Convenience Stores

Minneapolis -- Target Corp. has pulled back the curtain on its new small-format store, TargetExpress, in the “Dinkeytown” section of Minneapolis. The 20,000-sq.-ft. store is just steps away from the University of Minnesota. (See the video tour). 

Target plans to open four TargetExpress stores in 2015, with three locations in the San Francisco Bay Area, and one in the Highland Park area of St. Paul.

Protein is the hot nutritional trend these days and Quest Nutrition has found a way to create a first-of-its-kind baked chip with 21 grams of protein per serving.

The company bills its new Quest Protein Chips as the world’s first high-protein snack potato chip and contends the product offers a revolutionary potato chip experience. The chips are actually good for people, according to the company, as opposed to simply being less bad than other snacks high in fat and salt.

Portland, Oregon -- The Green Building Initiative announced a wave of Green Globes certifications for new supermarkets across the nation. The properties include New Seasons Markets in Oregon, and Whole Foods Market, Price Chopper, Aldi’s, Harris Teeter, Wegmans, and Publix stores across the country.
 

Milwaukee – The board of directors of Roundy’s Inc. has named Michael Turzenski, currently Roundy’s group VP and chief accounting officer, as group VP, CFO. Turzenski replaces Darren Karst, who is leaving the company to become CFO of Rite Aid Corp. as of Aug. 10.

Turzenski has served in his current role since February 2012. Turzenski joined Roundy’s in 2007 as VP, controller.

Target opened its experimental Express format on July 23 in a community near downtown Minneapolis designed to give the retailer an early indication of expansion potential for the 20,000-sq.-ft. concept.
 
The store is the smallest Target has ever opened and is located in an area known as Dinkytown near the campus of the University of Minnesota. Four additional locations are already planned for next year including three in the San Francisco area and one in St. Paul.
 

Channeling his inner Sam Walton this week, Walmart CEO Doug McMillon rattled the company with the unexpected appointment of a relatively unknown newcomer to replace Bill Simon as CEO of its largest and most profitable division.

Dublin, Ohio - Brandon Solano, 43, has been named senior VP of marketing of The Wendy’s Company. Solano will report to Wendy's chief marketing officer Craig Bahner and will lead the company's brand marketing efforts.

Prior to joining Wendy's, Solano served three years as VP of franchise development at Domino's, leading retail store expansion, global retail re-imaging and franchise recruiting. From 2008 to 2011, Solano spearheaded product innovation at Domino's. Prior to Domino's, Solano served as marketing director for The Hershey Company.

Seattle -- Starbucks that its consolidated net revenue growth accelerated 11% in the third quarter, to $4.2 billion. Consolidated operating income increased 25%, to $769 million.

The coffee giant raised the number of net new stores it expects to open in its Americas region from 600 to 650.

Global same-store sales increased 6%, marking the 18th consecutive quarter of global comp growth of 5% or greater. Same-store sales in the United States rose 7%.