Strategy

Amsterdam -- A Monday report by Bloomberg said that Royal Ahold NV will grow its online business, expand its store count in Belgium and add 150 convenience operations in an effort to ramp up sales.

The Dutch owner of Stop & Shop is also on a cost-cutting mission, saying it will reduce expense by $473 million over three years via supply chain improvements and a reduction in logistics and overhead expense.

The holiday season is about to get underway with what is expected to be the single greatest spending orgy in the history of commerce with more than $20 billion spent on Black Friday compared with $19.3 billion last year, according to MasterCard Advisors SpendingPulse.

Savannah, Ga. -- Citi Trends reported Tuesday a loss of $6.8 million in the third quarter, compared with a loss of $0.4 million a year earlier.

Sales increased 2.2% to $143.1 million, from $140 million. Same-store sales decreased 9.3%.

The company opened 26 stores, relocated or expanded four others and closed one store in the third quarter.
 

WILLIAMSVILLE, N.Y. — Regional supermarket chain Tops Markets reported a 3.6% increase in net sales for the period ended Oct. 8.

Third-quarter net sales rose $18.7 million to $538.6 million, the retailer said. Supermarket sales (excluding gasoline sales) totaled $491 million, up $7.5 million, or 1.5%, compared with the year-ago period.

San Francisco -- Gensler has been selected to refurbish Wilkes Bashford, an upscale men’s and women’s clothing store in San Francisco. The project will involve a top-to-bottom renovation of the iconic, seven-level store.

New York City -- A new retail concept, Wonder!, has opened it first location in Deerfield, Ill. The 135,000-sq.-ft. space is intended as a one-stop shopping solution, focused on children ages birth to seven years. It combines a broad selection of product (including baby gear, furniture, bedding, apparel, and toys) with an array of experiential elements.

Carle Place, N.Y. -- 1-800-Flowers.com announced Tuesday the signing of a 45-store franchise development agreement for its Fannie May Fine Chocolates division with GB Chocolates. The agreement calls for 45 new Fannie May franchise stores beginning in December 2011, with all open and operating by year-end 2014.

The first three stores under the agreement are slated to open in Minnesota in time for the Christmas holiday. The agreement provides exclusive development rights for several Midwestern states as well as specific cities in Florida and Ohio.

St. Louis -- Brown Shoe Co. said Monday that while profit rose dramatically in the third quarter thanks to a business unit divestiture, the retailer will cut several of its lines and close underperforming stores nationwide to shore up profitability.