Sobeys

Some companies were more aggressive with promotions last months and others were less so, but Target held steady producing the same number of circular ad pages (109) in May 2011, and it did the same month the prior year, according to data collected by the Chicago based firm Market Track.

In keeping with its renewed focus on EDLP, the average number of promotional pieces per market decreased to two in May compared with 2.8 the prior year, but the average number of pages increased to 40 compared with 30, according to the Chicago-based firm Market Track.

MINNEAPOLIS — Target ended last year with sales of $67.4 billion and earnings per share of $4, but if company chairman, president and CEO Gregg Steinhafel has his way, within six or seven years earnings per share will double to $8 and sales will top $100 billion.

PLEASANTON, Calif. — Safeway is bringing Coinstar's self-service coin-counting kiosks to its U.S. and Canada stores, the supermarket retailer announced Thursday.

Safeway said it agreed to install 1,400 Coinstar kiosks by the end of 2011, with installations slated to begin this month in Safeway stores and its banners, including Vons, Dominick's, Randalls, Tom Thumb, Genuardi's, Pavilions, Carrs and Pak N' Save.

On average, across the retailer set, both the number of inserts and number of page counts decreased when comparing the month of May 2011 to May 2010. Notable standouts for the insert counts include a decline of 39% for Home Depot and an 11% decrease for Lowe’s.  While both Home Depot and Lowe’s dropped fewer inserts this year compared to last year, Home Depot’s decline was more pronounced from nearly seven inserts in 2010 to four in 2011.

Pleasanton, Calif. -- Safeway and Coinstar announced Thursday an agreement to install approximately 1,400 Coinstar kiosks in Safeway's stores in the United States and Canada by the end of 2011.

Coinstar kiosks are to be installed in Safeway stores and its banners including Vons, Dominick's, Randalls, Tom Thumb, Genuardi's, Pavilions, Carrs and Pak N' Save. Installations are planned to begin this month, according to the companies.

Target ended its last fiscal year with sales of $67.4 billion and earnings per share of $4, but if company chairman, president and CEO Gregg Steinhafel has his way, within six or seven years earnings per share will double to $8 and sales will top $100 billion.

Boulder, Col. -- Discount grocer Aldi ranks as the nation’s low-price grocery leader, according to a recent consumer survey conducted by Market Force Information.

Pleasanton, Calif. -- Safeway said Tuesday it has signed a new $1.5 billion revolving credit agreement that replaces a $1.6 billion facility.

The new agreement is for four years, while the one it is replacing was set to mature on June 1, 2012.

Safeway said that its Canadian subsidiary can borrow up to $250 million from the new facility, which will be used for general corporate purposes.
 

Shares of Target are on sale. After beginning the year slightly above the $60 mark, it has been a steady slide downward for the first five months of this year, and now shares regularly trade below $50.