Convenience Stores

Seattle -- Starbucks Coffee Co. and International Paper, with Mississippi River Pulp, LLC, have completed a six-week pilot project that -- for the first time -- proved Starbucks used paper cups can be recycled into new paper cups. This advancement brings Starbucks one step closer to its goal of ensuring 100% of its cups are reusable or recyclable by 2015.

By Dave Mesko, [email protected]
It’s a shopper’s market. Today, consumers have an array of options when it comes to shopping and no longer have to remain loyal to one store. In order to grow and sustain loyal customers, it’s important that retailers provide a safe environment for shoppers.

Asheville, N.C. - Grocer Ingles Markets Inc. reported Tuesday that profit for the fourth quarter rose 63% to $8.5 million, compared with $5.2 million a year ago.

Revenue increased 3% to $856 million. Excluding gas, revenue rose 2%. Same-store sales rose 1.8%.

Ingles operates 203 supermarkets in the Southeast.

Miramar, Fla. - Boca Raton, Fla.-based Woolbright Development announced that five new restaurants have opened over the last few months at Miramar Square in Miramar, Fla.

Miramar Square is a 240,000-sq.-ft. shopping center anchored by Kohl’s, Staples and Dollar General.

The new restaurant openings include Golden Krust Caribbean Grill, L&L Market Bistro/Elle’s, Smitty’s Grill, La Coriana and Giardinos Gourmet Salads.

Other eateries slated to open in the next months include Coldstone Creamery and Sir Pizza.

New York City -- Verizon Wireless has joined the Environmental Protection Agency’s Energy Star program. Seventy-five Verizon Wireless Communications Stores have already earned the Energy Star designation for superior energy performance.

Under the partnership, Verizon Wireless pledges to measure and track energy performance at hundreds of its stores, switching centers, cell sites and other facilities throughout the United States.

Cincinnati -- Phillips Edison and Co.'s Fund IV announced its acquisition of Marketplace Shopping Center, in Independence, Mo.

The property was purchased from Centro Properties Group and Ingrid Long and Drew Quinn of Grubb & Ellis represented the Seller on the transaction. The 241,682-sq.-ft shopping center is anchored by Price Chopper.

Hicksville, L.I. -- National Business Solutions (NBS) recently introduced its Product Protection System (PPS), a loss-prevention shelving solution that can be customized to fit any product application and planogram.

The new shelving unit helps thwart professional thieves and shoplifting groups by preventing the sweeping of product at store level, thereby eliminating the potential for a thief to dump an entire shelf of merchandise into a bag at once.