Mass Market Retailers back issues from February 2008:
Walgreens director.(INDUSTRY NEWS)
Feb 11, 2008 ... WALGREENS DIRECTOR: Walgreen Co. has named board member Alan McNally its lead director. The chief executive officer of Harris Bank ...
Jewel moving its HQ.(INDUSTRY NEWS)
Feb 11, 2008 ... JEWEL MOVING ITS HQ: Jewel-Osco has unveiled plans to relocate its headquarters from Melrose Park, Ill., to a 97,000-square-foot site in nearby Itasca. The ...
Costco readies beer.(INDUSTRY NEWS)
Feb 11, 2008 ... COSTCO READIES BEER: Costco Wholesale Corp. has filed an application with the federal Tax and Trade Bureau to start selling private label beer. Scheduled to be marketed under the Kirkland Signature label, the beer ...
A new Shopko Express.(INDUSTRY NEWS)
Feb 11, 2008 ... A NEW SHOPKO EXPRESS: Shopko Stores Operating Co. LLC has unveiled plans to open its fourth Shopko Express stand-alone drug store--a unit in downtown ...
Tops renames stores.(INDUSTRY NEWS)
Feb 11, 2008 ... TOPS RENAMES STORES: Tops Markets LLC has renamed the four Martin's Super Food Stores it owns in western New York as part ...
Sears begins again.(SPOTLIGHT)
Feb 11, 2008; ... HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill. -- Responding to an ongoing slide in profits and sales, Sears Holdings Corp. has announced a structural shake-up and jettisoned its chief executive officer, Aylwin Lewis. Chairman Edward Lampert, who has come under increasing fire for micromanaging a flawed strategy, ...
Net profits soar at CVS Caremark.(Financial report)
Feb 11, 2008 ... WOONSOCKET, R.I. -- CVS Caremark Corp. reports that its fourth quarter earnings nearly doubled, as the company cut costs following last year's merger of CVS Corp. and Caremark Rx Inc. and benefited from sales of new generic drugs. For the quarter ended December 29, net income ...
What Wal-Mart intends to do.(NEWS)
Feb 11, 2008 ... KANSAS CITY -- Wal-Mart Stores Inc. can take the lead on promoting affordable health care and sustainable energy, says chief executive officer Lee Scott. In a recent speech before 7,000 store managers (see page 4), Scott outlined his vision of the role Wal-Mart can play. ...
Fresh & easy sets timetable for debut in Northern California.
Feb 11, 2008 ... OAKLAND, Calif. -- Executives at Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Market said late last month that the U.S. subsidiary of British grocer Tesco PLC will open 18 stores in the Bay Area next year. "Our stores have been well received by customers in southern California, Nevada and ...
Value City stake changes hands.(NEWS)
Feb 11, 2008 ... COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Retail Ventures Inc. has sold its majority stake in the 113-unit Value City Department Stores chain to a group of investors. Retail Ventures will receive no net proceeds from the sale of its 81% stake and, in fact, will pay a fee of $500,000 to the buyers ...
Target offers new line for home, baby.(NEWS)
Feb 11, 2008 ... MINNEAPOLIS -- Target Corp. has launched DwellStudio for Target, a new home and baby line, which will be available exclusively at Target Stores and on the company's web site, www.target.com. The line's bedding collection draws inspiration from Old World design motifs to create ...
Supervalu readies building blocks.(NEWS)
Feb 11, 2008 ... MINNEAPOLIS -- Executives laid out their strategies for growth during the recent Supervalu Inc. investor conference here. In his introductory presentation chairman and chief executive officer Jeff Noddle defined one key goal as achieving comparable-store sales growth of ...
Extensive price cuts.(WAL-MART NEWS)
Feb 11, 2008 ... EXTENSIVE PRICE CUTS: Wal-Mart discounted thousands of items by 10% to 30% leading up to the Super Bowl. Prices were cut on groceries, popular electronics and other items that shoppers might buy ahead of the ...
Apparel is revamped.(WAL-MART NEWS)
Feb 11, 2008 ... APPAREL IS REVAMPED: In a reorganization of its apparel operations, Wal-Mart will close its product development and sourcing divisions, eliminating dozens of positions. It will structure the struggling business ...
Hannah Montana.(WAL-MART NEWS)
Feb 11, 2008 ... HANNAH MONTANA: In partnership with Disney Consumer Products, Wal-Mart is seeking to be the destination for Hannah Montana merchandise. The discounter will offer more than 140 Hannah Montana-inspired products. Fans of the show can ...
Clinics are closed.(WAL-MART NEWS)
Feb 11, 2008 ... Twenty-three walk-in clinics in Wal-Mart stores in Florida and three other Southern states were closed by their operator, CheckUps. The New York City--based start-up reportedly fell behind on payments to nurses and vendors last year ....
Packaging is rated.(WAL-MART NEWS)
Feb 11, 2008 ... PACKAGING IS RATED: Wal-Mart has begun using a scorecard to rate suppliers on their progress toward developing sustainable packaging ...
Scott sets the bar high for Wal-Mart: Wal-Mart president and CEO Lee Scott outlined a bold agenda for the retailer during a speech before more than 7,000 managers last month in Kansas City. He called on the company to assert its leadership in such areas as health care, energy efficiency and ethical sourcing. The text of Scott's remarks appears here in its entirety.(NEWS)(Company overview)
Feb 11, 2008 ... I hope you will forgive me for delivering a more formal speech than I usually do. Sometimes you need to say things exactly as you intend for them to be said, so you can be certain they are heard, that they carry and that they last. Now it certainly would be easy to talk about ...
Scoreboard.(MONEY NEWS)(Statistical table)
Feb 11, 2008 ... <Pre> SCOREBOARD Net Net-to- Quarter Dollar % Income % Sales RETAILERSended SalesChange (Loss)Change Ratio Burlington (1) 12/01 955.7 mil-4.1 23.2 mil...
Walgreens stock tumbles on Citi downgrade.(MONEY NEWS)
Feb 11, 2008 ... WALGREENS STOCK TUMBLES ON CITI DOWNGRADE: Walgreen Co. shares fell late last month after a Citi Investment Research analyst downgraded ...
Kroger declares dividend.(MONEY NEWS)
Feb 11, 2008 ... KROGER DECLARES DIVIDEND: Kroger Co. has declared a quarterly dividend of 7.5 cents a share to be paid on March 1 to shareholders of record as of the close of business ...
Duckwall-Alco Stores hire financial adviser.(MONEY NEWS)
Feb 11, 2008 ... DUCKWALL-ALCO STORES HIRE FINANCIAL ADVISER: In the latest move in its ongoing effort to turn its business around, Duckwall-ALCO Stores Inc. has hired William Blair & Co. as its financial adviser. Executives ...
Ingles Markets has strong first quarter.(MONEY NEWS)
Feb 11, 2008 ... INGLES MARKETS HAS STRONG FIRST QUARTER: Ingles Markets Inc. reported a 13.7% increase in net income and a 13.3% jump in net sales for the quarter ended December 29, ...
Biggest gainers.(MONEY)(Statistical table)(Brief article)
Feb 11, 2008 ... <Pre> BIGGEST GAINERS Close Change % Stock 01/18/08vs. 01/04/08 Change Tuesday Morning 5.38 +1.06 +24.5 Retail Ventures 5.35 +0.65 +13.8 J.C. Penney ...
Biggest losers.(MONEY)(Statistical table)(Brief article)
Feb 11, 2008 ... <Pre> BIGGEST LOSERS Close Change Stock 01/18/08vs. 01/04/08 Change Supervalu27.65 -6.44 -18.9 Delhaize 70.53 -13.18 -15.7 Sears Holdings 89.43 ...
Most active.(MONEY)(Statistical table)(Brief article)
Feb 11, 2008 ... <Pre> MOST ACTIVEVol. (000) As a % Change vs. 1 Wk Ended of Total 1 Wk. Ended Stock 01/18/2008 Shares 01/04/08 Costco 40,8579.2+197.3 Casey's ...
Supervalu on a roll.(SPOTLIGHT)
Feb 11, 2008 ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] MINNEAPOLIS -- Notwithstanding a calendar-induced decline at the top line, Supervalu Inc. managed to post an almost 25% jump in net income for the 12 weeks ended December 1, beating analysts' expectations. However, with management paring back its full-year ...
At Family Dollar, net is off 4%.(MONEY)
Feb 11, 2008 ... MATTHEWS, N.C. -- During the first quarter of fiscal 2008, Family Dollar Stores Inc.'s core low-income consumers cut back on their discretionary spending and triggered a drop in same-store sales. As a result, net earnings declined 4% in the period. Management cautioned that it sees no ...
Walgreens is on 'strong footing'.(MONEY)
Feb 11, 2008 ... DEERFIELD, Ill. -- With results matched up against an exceptionally strong prior-year period, Walgreen Co. kicked off fiscal 2008 with moderate bottom-line growth that, nonetheless, exceeded analysts' expectations. Net income rose 5.5% for the three months ended November 30 to ...
Metro profit rises 2.7% as sales dip.(MONEY)(Financial report)(Brief article)
Feb 11, 2008 ... MONTREAL -- Metro Inc. achieved a modest increase in net income despite basically flat sales in the first quarter of fiscal 2008. The Canadian supermarket chain's bottom line rose 2.7% to $69.7 million (Canadian), or 61 cents per diluted share, on a 0.3% decrease in sales to ...
Retail operations keep improving.(MONEY)
Feb 11, 2008 ... MINNEAPOLIS -- Operating income at Supervalu's retail food and drug segment rose 4.6% in the third quarter of fiscal 2008 to $342 million despite a 6.6% decline in sales to $7.86 billion. With that, the segment's operating ratio for the 12 weeks ended December 1 improved 46 basis points to ...
Coutu profit hurt by Rite Aid stake.(MONEY)
Feb 11, 2008 ... LONGUEUIL, Quebec -- Losses related to its equity in Rite Aid Corp. caused second quarter net income to plunge at the Jean Coutu Group despite a solid performance from its core Canadian operations. Nevertheless, adjusted earnings met most analysts' expectations and the company's stock rose ...
Franchise units ring up solid Rx sales.(MONEY)
Feb 11, 2008 ... LONGUEUIL, Quebec -- Driven by a robust 9.8% surge at the pharmacy counter, systemwide retail sales for the Jean Coutu's Canadian franchise network (which are not included in the company's financial results) expanded 6.8% during the 13 weeks ended December 1 to $809.A million (Canadian) ....
Helped by sale of interest in Metro, A&P sees profit soar.(MONEY)
Feb 11, 2008 ... MONTVALE, N.J. -- Bolstered by the sale of its remaining stake in Canada's Metro Inc. supermarket chain, third quarter income from continuing operations more than doubled at A&P. Shedding the Metro equity also enabled A&P to post a double-digit increase in net income despite booking losses ...
Integration of Pathmark moves ahead.(MONEY)
Feb 11, 2008 ... MONTVALE, N.J. -- With the completion of its acquisition of Pathmark Stores Inc. at the outset of the fourth quarter, A&P has managed to reach a major milestone in its effort to recast itself as a regional multiformat supermarket operator. "Financially the significant backstage ...
Realignment at Sears overlooks the essential.(OPINION)
Feb 11, 2008; ... The efforts of Sears Holdings Corp. to get on track took an emphatic turn last month. The company, which runs the Sears and Kmart retail chains, revealed that it intends to split its activities into five units responsible for operating businesses, support, brands, online initiatives and ...
Two views of Australian retailing.(OPINION)
Feb 11, 2008; ... Archie Norman believes that Australian consumers are being cheated when compared to the shopping experience enjoyed in the rest of the world. Norman, for those 99% of the world's retailers and retailing gurus who don't know, is the British retailing executive who once helped ...
Tax rebates likely to spark sales.(OPINION)
Feb 11, 2008 ... NEW YORK -- Retailers can expect immediate benefits from the federal stimulus package, analysts say. The promise of tax rebates from the government will trigger consumer spending well ahead of the arrival of checks from the Internal Revenue Service, according to ThinkEquity ...
Tesco to add small stores to China mix.(GLOBAL)
Feb 11, 2008 ... SHANGHAI -- Britain's largest retailer, Tesco PLC, has unveiled plans to open its first Tesco Express store here later this month. The chain, which formed a joint venture with a local operator in China in 2004, already operates more than 50 hypermarkets on China's east coast ...
CIES realigns board.(SPOTLIGHT)(Comite International d'Entreprises a Succursales)
Feb 11, 2008 ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] NEW YORK -- For 55 years the CIES Food Business Forum has provided retailer and manufacturer members with an effective framework for the exchange of knowledge, and the development of strategic thought, leadership and networking. In recognition of the ...
Sales figures for 2007 are released by Ahold.(GLOBAL)
Feb 11, 2008 ... AMSTERDAM -- Ahold NV has announced consolidated net sales of 6.6 billion euros ($9.74 billion) for the fourth quarter ended December 30, 2007. Net sales increased by 0.2% and by 6.5% at constant exchange rates, compared with the fourth quarter of 2006. For the full ...
Carrefour starts 2008 on upswing.(GLOBAL)
Feb 11, 2008 ... PARIS -- Carrefour SA ended 2007 on a strong note, meeting its sales growth target for the year, and chief executive officer Jose Luis Duran expressed confidence that the world's second-largest retailer would repeat that achievement in 2008. Excluding currency exchange ...
Sales gains in Russia.(GLOBAL NEWS)(Financial report)(Brief article)
Feb 11, 2008 ... SALES GAINS IN RUSSIA: The St. Petersburg-based Carousel superstore chain, which may be bought by X5 Retail Group, reported that its revenue more than doubled in 2007 ....
Tesco's new format.(GLOBAL NEWS)
Feb 11, 2008 ... TESCO'S NEW FORMAT: Tesco plans to open outlets similar to department stores in town centers in the United Kingdom. Tesco describes the format as a whole new concept, and says ...
O Organic goes global.(GLOBAL NEWS)
Feb 11, 2008 ... O ORGANIC GOES GLOBAL: Safeway Inc.'s O Organic store brand is now being sold through stores in Asia that are operated by Carrefour. Safeway introduced ...
Sainsbury's purchase.(GLOBAL NEWS)
Feb 11, 2008 ... SAINSBURY'S PURCHASE: British retailer Sainsbury's has extended its presence in Northern Ireland with the acquisition of two ...
Vietnam retail scene.(GLOBAL NEWS)(Brief article)
Feb 11, 2008 ... VIETNAM RETAIL SCENE: Retail sales in Vietnam are expected to grow 20.5% this year to 875 trillion dong ($54.3 billion), according to a state-run newspaper. Retail ...
U.K. organic limits.(GLOBAL NEWS)
Feb 11, 2008 ... U.K. ORGANIC LIMITS: Organic food has posted impressive sales gains in the United Kingdom, but growth has been constrained by supply problems, according to a new report from Mintel. Sales of organic food products in ...
Sears reportedly considering opening stores in India.(GLOBAL)
Feb 11, 2008 ... NEW DELHI -- Sears Holdings Corp. is the latest retailer said to be weighing a move into India. Representatives of the company recently met officials at India's Department of Industrial Policy and Planning to understand the current regulatory regime, according to a report in India's ...
Delhaize ready to seize opportunities.(GLOBAL)(Brief article)
Feb 11, 2008 ... BRUSSELS, Belgium -- Delhaize Group president and chief executive officer Pierre-Olivier Beckers said recently that the retailer's strong results in the fourth quarter of last year have set the company on the path to an even more robust 2008. "We are preparing for another strong ...
Retail Congress eyes awards.(GLOBAL)
Feb 11, 2008 ... NEW YORK -- Target Corp. and J.C. Penney Co. are among the retailers from the United States in the running for World Retail Congress awards. The short list of retailers for this year's prestigious World Retail Awards includes, in addition to Target and Penney, such U.S. ...
Murphy takes helm at Kingfisher.(GLOBAL)(Gerry Murphy steps down and Ian Cheshire appointed as cheif executive)
Feb 11, 2008 ... LONDON -- Kingfisher PLC has appointed Ian Cheshire as its new group chief executive. He succeeds Gerry Murphy, who announced in November that he planned to step down after five years in the post. Cheshire had been serving as chief executive officer of B&Q UK, Kingfisher's ...
Cough/cold meds scrutinized.(SPOTLIGHT)
Feb 11, 2008 ... ATLANTA -- Over-the-counter cough/cold drugs send some 7,000 children to emergency rooms each year, according to a study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Approximately two-thirds of the cases --which affect children ages 11 and younger--are due to youngsters taking ...
In hair color, P&G aims for 'Perfect 10'.(SUPPLY SIDE)
Feb 11, 2008 ... STAMFORD, Conn. -- Procter & Gamble Co. (P&G) is launching a new hair color product, Clairol Perfect 10 by Nice 'n Easy, in March. The company maintains that the formula uses a groundbreaking ingredient, AminoGlycine, which produces high-gloss permanent color in just 10 ...
Mars is tapping into hot trend.(SUPPLY SIDE)
Feb 11, 2008 ... HACKETTSTOWN, N.J. -- Mars Snackfood U.S. has capitalized on the coffee-flavor craze by introducing Twix Java, a limited edition candy bar with real espresso beans and coffee-flavor caramel. Twix Java, which is available nationwide through February, offers three layers of rich ...
L'il Critters omega-3 gummy fish.(SUPPLY SIDE NEWS)(Brief article)
Feb 11, 2008 ... L'IL CRITTERS OMEGA-3 GUMMY FISH: Northwest Natural Products has expanded its L'il Critters vitamins line to include L'il Critters Gummy Fish: Smart Gummies for Smart Kids. The vitamins have no fishy taste and contain no artificial colors, flavors or ...
Maybelline makeup introductions.(SUPPLY SIDE NEWS)
Feb 11, 2008 ... MAYBELLINE MAKEUP INTRODUCTIONS: Maybelline New York-Garnier has introduced five makeup products--Volume XL Seduction plumping, glossy lip color in a full range of shades; New York Define-A-Lash Volume mascara; New York ...
Procter & Gamble puffs plus tissues.(SUPPLY SIDE NEWS)
Feb 11, 2008 ... PROCTER & GAMBLE PUFFS PLUS TISSUES: Procter & Gamble Co. has introduced Puffs Plus nonmedicated tissues, which have the scent of Vicks and contain eucalyptus, menthol and ...
Dream Baby's de-humidifying dry egg.(SUPPLY SIDE NEWS)
Feb 11, 2008 ... DREAM BABY'S DE-HUMIDIFYING DRY EGG: Tee-Zed Products LLC has introduced Dream Baby's De-Humidifying Dry Egg to help remove excess moisture and dampness from the air. Ideal for use in babies' nurseries, bathrooms, kitchens, laundries and closets, it does not require batteries or ...
Clean Ones nitrile exam-quality gloves.(SUPPLY SIDE NEWS)(Clean Ones Corp)(Brief article)
Feb 11, 2008 ... CLEAN ONES NITRILE EXAM-QUALITY GLOVES: Clean Ones Corp. has introduced nitrile exam-quality gloves available in a 50-count box. These gloves are a latex-free alternative to vinyl and offer more flexibility ...
Pharmavite's SoyJoy nutrition bars.(SUPPLY SIDE NEWS)
Feb 11, 2008 ... PHARMAVITE'S SOYJOY NUTRITION BARS: Pharmavite LLC has introduced SoyJoy nutrition bars, selling for $1.29. The all-natural bar made with whole soy and real dried fruit is baked and comes in six flavors--Apple Walnut, Berry, Mango Coconut, Peanut ...
Twinlab Endurance Fuel supplement.(SUPPLY SIDE NEWS)
Feb 11, 2008 ... TWINLAB ENDURANCE FUEL SUPPLEMENT: Ideasphere Inc.'s Twinlab brand has introduced Endurance Fuel, a sports nutrition supplement. It is a multistage ...
Quickie household cleaning tool line.(SUPPLY SIDE NEWS)
Feb 11, 2008 ... QUICKIE HOUSEHOLD CLEANING TOOL LINE: Quickie Manufacturing Corp., a maker of cleaning tools in the United States, has introduced HomePro, a full line of mops and scrub brushes engineered with Microban technology, which is ...
Many women are shunning nutritional supplements.(SUPPLY SIDE)
Feb 11, 2008 ... SHELTON, Conn. -- Women seem to be leaving the vitamin and nutritional supplements category in significant numbers, according to TABS Group, a marketing research and consulting company. In a study of 1,000 respondents across the United States, both 66% of men and 66% of women ...
All signs point toward growth.(CHILDREN'S H&BAs)
Feb 11, 2008 ... NEW YORK -- Sales of children's health and beauty aids are primarily driven by parents' desire to keep their children healthy and teach them good personal care habits, according to a recent report by the market research firm Mintel Group. "Much of the advertising in this product ...