Corporate Governance

Citing union sources, The Bellingham Herald on Tuesday reported that Albertsons is prepared to acquire the remaining core stores of Haggen with the blessing of the Federal Trade Commission. "It appears that other bidders are not going to raise their bids or otherwise make them qualified bids, so the scheduled auction is cancelled and the sale to Albertsons will be put before the court for approval in the next week," representatives of Haggen union workers released in a statement.

Houston -- Baker Katz announced that construction on an 8,000-sq.-ft. building that is 100% leased to AT&T, Frost Bank and Chipotle is underway.

Baker Katz acquired this property last year with plans to revamp the property into a multi-tenant destination. The property is located in Houston, Texas at the intersection of I-10 East and Haden Road in business district and ship channel area.

Michael Reed has been promoted to VP real estate for Stater Bros. Markets.

Reed joined Stater Bros. in 2014 as senior director of real estate, a position he held until his recent promotion. He will report to president and CEO Pete Van Helden.

Prior to Stater Bros., Reed served as real estate store development manager for Starbucks where he was responsible for growing the company’s Mid-West and Western Mountain regions.

Stater Bros. operates 168 supermarkets in California.

The CEO of 1-800-Flowers.com is stepping down, but leadership of the 40-year-old company is staying in the family.

The company announced that effective June 30, Jim McCann, founder, chairman and CEO, will transition to the position of executive chairman and Chris McCann, president and Jim McCann's brother, will become CEO. The company says the announcement coincides with the 40th anniversary of the company’s founding and is an integral part of its long-term succession plan.

American Eagle Outfitters announced that Mary Boland, chief financial and administrative officer, plans to retire effective April 1, 2016.

The retailer is currently conducting an active search for a successor.

In the interim, Scott Hurd, American Eagle’s chief accounting officer, will lead the day-to-day management of the finance team and assume the role of interim CFO.

Supply chain issues are a potential threat for any retailer, but grocery chains need to be particularly vigilant in tracking products from source to shelf.

High-profile product recalls in recent years have resulted in brand damage, lawsuits, and even prison terms for executives of companies involved. While the source brands typically face more regulatory and legal ramifications, it is still wise for retailers of produce and other food items to invest in technologies that use automation to minimize the likelihood or impact of such events.

The National Grocers Association held its annual meeting recently in Las Vegas and Candice Lastimado of Seattle-based Metropolitan Markets came away the big winner.