Strategy

San Diego - Retail Opportunity Investments Corp. has completed the acquisition of Fallbrook Shopping Center, located in West Hills, California. ROIC acquired the property for $210 million in cash funded by a borrowing under its unsecured credit facility.

Pleasanton, Calif. – Safeway Inc. has entered into a memorandum of understanding to settle the consolidated class action pending in Delaware state court filed on behalf of alleged Safeway stockholders against Safeway in connection with Safeway's proposed merger with an affiliate of AB Acquisition LLC. The proposed settlement includes moving the expiration date of Safeway’s “poison pill” shareholder rights plan three months ahead to June 19, 2014.

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has charged four Northern California residents with insider trading in Ross Stores stock options based on nonpublic information about monthly sales results leaked by one of the retailer’s employees.

By Jeff Weidauer, VP of marketing and strategy, Vestcom International

Healthy is hip. That’s the message coming from most media outlets, as well as consumers in general. Overall interest among Americans in healthful meal options is at an all-time high. Yet, at the same time, some healthy-focused retailers are struggling. Whole Foods Market has seen its growth slowing and has issued lower target guidance to shareholders. Smaller companies like Fresh Market are even resorting to closing stores. What’s going on?

Campbell Soup Company has elected Marc B. Lautenbach to its board.

Lautenbach has been president and CEO of Pitney Bowes since Dec. 2012. Under his leadership, Pitney Bowes is diversifying its portfolio beyond its core mailing business and moving into adjacent growth areas, such as digital commerce.

New York -- Instacart, the same-day grocery delivery service, has raised $44 million in a funding round led by Andreessen Horowitz.

The San Francisco startup currently operates in San Francisco, San Jose, Los Angeles and seven other U.S. cities. With its new funding, it Instacart expects to expand into 17 cities by the end of 2014.

Chicago -- Chile is the number one destination for emerging market retail expansion, followed by China, where retail sales totaled a whopping $3.7 trillion in 2013, according to the 2014 A.T. Kearney Global Retail Development Index.

With Uruguay, Brazil, Peru, Panama, Colombia, Costa Rica and Mexico also in the index of top emerging economies ready for retail expansion, Latin America continues to show strength as a regional retail growth market.

Toronto - Sears Canada Inc. has entered into a binding agreement with Concord Pacific Group of Companies to pursue the development of the 12-acre Sears site located at the North Hill Shopping Center in Calgary, Alberta. Closing under the agreement is conditional upon satisfaction of conditions such as site investigations and obtaining the approval from the city of Calgary for the project, which are expected to take some time.