Convenience Stores

Hoffman Estates, Ill. - Sears Hometown and Outlet Stores Inc. is giving customers a voice via social media. The retailer is working with customer content marketing platform Yotpo to generate verified customer feedback in stores and online.  

Walmart wants to advance its long-term growth prospects in China and has acquired full ownership of an e-commerce company in which it already held a majority stake to further that objective.

Sidney, Neb. – Specialty outdoor retailer Cabela’s Inc. missed the target Wall Street set for profit and revenue during the second quarter of fiscal 2015. Cabela’s reported net income of $40.5 million, down 8% from $43.5 million the same quarter the prior year.   Growing cost of revenue helped drive down profit. Total revenue grew 10% to $836.28 million, from $761.2 million. Consolidated same-store sales dropped 0.9% due to Canadian currency fluctuations, although same-store sales in the U.S. increased 0.8%.

Regional grocery chain Southeastern Grocers has agreed to sell 29 BI-LO stores to another regional grocery chain: K-VA-T Food Stores.

K-VA-T says it intends to continue to operate all of these stores under the Food City banner and hire the vast majority of their store associates, retaining their years of service.

Smart & Final says it's focused on growth and expansion of its new Extra! format as the retailer posts another quarter of impressive same store sales.

For the second quarter ended June 14, Smart & Final said net sales increased 9.3% to $905.1 million. Same store sales incraesed 3.5%. The company had net income of $11.0 million, or $0.14 per diluted share. And adjusted EBITDA increased 6.7% to $50.7 million. 

Commerce, Calif. – Smart & Final Stores Inc. reported net income of $11 million in the second quarter of fiscal 2015, essentially flat compared to $11.1 million in the year-earlier period. Higher expenses related to higher sales volumes, increased store support costs, additional marketing expense, and public company costs inhibited profit growth.

Irvine, Calif. - Irvine Company Retail Properties is opening new restaurants across its Orange County portfolio in California, including Fashion Island, Irvine Spectrum Center, The Market Place, and several community centers.  

Cincinnati - The Kroger Co. is extending a partnership that provides a number of financial services to shoppers at its stores. By continuing a 30-plus-year agreement with global payment services provider Western Union, Kroger gives customers the ability to send and receive Western Union money transfer transactions, purchase money orders and pay their bills at more than 2,300 Kroger store locations.