Convenience Stores

Bentonville, Ark. -- Walmart announced that through its charitable arm, the Walmart Foundation, it is committing $1 million in cash and in-kind donations to support emergency relief efforts following the recent Southern storms, Midwest floods and Texas wildfires.

Pleasanton, Calif. -- Taxes related to Safeway's effort to pay down debt reduced its first-quarter net income, but the company's adjusted results beat Wall Street's expectations as its revenue rose, the Associated Press reported.

The company earned $25.1 million for the quarter, compared with $96 million a year earlier. This includes a tax charge related to a plan to pay down its U.S. debt with part of a $1.1 billion dividend in cash and debt from its Canadian operations.

WALTHAM, Mass.  -- Kroger is now offering its shoppers the ability to redeem SavingStar e-coupons when they use their Kroger Plus Card at checkout. According to a press release from SavingStar, it is the only national paperless grocery coupon service, and the addition of Kroger to the SavingStar network of retailers increases the number of grocery and drug stores offering their customers digital coupons through SavingStar to more than 24,000 stores nationwide. 

Seattle -- Starbucks on Wednesday reported that its second-quarter profit rose 20% as more customers visited its stores, and it raised its earnings forecast for the year.

The company said it earned $261.6 million for the quarter ended April 3, up from $217.3 million a year earlier. Revenue rose nearly 10% to $2.79 billion.

New York City -- SuperValu plans to increase the footprint of its value division Save-A-Lot by 160 new stores this year, GlobeSt.com reported.

“This past year we added 92 net Save-A-Lot stores, and this fiscal year we’re looking to add another 160 net stores,” a spokesman said in the report.

Herndon, Va. -- Jacksonville, Fla.-based Regency Centers said that it has leased space at Village Center at Dulles, located in Herndon, Va., to Noodles & Co.

The 3,167-sq.-ft. store is slated to open this summer, and brings the center to 98% leased.

The 308,000-sq.-ft. shopping center is anchored by Shoppers Food Warehouse, Staples and Gold’s Gym, and also includes Starbucks, Chuck E. Cheese, Subway, GNC, State Farm and The UPS Store.

New York City -- Wal-Mart Stores CEO Mike Duke said rising gas prices are hurting the chain’s main customers, who are having an even harder time stretching their dollars to the next payday than they did a year ago.

"There's no doubt that rising fuel prices are having an impact on our customers," said Duke at an event that was part of The Wall Street Journal's executive breakfast series,  according to the Associated Press. "There's more pressure."

St. Paul, Minn. -- A partnership between St. Paul, Minn.-based Paster Enterprises and Chicago-based Shiner Capital Partners announced the purchase of Cahill Plaza, located in Inver Grove Heights, Minn.

Cahill Plaza is a 69,000-sq.-ft. shopping center that is anchored by a 52,017-sq.-ft. Cub Foods and a 6,165-sq.-ft. MGM Liquor. Additional tenants include Great Clips, RR Cleaners, C & A Nails, Edward Jones and Papa Johns.