Convenience Stores

Salisbury, N.C. -- Discount grocery chain Bottom Dollar Food announced Monday plans to enter the greater Pittsburgh and Youngstown, Ohio, markets.

The expansion includes 14 stores that will open in 2012 and slated to create more than 600 jobs.

American consumers may not like inflation, but retailers are enjoying the favorable impact rising prices have on their same-store sales calculations. It was evident last month when most retailers reported healthy comp increases, and more of the same could be in store for July as it appears retailers are effectively passing through increased prices to shoppers.

VANCOUVER, British Columbia — PNI Digital Media on Monday announced an agreement with Walgreens to provide and operate an online stationery service for the Chicago-based pharmacy.

The service will allow Walgreens customers to create and customize unique cards, invitations and other printed material, including personalized photo books and photo calendars, wedding invitations and business cards.

Seattle -- Amazon said Monday it has launched a new app to support AmazonFresh on Android phones.

AmazonFresh, a division of Amazon, is available only in the Seattle area and is a service for ordering groceries online for home delivery.

With the new application, users can shop complete grocery and selected Amazon.com aisles, choose home delivery times, view past purchases, and place orders.

The app also includes features such as barcode scanning and list functionality.  
 
 

Appearing at number 21 on this year’s ranking of the 50 most powerful people in the food industry is Target chairman, president and CEO Gregg Steinhafel. Compiled by Supermarket News, Steinhafel is probably ranked about where he should be considering the company’s position in the hierarchy of food retailers and other people in positions of power whose actions influence impacts the food universe. Click here to view the list.

Walmart is among a group of retailers who further aligned themselves with a key Obama administration initiative this week by committing to open more than 1,500 stores in urban and rural markets defined as food deserts. The initiative is part of the Obama administration’s Let’s Move! campaign designed to address the nation’s weight problem by improving access to fresh foods.

Here are the facts:

• Walmart will open between 275 and 300 stores in food deserts by 2016.

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. — Fresh & Easy is adding a dozen dishes to its gourmet line.

The line of restaurant-quality products, launched in February, now will include 12 new items, including pizza, Hawaiian pork and more, in addition to "Gourmet for Two" meals, which provide customers with a restaurant-quality meal for two for under $10.

Salisbury, N.C. -- Discount grocer Bottom Dollar Food plans to enter the greater Pittsburgh, and Youngstown, Ohio, markets, starting with 14 locations.

Most of the locations are expected to open in early 2012.