Convenience Stores

Portland, Ore. -- Bettery announced that it has teamed up with Safeway to give consumers a convenient way to adopt reusable household batteries, not only reducing their environmental footprint but also saving them money.

Bettery Swap Stations – kiosks for purchasing and exchanging rechargeable batteries – are being installed this month at multiple Safeway locations, starting with stores in Portland, Seattle and surrounding communities.

Portland, Ore. -- Bettery announced that it has teamed up with Safeway to give consumers a convenient way to adopt reusable household batteries, not only reducing their environmental footprint but also saving them money.

Bettery Swap Stations – kiosks for purchasing and exchanging rechargeable batteries – are being installed this month at multiple Safeway locations, starting with stores in Portland, Seattle and surrounding communities.

Thorofare, N.J. -- Shrink, comprised of shoplifting, employee or supplier fraud, organized retail crime and administrative errors, cost the retail industry more than $112 billion globally last year, and represented 1.4% of retail sales, on average, according to the 2012-2013 Global Retail Theft Barometer. In the United States, shrink came in at 1.5% of retail sales.

Fresh off another quarter of same store sales growth, Food Lion held grand re-opening activities at 169 stores in North and South Carolina beginning Wednesday, November 13 in observation of investments the company said it has now made in nearly all of its 1,100 stores.

Leading food wholesaler Nash Finch said its third quarter sales growth was cut in half as a result of the government shutdown in September.

Total sales increase 3.5% to $1.56 billion during the period ended October 5, but the rate of growth would have been nearly double without the government shutdown which impacted defense department commissaries that are Nash Finch customers.

New York -- Online food retailer Peapod and Giant Food Stores have opened a new fulfillment center in Coopersburg, Pa.

"Peapod by Giant has seen exciting growth in the Philadelphia area and we are delighted to partner with our sister grocer, Peapod, to expand service to additional ZIP codes in the Giant trade area," said Rick Herring, president. "As always, we will strive to provide a wide selection of well-priced, top quality, fresh products with the ease of online shopping and home delivery."

West Orange, N.J. — Retro Fitness and Chipotle have signed long-term leases at West Orange Plaza in West Orange, N.J., according to Levin Management, which represented the landlord in the transaction.

Retro Fitness took 14,115 sq. ft. and was represented by Katz & Associates. Represented by Winick Realty Group, Chipotle leased 2,557 sq. ft.

Dallas -- During the next 24 months, Kroger will invest $150 million in North Texas to build five new Marketplace stores and to expand three locations, along with opening multiple fuel centers and remodeling existing properties. The growth initiative will create more than 1,700 full- and part-time career opportunities that offer competitive pay, healthcare plans, retirement options, product discounts and other incentives.

Oak Brook, Ill. – McDonald’s reported a slight 0.2% increase in U.S. same-store sales for October 2013. Same-store sales rose 0.5% globally, which also includes a 0.8% increase in Europe and a 2.8% decline in Asia-Pacific, Middle East, and Africa.

Grand Rapids, Mich. — Meijer will open a 190,000-sq.-ft. supercenter in Danville, Ill., on Nov. 7, the sixth new Meijer store to open this year.

The family-owned retailer, which opened its first store in 1934, now has 204 stores throughout the Midwest.