Convenience Stores

When we think of our neighbors to the north in Canada, there are plenty of iconic symbols and traditions that come to mind: hockey, moose and the Mounties to name a few. When it comes to retail real estate in Canada, something else that could be considered “iconic” would be the fact that many regional malls there often have supermarkets as their major anchor.

New York City -- Whole Foods Market is testing membership-only Wellness Clubs in select locations, with the initial site in the chain’s store in Dedham, Mass., USA Today reported. Four additional sites are expected to open this fall.

The company is charging a one-time fee of $199, with monthly membership dues of $45, according to the report, for which members will receive lifestyle evaluations, classes in nutrition, cooking and health and 10% off on 1,000 “better-for-you” foods sold in Whole Foods.

Omaha, Neb. -- Wal-Mart Stores said it will build its first neighborhood market in Nebraska, a 34,000-sq.-ft. store opening in northwest Omaha.

Walmart last week opened the first of five market stores opening by Nov. 2 in Wichita, Kan. It was the retail giant's first venture into that city with the smaller market stores.

The full range of products to be sold at the new Walmart market includes fresh meats, vegetables, dairy products, dry goods and staples, bakery and deli items, canned and packaged goods, and pet and household supplies.

London -- Grocery giant Tesco PLC said Wednesday it is pulling out of Japan, which means shuttering 129 small, leasehold-owned stores in the Greater Tokyo area, which employ 4,000 people. The country is the smallest of Tesco’s international retail businesses, and the weakest for sales growth in the 2010-2011 fiscal year.

“Having made considerable efforts in Japan, we have concluded that we cannot build a sufficiently scalable business,” said Philip Clarke, CEO.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Inflationary increases, sales growth at remodeled stores and a boost from fuelperks! helped drive up Winn-Dixie's second quarter identical-store sales, while net sales dipped.

According to Winn-Dixie's chief Peter Lynch, Winn-Dixie is riding a strong headwind into fiscal 2012 powered by a number of influencers — a marketing program that better sustains margins, its loyalty program Fuelperks!, an improved stocking system and a significant focus on improving the customer experience.

Goodlettsville, Tenn. -- Dollar General Corp. reported Tuesday that its second-quarter net income rose 3.5% to $146 million from $141.2 million in the year-ago period. Sales increased 11% to $3.58 billion; same-store sales rose 5.9%. Its results beat expectations. 

The company also raised its full-year outlook.

Dallas -- Cypress Equities said that Freebirds World Burrito has signed a lease to occupy a portion of a new development in Fort Worth, Texas, adjacent to the company’s West 7th development.

The 2,370-sq.-ft. restaurant will mark the third Freebirds in Fort Worth, with other locations near Hulen Mall and at Alliance Town Center. Freebirds World Burrito is owned by Tavistock Restaurants and has more than 50 locations throughout Texas, California and Oklahoma.
 

Los Angeles -- X Team International announced that Los Angeles-based partner Cypress Retail Group has been retained by Property Development Centers, a wholly owned subsidiary of Safeway Inc., to serve as the leasing agent for four shopping centers under development and redevelopment in the Los Angeles area.

The four shopping centers, located in La Canada, La Crescenta, Eagle Rock and Pasadena, are all being redeveloped, renovated or expanded, and are anchored by Vons, a Los Angeles-based, Safeway-owned grocery store.
 

Miami Beach, Fla. -- Terranova Corp. said that men’s fashion retailer Romo Italian Designers will open a 1,020-sq.-ft. store at the Crossing Shopping Village, in Miami.

The location is a first for the retailer under the Romo Italian Designers banner. The store is slated to open by the end of August. 

The Crossings Shopping Village is anchored by Publix, and tenanted by CVS, Blockbuster Video and Chicken Kitchen.
 

New York City -- While it may take some to fully assess the damage, the impact of Hurricane Irene on retail sales is likely to split among retail sectors: Home-improvement stores selling emergency preparation products and clean-up items are likely to benefit the most from the storm, while apparel retailers and department stores selling non-essential items are likely to take a hit.