Convenience Stores

Walmart’s efforts to gain share in California’s grocery market continued this week with the opening of another Neighborhood Market in San Jose.

The 41,000-sq.-ft. store is Walmart’s second Neighborhood Market in San Jose and third in the San Francisco area and could be a sign of more to come. Since opening it first Neighborhood Market in California last summer, the format has quickly grown to approximately 20 locations. And there are likely more to come as Walmart looks to accelerated expansion of smaller format stores nationwide in the coming years.

Green Bay, Wis. -- Shopko announced it has completed the conversion of 163 Pamida stores making it one of the largest U.S. retailers focused on serving smaller and rural communities. It was a year ago that Shopko and Pamida first announced their intent to merge the two companies and convert the existing Pamida locations to the Shopko Hometown store format. One year later, the conversion of the last group of Pamida stores is now complete with the final 36 stores celebrating their official grand openings as Shopko Hometown.

CINCINNATI — Robert Moeder, president of Kroger's central division, is retiring from the company after more than 40 years in the retail industry.

Brentwood, Tenn. — Tractor Supply Co. reported that net income for the quarter was $79.5 million, compared with net income of $70.5 million in the fourth quarter of the prior year.

Net sales for the fourth quarter increased to $1.29 billion, or 3.7% over the prior year's 14-week period.

Same-store sales increased 4.7%, compared with a strong 7.6% increase in the prior-year period.

The company opened 25 new stores in fourth quarter 2012, compared with 31 new store openings in the prior year's fourth quarter.

GREEN BAY, Wis. — Shopko has completed the conversion of 163 Pamida stores. The move makes Shopko one of the largest U.S. retailers to serve smaller and rural communities. The merger was first announced one year ago this month.  

Camp Hill, Pa. -- Rite Aid Corp. reported Thursday that same-store sales for the month of January edged up 0.3%, boosted by a 4.2% rise in front-end sales for the month along with increased prescription counts.

Total sales for the four-week period decreased 0.5% to $1.914 billion.

TORONTO — Most retailers in Canada are ready for a phase-out of one-cent coins, a national retailing trade group said Wednesday.

The Retail Council of Canada said the majority of the country's retail businesses were prepared for the disappearance of the penny and will follow the government's proposals for determining prices.

Toronto -- Most retailers in Canada are ready for a phase-out of one-cent coins, a national retailing trade group said Wednesday.

The Retail Council of Canada said the majority of the country's retail businesses were prepared for the disappearance of the penny and will follow the government's proposals for determining prices.