Convenience Stores

Camp Hill, Pa. -- Rite Aid's April sales rose thanks in part to bustling business at its pharmacies.

Rite Aid’s same-store sales rose 0.5% over the four weeks ended April 23, with pharmacy revenue up 1%. Sales of nonpharmacy fell 0.4%. Prescriptions filled at those stores rose 0.7%.

Total April sales fell 0.4% to $1.95 billion from $1.96 billion. The company had 4,705 stores as of April 23, 68 less than a year ago.

New York City -- Speaking at the Barclays Capital analyst conference in New York City on Tuesday, Kroger Co. chairman and CEO David Dillon said grocery prices are rising slightly. He also said the chain may benefit from rising fuel prices because the discounts it offers on gasoline could attract more shoppers.

Grocery prices have gone up approximately 2%, Dillon said, in what he called "the low side of moderate" inflation, since late last year as suppliers deal with higher commodity and energy costs, the Associated Press reported.

By Jason Pierson

Frisco, Texas -- Jacksonville, Fla.-based Regency Centers said it has leased restaurant space to Tutti Frutti Yogurt, which will open a 1,412-sq.-ft. store at Legacy Center, in Frisco, Texas.

The specialty frozen yogurt retailer is slated to open its new store in July.
The 119,500-sq.-ft. shopping center includes national retailers such as Starbucks, Subway, Great Clips and The UPS Store.

New York City -- Retailers across the nation issued updates on their environmental initiatives in the days leading up to Earth Day, April 22. Starbucks Coffee Co. released its tenth annual "Global Responsibility Report," noting it has reduced water use, increased its renewable energy purchases and is testing a new energy management story (see story here).

Houston -- Kroger Southwest on Thursday said it plans to lower energy usage by 50% -- an average decrease of 2% to 4% annually -- during the next five years. Since 2000, the company has reduced energy consumption in its stores by 30%.

In its ongoing effort to reduce usage, Kroger Southwest appointed a task force of energy-conservation technicians whose sole focus is to identify ways stores can operate more efficiently.

Cincinnati -- Macy's announced that it is taking new steps to become a more sustainable company.

"Our company has embraced the principles of sustainability, and we continue to take actions that are tangible, measurable and meaningful in reducing our use of scarce resources and improving the efficiency of our business in serving customer needs," said Tom Cole, Macy's chief administrative officer. "We have made significant progress over the past several years, and we continue to move forward with new ideas in 2011 and beyond."

By Jeff Weidauer, jweidauer_@_vestcom.com

One of the drawbacks of today’s connected global economy is the pervasive homogeneity in nearly everything. One can visit any state -- indeed, nearly any country -- and see many of the same stores and restaurants offering the same products.