Convenience Stores

PHILADELPHIA — Shoplifting, employee or supplier fraud, organized retail crime and administrative errors cost the retail industry $41.7 billion in the United States in 2011, representing 1.6% in sales, according to the Global Retail Theft Barometer released Tuesday by Checkpoint Systems. Of that, $18.4 billion was attributed to employee theft, $14.9 billion to shoplifters, $6.6 billion to internal error and $1.8 billion to suppliers.

NEW YORK — Wegmans Food Markets has opened its first location in Massachusetts, in the town of Northborough. The 138,000-sq.-ft. store, the largest supermarket in New England, has a warm, welcoming feel.

WOONSOCKET, R.I. — In an effort to reward loyal shoppers, CVS/pharmacy has created a new promotion that allows members of its ExtraCare Rewards program to earn multiple free gift cards by shopping for essentials at more than 7,200 locations nationwide.

COMMERCE, Calif. — The investment group that agreed to buy 99 Cents Only Stores for $1.6 billion must be pleased with the discounter's second-quarter results.

99 Cents Only Stores reported total sales of $363 million for the second quarter, an increase of 8.8% over total sales of $333.6 million for the same quarter last year. Same-store sales for the quarter were up 6.7%. The number of same-store-sales transactions increased 4.7% and the average transaction size increased to $9.62 from $9.44, the company reported.

WASHINGTON — The National Retail Federation Wednesday said that legislation introduced in the House to repeal debit card swipe fee reform would cost consumers more than $6 billion a year in savings that merchants plan to pass along to their customers.

PLEASANTON, Calif. — Safeway reported net income of $130.2 million (38 cents per diluted share) for the third quarter of 2011 compared with $122.8 million (33 cents per diluted share) for the third quarter of 2010.

Total sales were $10.1 billion in the third quarter of 2011 compared with $9.4 billion in the third quarter of 2010, due primarily to higher fuel sales, a 1.5% increase in identical-store sales (excluding fuel) and a higher Canadian exchange rate.

BENTONVILLE, Ark. — Two years of declining same-store sales at Walmart are poised to end next month when the retailer reports third quarter results that reflect positive momentum from a wide range of initiatives put in place during the past 12 months, judging from comments made by senior executives during an all day meeting with analysts on Wednesday.

CHICAGO — The Network of Executive Women has elected five new members at large to its board of directors.

New board members are Mike Byron, president of supplier diversity for Supervalu; Sarah Chartrand, SVP diversity, talent management and organizational development for Ahold USA; Marnette Perry, SVP Kroger; Suzanne Sears, VP global market development at Kimberly-Clark; and Karen Stuckey, SVP merchandising and general merchandise manager of the home division for Walmart Stores.