Convenience Stores

Togo's names former IHOP and Taco Bell exec as COO
San Jose, Calif. -- West Coast sandwich operator Togo's Eateries, Inc. has named Jim Peros as its new COO, charged with overseeing all operations and the expansion of the brand's restaurants throughout the West.
Smart & Final reports increases in quarterly profit and sales
Commerce, Calif. -- Smart & Final Stores, Inc. reported that profit for the third quarter edged up 1.9% to $10.2 million. Sales surged 10.8% to $1.13 billion, and same-store sales leapt 6.6%. “We continue to grow sales in both of our store banners--Smart & Final and Cash & Carry--and this has translated into strong financial results.," said Dave Hirz, president and CEO.

Study: Holiday shipping costs and online security top of mind for shoppers

New York -- A 2014 Kelly Scott Madison Holiday Shopping Study revealed that the top concerns for consumers this holiday season are shipping costs and online security, as 71% of respondents ranked both as top-of-mind. Other findings focused on timing and returns:
Douglas Elliman team complete leasing of iconic Harlem Co-op

New York -- With the signing of Capital One at 700 St. Nicholas Avenue, on the northeast corner of 145th Street, the Douglas Elliman Retail Group team of Faith Hope Consolo, chairman, Joseph Aquino, executive VP and Arthur Maglio have repositioned the retail profile of Hillview Towers, comprising the block-front that stretches along West 145th Street between St. Nicholas and Edgecombe Avenues in the Sugar Hill section of Harlem.
DDR exits joint venture in Buffalo

Beachwood, Ohio -- DDR Corp. announced the sale of an 11-property portfolio--located primarily in the Buffalo MSA that was previously held in joint venture with Kuwaiti Financial Centre II--for a total of $154 million. The portfolio was comprised of small-format traditional grocery-anchored centers and single tenant non-prime assets.
Friday Halloween spurred early holiday spending

Atlanta -- This year, a Halloween that fell on Friday helped boost spending growth in October, according to the monthly SpendTrend report from First Data Corp.
Wal-Mart reports rare sales boost, anticipates highly promotional holiday season

Bentonville, Ark. -- A rare sales bump may provide the world’s largest retailer just the momentum it needs going into the important holiday season, say Wall Street analysts, as Wal-Mart reported that 3Q same-store sales rose at U.S. namesake stores for the first time in nearly two years.

However, Wal-Mart tempered the news with warnings that a highly promotional environment lies ahead.
Most customers frustrated by self-service technology

Lisle, Ill. -- Glory Global Solutions found that the overwhelming majority of U.S. consumers using self-service machines (88%) have felt frustrated by the technology, this according to the company’s latest research study on the use of self-service technology.
Why gift cards keep growing

Gift card sales are expected to reach record levels again this holiday season and new research from the National Retail Federation (NRF) offers insight into the increased popularity of stored value products.

More than half of shoppers polled by NRF’s Gift Card Spending Survey said they will buy gift cards this holiday season because the cards allow the recipient to select their own gift. More than 25% of shoppers said gift cards are easier and faster to buy, and 3.8% said the cards help them stick to their holiday budgets.
Study: Same-store sales rise 1.3% in October

Arlington, Virginia –- Brick-and-mortar retailers have at least one good piece of news to cheer them up this fall. U.S. same-store retail sales were up 1.3%, or $3.9 billion, in October 2014, driven by a 2.2% increase in dollars per transaction, according to data from the Applied Predictive Technologies (APT) Index and historical U.S. Census data.
Phillips Edison acquires grocery-anchored center in Calif.

Cincinnati -- Phillips Edison-ARC Grocery Center REIT II Inc. has acquired Laguna 99 Plaza, adding another property in California to the company's portfolio. Laguna 99 Plaza is an 89,188-sq.-ft.grocery store-anchored shopping center located in Elk Grove, California, part of the Sacramento metropolitan statistical area. Laguna 99 Plaza is anchored by Walmart Neighborhood Market. Other national and regional tenants at the center include GNC, Metro PCS, and Goodwill.
Retail vacancy rate in central New Jersey at six-year low

Old Bridge, N.J. -- An improved picture in both ‘big-box’ and smaller store spaces combined to push the retail vacancy rate along central New Jersey’s major shopping corridors to a six-year low of 7.6% from 9.8% in 2013, according to the latest study by R.J. Brunelli & Co. Looking back over the past 10 years, the 2014 figure compared with the high of 10.5% in 2011 and low of 3.4% in 2006.