Strategy

Milwaukee –- Roundy’s Inc. swung to a net loss of $249.9 million in the third quarter of fiscal 2014 from net income of $3.2 million the same quarter a year earlier. A variety of impairment charges, including charges related to closing a distribution center, taxes and disposal of obsolete assets, drove Roundy’s into the red, along with higher operating and administrative expenses.  

Brussels, Belgium -- Delhaize Group has signed an agreement to sell its Bottom Dollar Food stores to deep-discount grocer Aldi Inc. for approximately $15 million, including the assumption of associated lease liabilities. The transaction, which involves  66 Bottom Dollar stores in the greater Philadelphia and Pittsburgh markets, is expected to result in an asset impairment and other charges for Delhaize Group of approximately $180 million.  

San Francisco--JLL announced that it has expanded its retail brokerage practice in Northern California with the addition of Jamie Kendall as VP. Kendall will be based in the firm’s San Francisco office, and will partner with the firm’s existing retail, agency leasing and investment sales teams to help maximize the value of retail assets for JLL’s growing client base in downtown San Francisco.

 

The U.S. Department of Energy has named the ASHRAE/IES 90.1-2013 energy standard as the new national energy reference standard, superseding the 2010 version in effect until then.

Within two years, all states must put into effect a commercial building energy code at least as stringent as the 2013 version of 90.1, or justify why they cannot comply.

The updated standard pays particular attention to lighting controls, with more stringent requirements, including*:

Santa Clara, Calif. --The Irvine Company announced that Santa Clara’s first Whole Foods Market is coming to Santa Clara Square, a unique office campus and specialty retail center being built at Great America Parkway and the 101 freeway in the heart of Silicon Valley.

By Lindsay Carlson, Adam Biegel and Kimyatta McClary, Alston & Bird LLP Over the past 18 months, there has been a significant increase in litigation and enforcement activity concerning comparative price advertising in the retail industry. Companies can face substantial reputational and cost consequences if targeted, and should consider examining their price advertising models and prepare to defend these models.

San Francisco -- Eight in ten Americans are likely to shop at local businesses during the upcoming holiday season, according to a 2014 nationwide Nielsen survey commissioned by Yelp. Nearly half (47%) plan to spend more than $100 at local businesses.  

The farmers market has gone digital at Overstock.com where the discount online retailer has launched home delivery of locally sourced product.

Overstock.com launched the new Farmers Market section of its site to offer home delivery of seasonal, healthy food, grown and produced in close proximity to shoppers, according to the company.