Convenience Stores

WABAN, Mass. — Publix, Hy-Vee, H.E.B., Sam's Club, ShopRite, Aldi, Giant Eagle and JCPenney were among the highest-rated companies for customer service, according to new research from the Temkin Group.

Other companies earning top marks included Chick-fil-A, credit unions and Starbucks. Meanwhile, companies with the lowest ratings included Charter Communications, Time Warner Cable, Comcast, Citibank, Qwest, Cigna, and Bank of America.

Edgewater, N.J. -- North Plainfield, N.J.-based Levin Management Corp. announced that HomeGoods, a TJX Cos. banner, will anchor the 100,000-sq.-ft. retail component of Edgewater Harbor, a mixed-use waterfront redevelopment in Edgewater, N.J.

HomeGoods has leased 24,000 sq. ft. and will join newly opened CVS Pharmacy, Moe's Southwest Grill, AT&T, Beach Bum Tanning, Epique Massage and Edgewater Dry Cleaners.

Goldsboro, N.C. -- Casto announced that Harris Teeter will open a 53,000-sq.-ft. store at Memorial Commons, located in Goldsboro, N.C. It is the grocer’s first store in the market.

Harris Teeter is slated to open late 2013, and will join Office Depot, Subway, Starbucks and T-Mobile.

Memorial Commons, a joint venture of Casto and 1st Carolina Properties, is a new neighborhood center located at the gateway to Wayne Memorial Hospital and Wayne County Community College.
 

Waban, Mass. -- Research results released Wednesday by Temkin Group put grocers Publix and Hy-Vee along with credit unions and Chick-fil-A at the top of its 2012 Temkin Customer Service Ratings, which examines how U.S. consumers rate the customer service of 174 large companies across 18 industries.

Other high marks were given by consumers to H.E.B., Sam's Club, Winn-Dixie, ShopRite, Aldi, Starbucks, Giant Eagle and J.C. Penney.

Bellevue, Wash. -- Coinstar Inc. said Monday it has completed its $100 million acquisition of DVD rental kiosks and other assets from rival NCR Corp.
 
Under the terms of the deal, Coinstar will buy products and services from NCR. According to Coinstar, the addition of the kiosks will allow its Redbox DVD rental kiosks to expand to new retail partners.
 

BELLEVUE, Wash. and GOODLETTSVILLE, Tenn. — Dollar General is offering customers a broader variety of prepaid mobile services through a new agreement with T-Mobile. Beginning in July, more than 6,400 Dollar General stores will offer numerous T-Mobile prepaid plan options and the Samsung t139 phone, which features messaging, web browsing, a camera and Bluetooth connectivity.

Dallas -- 7-Eleven announced that it has completed a transaction to acquire 18 Open Pantry convenience store locations in Wisconsin, primarily in the greater Milwaukee and Madison markets. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Jacksonville, Fla. -- Regency Centers announced it will construction of Grand Ridge Plaza, a 280,113-sq.-ft. shopping center, anchored by market-dominant grocer Safeway, on 24.58 acres.

Located in the heart of Issaquah Highlands, a master-planned community east of downtown Seattle, Grand Ridge Plaza will be the only major retail center to serve the community and is projected to draw shoppers from around the region.  

Houston -- On average, Hispanics visit convenience stores more frequently on a monthly basis compared to non-Hispanics, according to a recently released report by The NPD Group. The report, entitled The Hispanic Convenience Store Shopper, finds that Hispanics overall made almost two more visits a month than non-Hispanics to major oil chain c-stores, and nearly one more visit over a 30-day period to traditional c-stores than non-Hispanics.

The timing of store openings in Mexico and Central America will be delayed by as much as 90 days due to what the company described as “process changes” that will increase the time required to open a store.

Wal-Mart de Mexico, S.A.B. de C.V. in an update to its expansion program disclosed to the Mexican Stock Exchange that it contemplated completing its 2012 expansion program 60 to 90 days later than originally planned. As a result new store openings for the current year will now range between 325 and 335 units.