Large Chains

San Francisco -- LandMark Retail Group said it has opened three CVS/pharmacy stores in San Francisco on behalf of the drugstore retailer.  

Over the past year, the firm has completed 13 CVS stores throughout California with plans to open four more this year.

The first CVS/pharmacy store is located at 351 California St., occupying a ground-level retail space in a San Francisco financial district office building. It features 9,009 sq. ft., and opened after five months of construction.
 

Dallas -- 7-Eleven announced Tuesday that the company achieved record store growth in 2012 and expects the number of 7-Eleven stores worldwide to pass the 50,000-store mark by the end of the first quarter.

The c-store chain added nearly 5,000 stores globally in 2012; 1,000 were in the U.S. and Canada. At year’s end, 7-Eleven operated 49,500 stores in 16 countries.

Insight Beverages has named Sharon Porter as director of national sales effective Feb. 25, 2013. 

“As director of national sales, Sharon will lead our organization in its efforts to expand our core convenience store business, distribution and national accounts.  We are very excited to have a person of Sharon’s caliber at our company as we continue to expand our business in convenience stores and other foodservice channels,” said Bill Flack, VP sales for Insight Beverages.

Houston -- A report released Tuesday by research company NPD Group found that the convenience store sector experienced marked gains last year, as visits increased 4.6% in the fourth quarter and grew an average of 3.7% per month for 2012.

Traffic gains were spread among all type of c-stores, according to NPD’s Convenience Store Monitor, which tracks the consumer purchasing behavior of more than 51,000 convenience store shoppers in the U.S.  

Pittsburgh -- GNC Holdings is bullish on expansion. Reporting impressive results for the fourth quarter, the retailer plans to open approximately 150 net new U.S. stores in 2013, along with 30 net new domestic franchise locations, and 175-200 net new international franchise locations. It also will open 30 net new GNC-Rite Aid store-within-a-store locations.

Sidney, Neb. -- Cabela’s Inc. announced plans to open a 42,000-sq.-ft. Cabela’s Outpost store in Waco, Texas.

Construction is scheduled to begin this spring and doors are expected to open this fall. It will be the company’s fourth store in Texas, joining the Fort Worth, Buda and Allen locations.

New York -- Delhaize America is cutting 500 jobs, according to published reports.

News media in North Carolina reported that the Belgian supermarket operator's American subsidiary would cut 350 jobs and 150 open positions as part of a reorganization. Employees of the company received notifications of the layoffs via email, according to the reports.

ABILENE, Kan — Alco reported that total sales, excluding fuel, increased 26% to $34.8 million for the fiscal five-week period ended Feb. 3, compared with $27.6 million during the four-week period of the prior year. On a same-store basis, excluding fuel, sales increased 21.4% from a year earlier. 

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Fred's Super Dollar on Thursday reported sales for the five-weeks ended Feb. 2 were up 31% to $173.6 million. Comparable-store sales were up 28.6%. 

On an adjusted basis, which eliminates the one week ended Feb. 2, sales were up 2% and same-store sales were flat, Fred's added. 

Dallas -- Real estate investment firm The Cogent Group said Tuesday that it has acquired 15 KFC properties in North Carolina. The properties are leased to a franchisee.
 
The 15 units are located in prime retail corridors in the North Carolina Triad market consisting of Greensboro, Winston Salem, and High Point, with above average unit sales. The properties are subject to long-term triple net leases having an initial term of 20 years, plus renewal options.