Convenience Stores

New York -- U.S. retailers' June sales suggest overall consumer spending is improving, even though lower-end shoppers are holding back on nonessential purchases. Same-store sales increased 3.9% in June compared to the year-ago period, according to a preliminary tally of 12 retailers by the International Council of Shopping Centers. The association had expected a 3% to 3.5% increase.

Altoona, Pa. -- Sheetz Convenience Restaurants said it broke ground Thursday on a new distribution and production center in Burlington, N.C.

The 44-acre site will include a Sheetz Bros. kitchen bakery, distribution and warehousing center for the Sheetz distribution fleet, and also will provide space for various other corporate support departments.

Brussels, Belgium -- Belgian grocer Delhaize Group said that it has reached an agreement to sell 25 Maxi, Mini Maxi, and Tempo stores in Montenegro to Expo Commerce.

The transaction is slated to close in the fourth quarter, and Delhaize and Expo will enter into a franchise agreement to maintain the Maxi, Mini Maxi and Tempo names.

Canton, Mass. -- Dunkin’ Brands Group, parent company of Dunkin' Donuts and Baskin-Robbins, has elected Carl Sparks, president and CEO of Travelocity Global, to the Dunkin' Brands board of directors, effective July 26. Sparks, 45, has a background in e-commerce, consumer brands and retailing.

MATTHEWS, N.C. — Former Sam’s Club executive Jason Reiser is heading to Family Dollar to be the company's SVP of merchandising. He replaces John Scanlon, who left the company at the end of March.

Family Dollar announced the key changes to its merchandising organization on the heels of better-than-expected third quarter results for fiscal 2013 ended June 1. 

PLANO, Texas — Crossmark, a leading sales and marketing services company in the consumer goods industry, has named John Compton to its board of directors to serve along with principals of Warburg Pincus, a leading global private equity firm.

BOISE, Idaho — The Retailer Owned Food Distributors & Associates, the largest cooperative of independent food wholesalers, is showing its support for product safety by endorsing the use of best-in-class recall process management technology from Recall InfoLink. 

The Recall InfoLink solution has been successfully deployed at ROFDA members Affiliated Foods of Amarillo, Associated Grocers-Baton Rouge, Olean Wholesale Grocers and Associated Grocers of the South. Other members are expected to implement the system later this year.

HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill. — Sears was arguably synonymous with its “Big Book” catalog, but as the world became more technologically advanced and look books went digital, the retailer bade its catalog and catalog stores farewell and shifted to a new retail model of locally owned and operated dealer stores. 

London -- Global online retail revenues will reach $4.3 trillion in 2025, accounting for nearly 20% of total retail, according to a new report from Frost & Sullivan. In leading markets such as the United States and the United Kingdom, nearly 25% of retail will be online, the study said.

Los Angeles -- For the second consecutive quarter, the retail availability rate has fallen 30 basis points, according to the latest analysis from CBRE Group. The rate now stands at 12.2% and testifies to improved retailer confidence as consumer spending continues to rebound.

The availability rate tracks space that is actively being marketed and available for tenant build-out within 12 months.