Convenience Stores

Cary, N.C. – Things are hopping at convenience store/gas station chain The Pantry Inc. According to the Wall Street Journal, the operator of Kangaroo Express and other convenience store banners is preparing to sell itself and already took bids in an auction run by a private investment bank the week of Dec. 8.  

A fresh round of unionization efforts appear to be in store for major retailers next spring after organized labor won a favorable ruling regarding how elections are conducted.

Seattle – Top executives of Starbucks Corp., including chairman, president and CEO Howard Schultz, reportedly sold a combined total of 448,320 company shares for about $37.54 million, an average of $83.74 each, on Dec. 9 and 10, 2014. According to Barrons.com, Schultz exercised options and sold shares for a total of $28.95 million, and also gifted 175,000 shares, leaving him holding about 16.78 million shares.  

New Albany, Ohio – Steve Davis has resigned as CEO of Bob Evans Farms Inc. by mutual agreement with the board of directors. The official change will take place immediately, but Davis will remain with the company through the end of the year to assist with the transition process.  

Canton, Mass. – Dunkin’ Donuts opened six new restaurants and remodeled one location with existing franchise partners during the last several weeks in  the Miami-Fort Lauderdale market. Currently, there are more than 150 Dunkin' Donuts restaurants located throughout the area.    In total, there are more than Dunkin’ Donuts 150 restaurants in the Miami-Fort Lauderdale market.

Phoenix – PetSmart Inc. has agreed to be purchased for about $8.7 billion by a consortium of buyers led by private equity firm B.C. Partners and also including pension fund manager La Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec and private equity firm StepStone. The total figure represents an acquisition price of $83 per share, a 39% premium over PetSmart’s closing price on July 2, 2014.  

Arlington, VA - Retailers on Friday criticized the National Labor Relations Board decision that gave the go-ahead to new laws to expedite the union election process. The amendments, to go into effect April 14, provide for electronic filing and transmission of election petitions and other documents; eliminates or reduces unnecessary litigation; and allows parties to consolidate election-related appeals to the board into a single appeals process, the NLRB said in a statement.  

Atlanta - Hooters of America is partnering with Forum Analytics for a customized real estate planning and market-optimization solution. The collaboration will allow Hooters real estate operations make real-time, data-driven decisions by allowing users to share market data and sales forecasts, as well as impact estimates and site packet materials via SIMMS Online, Forum’s proprietary mapping, reporting and analytic platform.   

Cincinnati - Phillips Edison Grocery Center REIT II announced the acquisition of Spivey Junction, an 81,475-sq.-ft. grocery store-anchored shopping center in Stockbridge, Georgia, a suburb of Atlanta.   Spivey Junction is anchored by Kroger, and features a fuel center. Other national and regional tenants at the center include Great Clips, Workout Anytime, Domino's Pizza, Subway, Goodwill and Miracle Ear.

Purchase, N.Y. – A decline in the price of gasoline may be leading to a larger haul for many many people on Christmas morning. According to the latest MasterCard Advisors SpendingPulse, total retail sales without the automotive and gasoline sectors were up 3.6% in November 2014, reinforcing the dramatic decline in gasoline prices.