Convenience Stores

Old Bridge, N.J. — Thanks to absorptions of numerous empty big-box space on Route 22, the vacancy rate in retail properties along northern New Jersey’s six major shopping corridors inched own to 8.1% from a high of 8.2% a year ago, according to the latest survey by R.J. Brunelli & Co.

Deerfield, Ill. -- Walgreens reported that same-store sales for the month of August rose 4.8%, beating Wall Street expectations of a 2.9% gain.

Results included a 6.4% gain from the pharmacy and a 2.2% rise from the front-end.

Total revenue for August rose 6% to $6.17 billion.

Washington, D.C. — Pret A Manger has leased a two-story retail building on Capital Hill in Washington, D.C., according to Douglas Development, the building’s owner. Located just two blocks from the U.S. Capitol Building, the restaurant will occupy 4,300-sq. ft. and offer two floors of indoor dining as well as a large outdoor patio.

Originally from London, Pret A Manger opened its first U.S. location in 2000 near the New York Stock Exchange. Today, there are over 300 Pret A Manger locations worldwide.

Camp Hill, Pa. -- Rite Aid Corp. saw same-store sales edge up 1.1% in August, hurt by a 1.7% front-end same-store sales drop. Pharmacy comps rose 2.5%.

For the quarter, total sales edged up 0.7% to $6.25 billion, and same-store sales rose 1%.

Brussels, Belgium – Delhaize Group has named Franz Muller as CEO, effective Nov. 8. Muller will succeed Pierre-Olivier Beckers, who will remain available to advise the new CEO until year-end and continue to serve on the board of directors in a non-executive capacity thereafter.

Muller, 52, has more than 15 years of senior leadership experience in retail, most recently as a member of the management board of Metro AG and CEO of Metro Cash & Carry. He will start with Delhaize on Oct. 14, prior to assuming the role of CEO.

New York -- Drugstore operator Duane Reade in late August passed an important milestone: It surpassed 1 million Twitter followers. The drugstore chain, which is owned by Walgreens, is most-followed retailer on Twitter in the food, drug and mass arena.

Duane Reade has garnered five times more Twitter followers than its parent company Walgreens (180,390 followers), the second-most followed drug store retailer. CVS/pharmacy, No. 3, is followed by 117,931 Twitter followers.

Retailers were already leery about the outlook for consumer spending this holiday season and reports Wednesday of record auto sales in August only add to the concern.

Both Walmart and Target reported disappointing second quarter sales and tempered their outlook for the full year. Conversely, car salespeople across the country were clinking champagne glasses and cashing commission checks as their employers, everyone from Mazda to Honda to Porsche and Ford, said August was a record month.

GOODLETTSVILLE, Tenn. — Dollar General reported record sales, operating profit and net income for its second quarter ended Aug. 2, driven, in part, by the company’s newly introduced tobacco products and strong sales of perishables and candy and snacks.

The company’s net income increased 15% to $245 million in the quarter, from $214 million in the year-ago quarter, and earnings per diluted share of $0.75 in the quarter increased 17% over EPS of $0.64 in the year-ago quarter.