Convenience Stores

Dunkin’ Donuts is expanding big time in Georgia.

The chain announced that 46 new restaurants will be developed throughout Georgia over the next several years, with six franchise groups.

The company also said remains on track for the development of 410 to 440 net new Dunkin' Donuts restaurants in the U.S. in 2015.

Currently, there are more than 150 Dunkin' Donuts restaurants located throughout Georgia.

Veteran Safeway merchant Toby Noiles has joined Sam’s Club in a senior role as the warehouse club operator creates a new organizational structure for its food and beverage business.

Noiles was named senior VP and general merchandise manager of grocery and beverage and joins Sam’s Club from the online grocery delivery company Fresh Direct where she served as chief merchandising officer. Noiles was with Fresh Direct only seven months but prior to that she spent 29 years with Safeway and held a wide range of merchandising roles.

Target is expanding its Instacart same-day delivery service to another major U.S. city.

Following a successful pilot in Minneapolis, Target is now partnering with Instacart to offer customers in the San Francisco Bay Area fresh food, non-perishable food items, health and beauty products, pet and household supplies, and select baby items delivered to their homes in as little as one hour.

Walmart and Hobby Lobby top the retailer list of the first ever annual Faith Equality Index.

Faith Driven Consumer, a group that represents 41 million Christian consumers, has published an index rating the faith compatibility of major brands both in the consumer and entertainment spheres, as well as serving as a voice for this community.

The top executive over Health and Wellness of Walmart's U.S. division is leaving to join Brookdale Senior Living as its COO.

Labeed Diab will have responsibility for all aspects of Brookdale’s operations, including community and field operations, marketing and sales. 

A private equity group better known for investing in established companies is creating a new dollar store brand after acquiring 330 Family Dollar stores from Dollar Tree.

Dollar Tree acquired Family Dollar earlier this year and to satisfy federal regulators, the company agreed to divest 330 Family Dollar stores. The acquiring company is a newly created portfolio company of the private equity firm Sycamore Partners called Dollar Express.

A major national retailer is the latest chain to start offering same-day delivery in a large metropolitan area.

According to Re/code, Best Buy is partnering with third-party delivery service Deliv to offer customers in the San Francisco area, including San Jose, same-day delivery of online orders. The official rollout follows a recent pilot of the service Best Buy conducted with Deliv in the greater San Francisco area.

Texture Plus, the largest U.S. manufacturer of high-impact textured faux wall panels, urged the United States Senate and House of Representatives to quickly pass the “Restaurant and Retail Jobs and Growth Act.”

“Retailers and restaurants depend on remodeling their locations every five years to stay competitive,” said Brian Kampe, CEO. “The standard 39 year depreciation for building remodeling makes those improvements a difficult tax burden.”

99 Cents Only Stores has appointed a new CFO who has been a veteran retail leader for Kroger and Albertsons.