Convenience Stores

New York City -- Discount grocer Aldi has made its U.S. mall debut, opening in Westfield Chicago Ridge, an 800,000-sq.-ft. enclosed shopping center in Chicago Ridge, Ill. The mall is a property of The Westfield Group.

The 20,000-sq.-ft. store offers the same prices and products as other Aldi stores, and also features the retailer’s current interior prototype elements. The store is entered through the mall entrances.

CINCINNATI — Kroger has released its fifth annual sustainability report.

 Some of the highlights noted in the report include:

• Kroger stores reduced overall energy consumption by 30% since 2000. 

• Company-wide, including all facilities, Kroger has saved more than 2.2 billion kilowatt hours.

NEW YORK — Private-label sales across all three major retail channels reached new highs in 2010, according the Private Label Manufacturers Association.

The most recent Leading National Advertisers annual report from Advertising Age shows Target posted the biggest increased in ad spending in 2010 among conventional retailers. The total amount the company spent increased 12% to $1.508 billion compared with $1.246 billion the prior year. That put the company 18th on the Ad Age list of the nation’s 100 largest advertisers. Only two retailers spent more than Target.

New York City -- Winn-Dixie Stores has filed suit against Dolgencorp, the parent company of Dollar General. The grocer confirmed that the suit was filed because Dolgencorp “knowingly violates legal, noncompete provisions of Winn-Dixie leases in shopping centers in which both businesses operate,” Winn-Dixie told the Jacksonville Business Journal in an email.

CINCINNATI — Kroger announced that it has named Michael Donnelly SVP merchandising. Donnelly has been president of the company's Ralphs Grocery Company division, based in Los Angeles, Calif., since August 2007.

In his new position, Donnelly will lead all merchandising and procurement for Kroger.