Convenience Stores

Starbucks knows a thing or two about developing business across channels, and on-demand, app-based grocery delivery service Shipt is bringing that expertise in-house.

Birmingham, Alabama-based Shipt has named Joe Manning, former Starbucks director of business and channel development, to lead business development. Shipt is looking to Manning to establish and grow partnerships with grocers and CPG companies as the company expands.

Fred’s on Wednesday reported its Q4 and FY2015 earnings, as well as the news that board chairman Michael Hayes would be stepping down, to be replaced with longtime director Thomas Tashjian.

Ethnic grocery chain H Mart is expanding its partnership with Instacart nationally.

Lyndhurst, New Jersey-based H Mart, which operates more than 45 U.S. and Canadian stores, specializes in Asian grocery products. H Mart is now offering Instacart deliveries in as little as one hour to consumers in Philadelphia. Coming soon, the retailer will also offer Instacart services in markets including Orange County, Washington, D.C., suburbs, Atlanta, Chicago suburbs, Los Angeles, and Houston. Instacart prices will match H Mart in-store prices.

Market expansion into the Minneapolis market may be the next step for Meijer, The Grand Rapids Press reported last week, confirming that the grocer acquired 30 acres of land in a Twin City suburb. "I can confirm Meijer has purchased property in Brooklyn Park, Minn.," Frank Guglielmi, Meijer senior director communications, told The Grand Rapids Press.

Tacoma, Wash. -- Vestar announced that it has acquired James Center located in Tacoma, Washington, for $31.4 million.

The 140,240 sq. ft. center is located directly across from Tacoma Community College, which enrolls nearly 14,000 students per year. James Center is anchored by Fred Meyer and Rite, as well as feature tenants: Starbucks, Subway, Verizon, Menchie’s, U.S. Bank, IHOP, FedEx Kinko’s and Ivar’s.

Democracy Works, a non-partisan, non-profit organization, said on Wednesday it is teaming up with an array of companies, including Starbucks, Target and Westfield Corp., in an effort to boost U.S. voter turnout to 80% by 2020.

The project, called the TurboVote Challenge, is ambitious. The last time the U.S. achieved a voter turnout rate over 80% was in 1888. An estimated 57.5% of eligible citizens voted in the 2012 presidential election.

Starbucks Corp. announced a major initiative to help the nation’s neediest citizens.

The coffee giant is launching FoodShare, a program to donate all leftover ready-to-eat meals from its 7,600 U.S. company-operated stores to food banks. In the first year alone, the program will be able to provide nearly 5 million meals, according to company estimates.