Convenience Stores

WinCo coming to Texas center
Boise, Idaho-based discount grocer WinCo Foods will develop a new ground-up 82,077-sq.-ft. anchor store at Trinity Valley Shopping Center in Carrollton, Texas.

The new WinCo will be developed at the site of a former Target anchor store at the center. Following the closure, the ownership of the center, Josey Trinity Mills Ltd., acquired the vacant building in October 2015. The site will be demolished starting around April 2016, and the newly developed WinCo is scheduled to open in early 2017.
Google expands Express assortment
Google is testing a new range of products for its Google Express online delivery service.

Google is now offering fresh grocery items, such as milk and bread, for delivery through Google Express in the San Francisco and Los Angeles markets. The company is partnering with local outlets of retailers including Costco, Whole Foods and Smart & Final in San Francisco and Costco, Whole Foods and Vincente Foods in Los Angeles to fulfill orders, which can include alcohol and frozen items.

Study: EMV lags other payment security options

Retailers have yet to make a major move toward EMV compliance, but that doesn’t mean they are ignoring the need to secure card-based transactions.

According to a new special report from Boston Retail Partners, “Payment/Data Security in an Omnichannel World,” only 10% of retailers are performing EMV-enabled transactions that are working well, with another 12% saying their EMV-enabled transactions need improvement.
Senior Kroger exec retiring after 44 years

The Kroger Co.'s senior VP for retail operations and strategic initiatives plans to retire in April.

The company announced that Marnette Perry plans to retire on April 29, after 44 years with the company.
Survey: Online groceries are habit-forming

Although not many consumers are currently shopping for groceries online, those who do are likely to be repeat customers.

According to “The 2016 Online Grocery Shopper,” a survey of more than 500 U.S. online consumers from Toronto-based grocery technology provider Unata, 8% of consumers bought groceries via Internet in 2015.

However, 93% of those shoppers said they are “likely” or “very likely” to buy groceries online in 2016.
Surprising Harris Poll: The retailer with the best corporate reputation is…

The nation’s top Internet retailer is also tops in corporate reputation.
Exclusive: Instacart exec talks online delivery with CSA

Chain Store Age recently spoke with Vishwa Chandra, VP of retail accounts for Instacart, to get a better sense of the current and future state of online delivery.

What is driving growing consumer interest in online delivery?
Loyalty, gas promotions lift Weis Markets in Q3

Regional grocery chain Weis Markets says its loyalty program and other promotions helped boost traffic in the third quarter as the company reported an increase in same-store sales.

For the period ended Sept. 26, sales increased 4.1% to $711.9 million while same-store sales increased 4%, compared to the third quarter in 2014. The company says it generated $12.8 million in net income, down 5.4%, compared to the same period in 2014. Third quarter earnings per share totaled 48 cents, compared to 50 cents in 2014.
Bryn & Dane’s three locations and counting

Bryn and Dane’s announced it will be expanding from three to six locations in Pennsylvania within the next year. The new stores will be located in the Philadelphia Metro Area:

• Bryn Mawr Village in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania; set to open summer 2016
• Atwater South in Malvern, Pennsylvania; set to open fall 2016
• The Franklin, 834 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; set to open early 2017
Veteran CPG executive joins BJ’s board

The former head of global health and well-being at Procter & Gamble is the newest member of the board of directors at BJ’s Wholesale Club.
Whole Foods’ new 365 format to anchor Butler Town Center

Whole Foods Market’s 365 store concept is the first anchor to be announced for Butler Town Center, in Gainesville, Florida. It is also the first 365 location to be announced for the state of Florida.
Foursquare will pick up the groceries

Local discovery app Foursquare is the latest entity to join the increasingly crowded on-demand delivery market.

Foursquare is partnering with Delivery.com to enable users to order groceries, food and alcohol directly through the Foursquare mobile app. The integration, facilitated by the mobile commerce platform Button, leverages Button's DeepLink Commerce technology to enable cross-functionality between the Delivery.com and Foursquare apps.