Convenience Stores

Phoenix — The metropolitan Phoenix retail market ended the third quarter with a retail vacancy rate at 10.5%, down nearly a full point from 11.3% a year ago, according to CBRE’s Phoenix Retail MarketView report for the third quarter.

The market recorded positive absorption of 385,625 sq. ft. for the quarter and so far this year has absorbed 1.1 million sq. ft.

Woodland Hills, Calif. — GrowLife has announced the opening of its seventh store in Santa Rosa, Calif., on Oct. 25.

GrowLife Hydroponics operates in the legal cannabis industry with online and brick-and-mortar stores.

Boston -- For the second year in a row, Dollar General came out on top in Kantar Retail’s opening price point (OPP) survey, narrowly beating out Walmart Supercenter. The OPP survey, now in its third year, determines how select retailers meet the grocery and consumable needs of shoppers looking for the lowest shelf prices to fulfill their basket requirements.

Julie Gardner, former chief marketing officer at Kohl’s, is the newest board of Cardtronics, the world’s largest retail ATM owner.

Cardtronics operates a vast network of more than 80,000 ATMs at locations throughout the United States and internationally.

Gardner spent 14 years at Kohl’s and most recently served as EVP and chief marketing officer. Prior to Kohl’s, Gardner was with the Eckerd Corp., a regional drug store chain that was eventually acquired by CVS.

The retail industry couldn’t function if it weren’t for the efforts of store managers at the front lines of running the day-to-day business, executing corporate strategies, managing people and serving customers.

Canton, Mass. – Dunkin’ Brands Group, the parent company of Dunkin’ Donuts and Baskin Robbins, reported that its third quarter net income grew 36% to $40.2 million.   

Revenue increased 8.5%, from $171.7 million, to $186.3 million.

Pittsburgh – GNC Holdings reported strong results for the third quarter of fiscal 2013, reporting a net income increase of 17.3%, from $62.2 million to $73 million.

Revenue grew about 9%, from $621.6 million to $675.6 million. Same store sales increased approximately 6.7% in domestic company-owned stores (including GNC.com sales) in the third quarter of 2013, while in domestic franchise locations, same-store sales increased 5.9%.

San Antonio, Texas — Transwestern’s San Antonio office today announced that it has completed the sale of Rosenberg Center in Rosenberg, Texas, a suburb of Houston. Built in 1986, the 113,430-sq.-ft. neighborhood retail center serves a commercial corridor between Rosenberg and Richmond, Texas. A private investor bought the property for an undisclosed amount from Rosenberg Station LLC.

Dr Pepper Snapple Group continues navigating through a challenging economic climate. Despite experiencing some pressure in its carbonated soft drinks category, president and CEO Larry Young is reportedly encouraged by the performance of the company’s Core 4 TEN platform.

Reported net sales for the third quarter ended  increased 1% reflecting 3 percentage points of positive mix and pricing, partially offset by a 1% sales volume decline and higher discounts.
 

The Walmart Foundation gave $2.5 million to Share Our Strength to help the hunger relief organization educate people about eating healthy on a budget.