Convenience Stores

LOS ANGELES — Food 4 Less and Ralphs Grocery announced that they are inviting customers to help support local food banks and families in need through a special fund-raising campaign that kicks off Nov. 6. In addition, Food 4 Less' Foods Co Division is also collecting donations for food banks in Central and Northern California.

New York City -- Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Market, the U.S. division of Tesco, has opened its first Fresh & Easy Express store, at La Cienega Boulevard and 18th Street in Los Angeles.

The new format is approximately 3,000 sq. ft. versus the 10,000-sq.-ft. footprint of a standard Fresh & Easy. It features an edited selection of some 2,700 SKUs, including fresh foods, baked items, groceries, and health and beauty items.
 

New York City -- A homeless man was charged with murder Thursday for a baseball bat attack on a 74-year-old Lakewood man in a Southern California Walmart, the Associated Press said.

Richard Lawrence Kalfin was charged with murder with a special allegation that he used a deadly weapon. He faces 57 years to life in prison if convicted and remained jailed on more than $1 million bail.

Seattle -- Starbucks Corp.’s fiscal fourth-quarter profit jumped nearly 29%, beating Wall Street estimates on strong sales around the globe. The company earned $358.5 million in the quarter, up from $278.9 million last year. Revenue rose 7% to $3 billion, with some benefit from foreign exchange rates. Same-store sales increased 9%, with a 10% rise in the United States.

ISSAQUAH, Wash. — With BJ's no longer reporting monthly sales, Costco is the only warehouse-club retailer left to give some insight regarding how Sam's Club performs on monthly basis. With Costco delivering positive comps for the month, it is safe to assume that Sam's and BJ's have garnered their fair share of the market.

HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill.  — Sears Holdings has entered the future of staying connected to consumers introducing mobile shopping walls in high-traffic areas.

WOONSOCKET, R.I. — CVS Caremark on Thursday reported solid third-quarter results — 2 cents above the high end of its guidance range — driven in large part by been tter-than-expected performance in its pharmacy benefit management, which is in the midst of a profit-improvement plan.

Purchase, N.Y. -- October’s unusual weather patterns — an unseasonably warm first half of the month and a snow storm on the last Saturday of the month — may have pushed some spending into November, according to MasterCard Advisors SpendingPulse, a macroeconomic report tracking national retail and service sales across all payment forms including cash and check.

Houston -- ATM owner Cardtronics said Wednesday it has signed an agreement to provide ATM services to grocer Harris Teeter.

As part of the agreement, Cardtronics has initially installed 100 ATMs for Harris Teeter in Florida, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia. Additionally, the agreement provides Cardtronics the exclusive right to install ATMs in new Harris Teeter stores, as well as to transition all existing non-bank branch cash machines at Harris Teeter stores to Cardtronics' ATMs, over time.
 

Farmington Hills, Mich. -- Pet Supplies “Plus” said Tuesday that Donna Capichano Simmons has joined the company as senior VP real estate.

Capichano Simmons, who was previously VP real estate development for Kohl’s, is charged with refining and implementing PSP’s real estate growth strategy.