Sobeys

PLEASANTON, Calif. — Safeway on Tuesday named Al Duran to the role of president of the company's Denver division. He replaces Scott Grimmett, who is leaving Safeway for an opportunity with a noncompeting food retailer, the company stated.

"Al's results-oriented leadership style and experience on both the retail and the marketing side of our business will serve him well in his new assignment," Safeway chairman, president and CEO Steve Burd said. "He is also a Colorado native and knows that market well."

Pleasanton, Calif. -- Safeway Inc. said Wednesday it has appointed Al Duran to president of the company's Denver Division. He replaces Scott Grimmett, who is leaving Safeway for another opportunity.

Duran joined Safeway's Denver Division in 1979, and worked his way through the company's ranks including senior retail operations and marketing positions in the Safeway's Phoenix and Dominick's divisions. He joined Safeway's corporate team in 2009 as VP retail initiatives.

The Holiday Shopping Season got off to a fast start with sales numbers increasing by 6.6% compared with last year, according to Shopper Trak. Promotional activity started earlier than usual and helped shoppers stay in the know as to where they could find the best deals. Leading up to Black Friday, increases were seen in print for both page counts and circular drops in many instances. In digital there were increases in volume and frequency of online, email and social promotions.  

Bethesda, Md. -- Streetsense announced it is bringing a new Japanese sushi restaurant, Passion Fin, to The Shops at Sumner Place, in Bethesda, Md. The 2,959-sq.-ft. restaurant is scheduled to open in early 2012.

The Shops at Sumner Place is a Safeway-anchored retail center adjacent to the 28-acre Sumner Village condominium community. Other stores within the center include CVS Pharmacy, Starbucks, Bethesda Market, Praline French Bakery and Restaurant, Chico’s, a fitness center, and a variety of other stores and services.

Seattle -- Starbucks has racked up 26 million mobile transactions since it launched its mobile payment program in January. Currently, the top five U.S cities for Starbucks mobile app adoption are New York, Seattle, San Francisco, Chicago, and San Jose.

In the first nine weeks of the program, there were 3 million transactions and in comparison for the nine week period starting in October, there were 6 million transactions, demonstrating a significant jump in customer adoption and use, the company reported.

Target may have been up against a difficult prior-year comparison when it reported a 1.8% November same-store sales increase, but that hardly seems like a good excuse for an anemic number to begin the fourth quarter.

Sunnyvale, Calif. -- Jacksonville, Fla.-based Regency Centers said that Indian Bazaar has leased 4,480 sq. ft. at Loehmann’s Plaza in Sunnyvale, Calif.

The new grocery store is slated to open in May 2012.

The 113,309-sq.-ft. shopping center is anchored by CVS/pharmacy alongside national retailers including Safeway, Nail Time and Starbucks.

 

Pleasanton, Calif. -- Safeway said its board of directors increased its stock buyback authorization by $1.0 billion, to $8.0 billion.

The supermarket operator said it had repurchased $6.1 billion of its stock through the end of the third quarter and had about $0.9 billion remaining under the buyback program at that time.

The repurchase authorization does not have an expiration date, Safeway said in a statement.
 

PLEASANTON, Calif. — Safeway Inc. announced that its stores raised $1 million for the Wounded Warrior Project, an organization that exists to honor and empower military men and women who incurred service-related injuries on or after Sept. 11, 2001.

The money was raised during Veteran's Day weekend by all Safeway, Vons, Pavilions, Dominick's, Randalls, Genuardi's, Tom Thumb and Carrs stores in the United States

PLEASANTON, Calif. — Safeway dedicated Veterans Day weekend to pay tribute to past and present service members and raise money for an organization that provides programs and outreach to those who were severely injured while serving their country.

Beginning Veterans Day, Nov.  11 through Nov. 13, all U.S. Safeway stores helped raise funds for the Wounded Warrior Project.