Convenience Stores

CARLISLE, Pa . — The U.S. subsidiary of Dutch supermarket operator Royal Ahold is hoping to attract local and diverse suppliers to its stores in the markets in which it operates.

Pittsburgh — Giant Eagle on Thursday unveiled its first two compressed natural gas fueling stations in the Pittsburgh area at its Beechnut Drive retail support and distribution center, according to a report by Drug Store News.

Annapolis, Md. — Jacksonville, Fla.-based Regency Centers said three new tenants have leased space at Village at Lee Airpark, located in Annapolis, Md.

Coldstone Creamery has leased 1,240 sq. ft., AT&T Authorized Dealer CellComm has leased 2,076 sq. ft., and Bay Tunes Guitars has leased 1,390 sq. ft.

All three retailers are slated to open fall 2011, bringing the first phase of Village at Lee Airpark to 98% occupancy.  

ARLINGTON, Va. — Members of the Retail Industry Leaders Association on Wednesday arrived in Joplin, Mo., to help clean up the Midwest city that was hard-hit in May by a category F-5 tornado.

Shanghai — Wal-Mart Stores Inc. announced it has appointed its current Canada finance chief Sean Clarke as COO over the company’s China operations, after former CFO Roland Lawrence and COO Rob Cissell left the company in May.

According to a report by Bloomberg, Clarke will be joined by Steve Smith, named chief marketing officer in China. Smith was senior VP at Delhaize Group. 

Washington, D.C. — A report released Thursday by the U.S. Commerce Department showed that retail sales in June experienced a slight uptick of 0.1%. This comes on the heels of a 0.1% dip in May, the first time in 11 months that sales fell. 

The June resurgence was attributed to a rise in auto sales and increased spending in big chain stores. Sales excluding gasoline rebounded 0.3% after declining 0.2% in May.

Sales at general merchandise stores, which include Wal-Mart and Target, increased 0.4% on warmer weather and aggressive discounting. 

Milford, Conn. — The Subway restaurant chain announced that a franchisee in Toledo, Ohio, has opened the brand's 8,000th non-traditional location— in a two million-sq.-ft. automobile assembly facility that produces Jeep and Chrysler vehicles.

Chicago -- Jones Lang LaSalle announced Wednesday that The Kroger Co. is undertaking an initiative with JLL to conduct a strategic review of a group of its retail assets, in tandem with Kroger’s divisional real estate teams, to explore optimization strategies for a select portfolio of operating stores.

In addition, Jones Lang LaSalle has been selected, among others, to participate in developing disposition strategies for a portion of the retailer’s closed store portfolio.