saw sales dip in 2002, mass market retailers say Denver remains a thriving area with a bright future. According to the Colorado Department of Revenue, retail sales--sales of groceries, clothing and other consumer ...
King Soopers has local heritage. (Top 100 Markets).
Jun 16, 2003 ... DENVER -- Charles Houchens, whose creation King Soopers has grown to become this market's largest supermarket chain, died earlier this year at 91. Even though he had not been involved in the King Soopers business since selling the chain to Kroger Co. in 1968, Houchens' touch ...
Pharmacy to play greater role. (Market focus: Denver).(Brief Article)
Jun 16, 2003 ... DENVER -- As prescription medicines continue to play a greater role in Americans' health care needs, the market for drug stores is growing here in the heart of the Rocky Mountains. Research shows that Walgreen Co., a perennial leader in markets across the country, controls the ...
Eckerd looks to take no. 2 spot. (Top 100 Markets).(Brief Article)
Jun 16, 2003 ... DENVER -- The drug store market here will get more competitive next year when Largo, Fla.-based Eckerd Corp. enters the fray. Eckerd, which earlier this year targeted Denver, Phoenix and Tucson, Ariz., as the site of its first forays into the western United States, expects to ...
Hispanics need special attention. (Top 100 Markets).
Jun 16, 2003 ... DENVER -- With its large Hispanic population, Denver and its surroundings are among the areas of the country where drug stores need to provide patients with prescription instructions in a language other than English. Too often, pharmacists and physicians say, people who do not ...
King Soopers is dominant. (Market focus: Denver).
Jun 16, 2003 ... DENVER -- Supermarket operators in the Denver market are employing a wide variety of strategies, including discount cards, Internet shopping and careful expansion to win over consumers. Denver ranks as the 19th-largest grocery store market in the country. The notion that ...
Nash Finch's Avanza forges partnership. (Top 100 Markets).
Jun 16, 2003 ... DENVER -- As retailers pay increasing attention to niche markets, perhaps no group of shoppers in the Denver area is getting more attention than Hispanics. Minneapolis-based Nash Finch Co. is making a major effort to capture business from the ballooning number of Hispanic ...
A market that's a microcosm of America. (Market focus: Newark).
Jun 16, 2003 ... NEWARK -- Greater Newark encompasses poverty and affluence, a dense urban core, sprawling suburbs, a rural fringe, and multiple ethnicities. While Newark and its inner suburbs are as tightly packed as anywhere in the country, corn fields and tomato farms can still be found in ...
Newark presents special problems for supermarketers.(Brief Article)
Jun 16, 2003 ... NEWARK -- There is a reason that supermarket chains with a national presence have steered clear of New Jersey. Kroger Co., Albertsons Inc. and Safeway Inc. have stayed away from the Garden State because it offers a low return on invested capital, according to Duane Reade ...
Pathmark works to build share. (top 100 Markets).(Pathmark Stores Inc.)
Jun 16, 2003 ... PARSIPANNY, N.J. -- The wide-ranging attractions of Pathmark Stores Inc.'s supermarket here range from a Fleet Bank branch and a pharmacy to hot food from the Chefs Creations department, photofinishing and self-checkout. The store, in short, offers one-stop shopping, a priority ...