Convenience Stores

LENEXA, Kan. — Balance Innovations, a provider of reconciliation and cash office management solutions for the retail industry in the United States and Canada, has named former Safeway executive Steve Rempel president and CEO. 

In this role, Rempel will lead the company as it further develops its core products and evolves to the next generation of cash office reconciliation solutions for the retail industry.

Franklin, Tenn. -- Almost three in 10 (28%) of North American retailers plan to adopt mobile POS technology by the end of the year, according to a new study from IHL Group.

Results of “Mobile POS: Hype to Reality” also indicate that 45% of all tablet POS shipments go to specialty retailers, mobile POS solutions will cannibalize about 12% of traditional retail POS shipments by 2016 and more than 85% of larger retailers say that in the next three years mobile POS systems will complement, rather than replace, traditional POS systems.

SEATTLE — Starbucks subsidiary Seattle’s Best Coffee opened 10 new drive-through windows at restaurants throughout the Dallas/Fort Worth area.

Items available for drive-through purchase include 12 combo specials priced $5 or less.

Washington, D.C. -- Douglas Development said that specialty candy store IT’SUGAR will join soft-serve yogurt shop FrozenYo and bar concept Jackpot Tavern in Chinatown, across from the Verizon Center and Gallery Place Metro Station, in Washington, D.C.

San Diego -- Despite being the most tech-savvy generation in history, Generation Y, the 80-million strong cohort of Americans between the ages of 18 and 35, has not forsaken shopping in stores for online purchasing – as long as retailers keep their offerings "fresh" and interesting, according to a new report from the Urban Land Institute (ULI).

TEMPE, Ariz. — Walmart has opened a new small-format store on the campus of Arizona State University as part of a pilot program.

The company announced its plans to open the 5,000-sq.-ft. store in the Vista del Sol plaza at the university in late March of this year. The store includes health and wellness services, a pharmacy, convenient shopping services, convenience items and merchandise tailored to the campus. The Walmart on Campus store is the second in the country, the first having opened at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville in January 2011.

CINCINNATI — Vantiv is teaming up with NCR Corporation to offer small businesses innovative point-of-sale technology integrated with leading payments solutions. 

Under the multi-year agreement, the companies will focus on developing exclusive solutions and expanding their innovative technology platforms to deliver personalized customer experiences that help smaller merchants compete more effectively against larger competitors.

CINCINNATI — Kroger has named Scott M. Henderson VP of pension investment and strategy and Todd A. Foley VP and treasurer.

Henderson currently serves as Kroger's VP and treasurer, a position he has held since 2003. He will lead a new team that is responsible for overseeing nearly $12 billion of assets.