Convenience Stores

Oak Brook, Ill. — Inland Real Estate Corporation has announced the acquisition of Mokena Marketplace in Mokena, Ill., an affluent suburb located within the Chicago metropolitan area for $13.7 million in cash.

Houston -- Cardtronics, the world’s largest retail ATM owner, has extended its ATM services agreement with Walgreens. Cardtronics is a preferred provider of ATM services for Walgreens. Since the relationship began in 2004, Cardtronics has grown its ATM presence in Walgreens locations significantly — from fewer than 400 initially to roughly 3,250 today.

Labeed Diab has been named SVP and president of health and wellness at Walmart, filling a position previously held by Dr. John Agwunobi who left the company.

New York — Pita Grill has signed a 12-year lease for 2,700-sq. ft. in Greenwich Village at 496 LaGuardia Place between West Houston and Bleecker Streets. The space includes 1,350 sq. ft. on the ground floor and 1,350 sq. ft. on the lower level. The quick-service restaurant will be the chain’s ninth location since if first opened a few blocks away at West 4th Street in 1994.

New York -- U.S. convenience outlets reached record in-store sales in 2013, with sales climbing 2.4% to $204 billion. Combined with gasoline sales of $491.5 billion, overall convenience store sales were $695.5 billion, according to figures released by the National Association of Convenience Stores (NACS). Convenience stores account for 34.3% of all retail outlets in the United States, according to Nielsen, which is significantly higher than the U.S. total of other retail channels including drugstores.

New York — JLL has named Robert Gibson vice chairman of New York retail brokerage. He will be responsible for the growth of retail tenant and agency leasing in New York.

Most recently, vice chairman with Cushman & Wakefield Inc.’s Midtown Manhattan office, Gibson has more than 26 years of retail leasing experience in New York and nationally.

New York – While attitudes haven't changed overwhelmingly since December 2013, some shifts in plans for the next six months may indicate that Americans are questioning their financial prospects during the next few months, according to a new Harris Poll. The survey of 2,234 U.S. adults shows that Americans are more likely than in December to say that they plan on decreasing their spending on eating out at restaurants (59%, up four points) within the next six months.

Robert M. Long, former president, CEO and chairman of Longs Drug Stores passed away March 27 due to complications, which occurred as a result of inclusion body myositis.  

Long was a well-known industry veteran having led Longs Drug Stores for more than 20 years. His retirement from the Walnut Creek, Calif.-based pharmacy retailer as CEO in 2000 marked the first time that a member of the founding family was not heading the company.