Convenience Stores

According to the Employment Situation report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the national unemployment rate held at 8.2%. Nonfarm payroll employment continued to edge up in June, with 80,000 jobs added.

Professional and business services added 47,000 jobs in June, while health care added 13,000 jobs and wholesale trade added 9,000 in June.

Deerfield, Ill. -- Walgreen Co. has entered into an agreement to acquire Stephen L. LaFrance Holdings Inc., the owner and operator of the USA Drug chain, for about $438 million, gaining stores in several Southern states. The acquisition comes on the heels of Walgreens’ announcement that it was buying a 45% stake in Alliance Boots GmbH for $6.7 billion last month to expand globally.

Total U.S. shopper traffic in retail stores and malls for June 2012

Summer retail is heating up. June brought high temperatures and a steady stream of shoppers to stores across the nation. Retail foot traffic in June increased 5.2% compared with the previous month and 7% over the same period last year.

DEERFIELD, Ill. — Walgreens will acquire 144 stores operating under USA Drug, Super D Drug, May's Drug, Med-X and Drug Warehouse banners in an agreement valued at approximately $438 million.

DEERFIELD, Ill. and Camp Hill, Pa. — Walgreens and Rite Aid both reported declines in total sales for June.

Greensboro, N.C. -- High-end grocer The Fresh Market is making a stand in California, as it prepares to open its first three stores in the state.

According to a Tuesday report by Investor’s Business Daily, Fresh Market has signed leases and begun construction on one store in Santa Barbara, one in Palo Alto and a third in Roseville. The grocer said it expects to open its first store in the state either late this year or early 2013.

LAKELAND, Fla. — Publix is testing online ordering of its deli products in one Lakeland, Fla. store beginning Aug. 3. Through the service, customers an order custom subs, wraps, sliced meats and cheeses. Publix expects to roll out the program to 50 additional stores later this year.

FORT WORTH, Texas — Kroger has opened a Signature store in the Fort Worth, Texas, market.

The 100,000-sq.-ft. store, which includes a fuel center, places more emphasis on an interactive customer experience and offers more natural and organic foods, chef-prepared meal solutions and ethnic and gourmet food choices. Along with the fuel center, the new store features a pharmacy and offers a vast wine and beer selection. Kroger currently has 30 Signature stores in the Dallas-Fort Worth market.