Convenience Stores

Greenville, S.C. -- Grocer Bi-Lo LLC said Monday that it has acquired southern supermarket chain Winn-Dixie, in a $560 million transaction that will take Winn-Dixie Stores Inc. private and create the largest grocery operator in the South.

The merger will combine Winn-Dixie’s 480 supermarkets in five southern states (Florida, Alabama, Louisiana, Georgia and Mississippi) with Bi-Lo’s 207 stores in the Carolinas, Georgia and Tennessee to create a company with 690 stores and 63,000 workers in eight states.

The Network of Executive Woman, or NEW, is holding a new event in Dallas next year and has signed on Walmart’s top diversity executive as a featured speaker.

NEW YORK — Duane Reade is set to put its signature “New York Living Made Easy” vision on full display on Friday with the unveiling of its expanded store located at 1657 Broadway in New York.

The new 24-hour location, which opened Friday, will serve as an amplification of the retailer’s continued rebranding and aggressive transformation initiatives to date.

Tarrytown, N.Y. – DLC Management Corp. announced a new deal signed with Wal-Mart Stores to open a 44,271-sq.-ft. Walmart Market at DLC’s Bethesda Walk Shopping Center in Lawrenceville, Ga.

The deal, which was finalized on November 21, marks the grocery-only concept’s first store in the Atlanta metro area.

New York City -- Duane Reade, a division of Walgreens, spotlights its “New York Living Made Easy” format on Friday with the unveiling of its expanded store located at 1657 Broadway in New York.
The new 24-hour location reflects the chain’s focus on rebranding and aggressive transformation initiatives to date.

Dallas — Davaco has acquired Ecoxera, an Austin, Texas-based retail sustainability consulting firm. Justin Doak, who is the founder of Ecoxera, will continue to serve as president.

PLEASANTON, Calif. — Safeway on Tuesday named Al Duran to the role of president of the company's Denver division. He replaces Scott Grimmett, who is leaving Safeway for an opportunity with a noncompeting food retailer, the company stated.

"Al's results-oriented leadership style and experience on both the retail and the marketing side of our business will serve him well in his new assignment," Safeway chairman, president and CEO Steve Burd said. "He is also a Colorado native and knows that market well."

By Kenneth Gruskin, [email protected]

Today, fickle and demanding consumers can access virtually anything they want as a result of technology such as smartphones, tablets, and computers. This anytime, anywhere access coupled with what can be referred to as the four ‘C’s’ — convergence, convenience, connection, and cost — are having a dramatic impact on retailers. 

Cary, N.C. -- The Pantry Inc.'s fiscal fourth-quarter profit fell 61%, pulled down by an impairment charge. Net income fell to $3.3 million for the period ended Sept. 29, down from $8.5 million in the year-ago period, which had one extra week.

Interim CEO Edwin Holman said in a statement that the convenience-store company will look to improve its merchandise sales next year and will do this by taking a look at the prices it charges.

Revenue rose 12% to $2.18 billion, boosted by fuel sales. Same-store sales were down 0.8%.

New York City -- Chain Store Age invites design firms, architects, retailers and suppliers to submit entries for its 30th annual Retail Store of the Year Design Competition. Eligible projects are those completed between November 2010 and December 2, 2011. Deadline for submission is December 20, 2011. Extensions are available.

Twenty-one competition categories are featured, ranging from supermarkets and discount/mass merchants to specialty stores and pop-up stores.