Convenience Stores

Mexico City – Walmex, Mexico’s largest retailer, reported Monday that same-store sales for the month of June rose 5.3%. Total sales in June jumped 15%.

The retailer opened 26 stores and restaurants in June, after announcing it was reducing planned store openings to between 325 and 335 this year from a previously announced 410 to 436 stores.
 

Minneapolis – Caribou Coffee Co. said Monday that Leigh Anne Snider is joining the company as its senior VP retail operations, effective immediately.

Snider is charged – together with CEO Mike Tattersfield – driving the coffee company’s overall domestic day-to-day operating activities, including building consistent customer service procedures, driving revenue and effectively managing financials.

Boston -- A report released Tuesday by CB Richard Ellis found that, despite concerns about the pace of economic recovery and lukewarm employment growth, the U.S. commercial real estate market showed improvement across all property sectors in the second quarter of 2012.

Retail properties, which have generally lagged other property sectors during the recovery, saw a slight improvement in availability, which fell to 13% during the second quarter.

New York -- Drugstore retailer Duane Reade, a division of Walgreens, is expanding its Manhattan footprint with a second distinct location in the city’s Financial District. The new, 22,000-sq.-ft. store boasts a number of amenities, and—in a first for a U.S. drug store—also features a museum-quality exhibit that pays tribute to the neighborhood and hallowed grounds of downtown Manhattan. 

URBANDALE, Iowa — Hy-Vee is opening a new store in Iowa that will include a casual dining spot called Market Fresh Grille that will become a full-service restaurant at 4 p.m., including trained servers and a menu that includes dishes created by the store's chefs and a selection of wines and craft beers.

In order to make way for the store, the company is closing its current store in central Iowa in order to make way for a parking lot for the new store, set to open Aug. 14. The new store will include

TOWACO, N.J. — Bosco brand chocolate syrup is making its Walmart debut in 530 stoes in 12 Eastern states including Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia.

Bosco which comes in a 22 ounce squeeze bottle is all-natural and vitamin-fortified. Walmart will sell Bosco for $1.98.     

NEW YORK — Manhattan-based retailer Duane Reade is expanding its footprint with a second distinct location in the historic American Surety building in the city’s Financial District.

TORRANCE, Calif. — Yakult U.S.A. is introducing a probiotic drink to the U.S. market.

Yakult Light, which has nearly two-thirds less sugar and one-third fewer calories than regular Yakult, contains active probiotic bacteria called Lactobacillus casei strain Shirota. The product also is made with natural sweeteners and natural flavors, and is free of preservatives, gluten and high-fructose corn syrup. Unlike regular Yakult products, Yakult Light will tout blue and white packaging, with the red Yakult logo.