Mass Merchant

CHICAGO — While many consumers tend to choose less expensive products when times are tough, lower-income Hispanics that predominantly speak Spanish tend to buy brand-name personal care products at a higher rate than their English-dominant counterparts, according to recent research by Mintel.

Smyrna, Ga. -- Westchester, Ill.-based Tri-Land Properties announced Tuesday that the redevelopment of The Crossings at Four Corners has launched in Smyrna, Ga.

Eight acres of the project will be home to a 96,000-sq.-ft. Kroger, the company’s largest grocery store in the Atlanta market.

HUNTINGTON BEACH, Calif. — A new line of toy firing systems features ammunition that disintegrates on impact.

The Xploderz lineup of products include the XBlaster 200, Face Off 400, XStormer 1000 and XRanger 2000. Each gun shoots ammunition made with H2Grow technology that disintegrates on impact.

The XBlaster 200 is an easy-to-handle blaster that features a power arm, ammo clip and 200 Xploderz rounds, and shoots up to 50 ft. The XBlaster 200 carries a suggested retail price of $12.99.

ROCKVILLE, Md. -- The Walmart Foundation and Goodwill have teamed up to provide single mothers with all the tools they need to find employment, succeed in the workplace and permanently support their families. The Walmart Foundation's grant of $2.5 million will support the program, known as Beyond Jobs, at Goodwill agencies in the five key markets of Atlanta, Boston, Los Angeles County, Detroit, and New York City, through 2012.

Indianapolis -- Appliance and electronics retailer Hhgregg reported Tuesday that net income for the quarter ended Dec. 31 rose 18.4% to $26.9 million, compared with $22.7 million in the year-ago period.

Net sales increased 30.6% to $653.7 million. Same-stores dropped 6.2%.

The company opened four new stores in the third quarter for a total of 42 in fiscal year 2011, and said it remains on track to open a total of 43 new stores in fiscal year 2011.

MINNEAPOLIS — In the wake of Walgreens' Big Flats 1901 entry, Supervalu recently introduced its “high quality, low-price” private-label American lager Buck Range Light.

Buck Range Light, which retails for about $5.99 for a 12-pack, will roll out in Supervalu banners nationwide, including Albertsons, Jewel-Osco, Cub Foods and more.

Oakland, Calif. -- A report Friday by the Los Angeles Times said that Target Corp. will pay the state of California $22.5 million to settle claims that the retailer improperly disposed of waste.

No offense to the grammatically challenged recording artist known as Meatloaf, but the notion that “two out of three ain’t bad” doesn’t apply when the issue is monthly same-store sales at Target.