Convenience Stores

New York City -- Wal-Mart Stores has filed suit against CVS Caremark Corp. to prevent CVS from hiring former Wal-Mart executive Hank Mullany, according to a Friday report by Bloomberg.

CVS’s hiring of Mullany, former president of Wal-Mart’s northern U.S. division, would violate a noncompete agreement, Wal-Mart said in the complaint filed Thursday in Delaware Chancery Court.

According to Wal-Mart’s complaint, CVS has indicated that it intends to hire Mullany without regard to the agreement.

New York City -- Robert K. Futterman & Associates said it has been retained as the exclusive retail leasing agent for the Manhattan franchisee of Elevation Burger, which controls the chain’s locations south of 50th Street and is currently the only Manhattan franchisee. 

Earlier this year, RKF represented the burger chain’s franchisee in the leasing of its Manhattan flagship location at 103 West 14th Street between Sixth and Seventh Avenues. It is scheduled to open in December.

Houston -- Houston-based commercial real estate brokerage Baker Katz, an X Team partner, announced that it has acquired a former Hollywood Video building at Grogan’s Mill and Sawdust in The Woodlands, Texas. 

As part of an investment fund dedicated to real estate development, acquisition and ownership, Baker Katz purchased the 7,500-sq.-ft. building that is located near the area’s newest Wal-Mart Supercenter in The Woodlands, and plans to renovate and expand the building, subdivide it and re-lease the new spaces to individual tenants.

New York City -- Walgreens on Friday reported that its same-store sales rose 3.2% in November. The drugstore operator’s total sales rose 8.6% to $5.83 billion. (Duane Reade stores, acquired in April 2010, contributed 2.8% points to the total sales increase for the month. But those stores are not included in the same-store sales report.)

Meanwhile, Rite Aid Corp. reported that its November same-store sales fell 1.3% due to the introduction of new generic drugs and a decline in prescriptions resulting partly from a milder flu season.

By David King, fulcrm.com

For many retailers, the “best customer” search has been an ineffective venture where the results haven’t warranted the time or expense, despite a host of different efforts. But this tantalizing target keeps pulling dollars out of budgets, dollars that could be spent on creating a more realistic and profitable approach to customers -- one that considers customers’ shifting behaviors and value.

Raleigh, N.C. -- Charlotte, N.C.-based Crosland announced that several new tenants will open at The Shoppes at Oberlin Court mixed-use development in Raleigh, N.C.

Gigi's Cupcakes is slated to open a 1,579-sq.-ft. location in December, Edible Arrangements will open a 1,300-sq.-ft. store, also in December, and Oberlin Nails & Spa has opened a 1,198-sq.-ft. salon.

Cincinnati -- Kroger Co. rang up better sales and returned to third-quarter profitability but the company warned that shoppers remain cautious.

The Cincinnati-based grocer reported Thursday that net income was $202.2 million, compared with a loss of $875 million a year earlier.

Revenue was up 5.9% to $18.7 billion.

Philadelphia -- Centro Properties Group announced Tuesday that Wine & Spirits has opened a 6,800-sq.-ft. store at Ivyridge, in Philadelphia.

Centro Properties Group, based in New York City, is the owner of Ivyridge.