Convenience Stores

Gas and convenience store chain’s senior VP steps down
Murphy USA is losing its senior VP, retail operations. Marn Cheng will resign from his position on April 30. During his 17-year tenure, Cheng has held various leadership roles within the operations team, including retail operations, fuel supply, ethanol production, customer and store support. He is resigning for personal reasons, and plans to spend more time with family in both Malaysia and the United States, according to Murphy USA.
The Reimagining of Cumberland Farms
Cumberland Farms, a convenience store fixture in New England and central Florida for half a century, once fielded more than 1,000 stores. Today it has pared down to 600 stores as it transforms itself from a strip-center and gas station dairy store to a chain of freestanding, modern C-stores providing food service and gasoline, along the lines of Quik Check and Wawa.

FICO: Debit card compromises skyrocketed in 2016

Payment card theft continue to wreak havoc on retailers and shoppers, alike. In fact, the number of debit cards compromised at United States-based ATMs and merchants rose 70% in 2016, while the number of hacked card readers at U.S. ATMs, restaurants and merchants rose 30% — the highest level in the history of the FICO Card Alert Service, which monitors hundreds of thousands of ATMs and other readers in the U.S.
Amazon debuts grocery pick-up concept
Study: Restaurants deliver halo effect for retail centers

For the first time ever in 2016, U.S. restaurant sales eclipsed grocery store sales — and that’s good news for retail centers The amount of space dedicated to food in retail centers has grown from 5% in 2007 to 15% today. And the trend is expected to increase to 20% by 2025, according to a study, “The Successful Integration of Food & Beverage within Retail Real Estate,” from the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC).
Walmart debuts updated Neighborhood Market format

Walmart is going on the offense as German grocery giant Lidl prepares to enter the United States this summer. The discounter has rolled out a new prototype for its Neighborhood Market grocery-store concept in a handful of markets nationwide.
Report: Amazon could upend retail with new brick-and-mortar formats

Amazon is keeping all its options open when it comes to exploring new concepts. The online giant is exploring an array of brick-and-mortar ideas, from electronics stores to stores that sell furniture and appliance, that would use technology in ways and have a dramatic impact on how other stores operate, reported The New York Times.
Report: Amazon Go not a go for the public yet

Even Amazon has technical difficulties. The online giant is delaying the public opening of its cashier-less convenience store, Amazon Go, due to technical complications, according to MarketWatch.
Tech Bytes: ‘Transfiguration’ take-aways from Oracle Industry Connect

Shoppers want their favorite brands to know who they are, feature their preferred merchandise, and overall, offer an “experience” that appeals to them — and only them. This point was driven home at Oracle Industry Connect, held in Orlando, Florida, March 20-22. During the conference, industry observers defined how retail is undergoing a “transfiguration,” or a shift to providing an elevated customer experience. What’s at the core of this change? In a word: personalization.
Dunkin’ Brands begins hunt for new CFO

The parent company of Dunkin' Donuts and Baskin-Robbins announced that Paul Carbone, CFO, is leaving the company effective April 21, 2017.
Report: Hy-Vee to add clothing boutiques in 4 stores

Hy-Vee shoppers will soon be able to buy new clothes while they grocery shop. Two Hy-Vee locations in Nebraska will soon feature F&F clothing boutiques through the Iowa-based retailer’s franchise agreement with the British clothing line owned by supermarket company Tesco, reported The Anchorage Press.
Grocer continues to expand in the Windy City

Whole Foods Market has opened its second largest location in Chicagoland. The supermarket retailer has opened a 76,000-sq.-ft. store in the city’s Lakeview area. It replaces an older Whole Foods across the street. The older store, which opened in 1996, closed the day the new store opened.