Large Chains

Boise, Idaho – As part of divestures to receive FTC clearance of their proposed January 2015 merger, AB Acquisitions Inc. (Albertsons) and Safeway Inc. will sell 146 stores to Pacific Northwest grocery chain Haggen. With this acquisition, which remains subject to FTC approval, Haggen will expand from 18 stores with 16 pharmacies to 164 stores with 106 pharmacies.  

Little known food retailer Haggen Northwest Fresh will grow its store base more than 800% following a Federal Trade Commission mandate that Albertson’s and Safeway divest 168 stores.

Few people have heard of Haggen outside Washington and Oregon, where the company operates 18 stores, but now the food retailer is about to get dramatically bigger and expand its presence to three more western states.

Albertsons plans to acquire Safeway for $32 a share in a deal valued at roughly $9 billion that will create a supermarket chain with roughly 2,400 locations to rival market leader Kroger.

The deal announced late Thursday ended longrunning speculation regarding the potential acquisition of Safeway.

Mexico City - Wal-Mart de Mexico said that that Enrique Ostale, Walmex chairman and Latin America CEO for Wal-Mart Stores, will also take over as CEO of the Mexican company, effective January 1.  

Kansas City, Kansas - Mid-America Real Estate Corporation’s Investment Sales team recently brokered the sale of Quivira Crossings located in Overland Park (Kansas City MSA), Kansas. Cincinnati-based Phillips Edison purchased the 111,304-sq.-ft. grocery-anchored center for $14.5 million.   Quivira Crossings is located at 135th Street and Quivira Road in Overland Park, and features a long-term lease with Price Chopper.

St. Petersburg, Florida - The Sembler Company and Forge Capital Partners, in their Forge Real Estate Partners III investment fund, have recently purchased two shopping centers:  Causeway Shopping Center in Indian Harbour Beach, Florida, and Springdale Shopping Center in Austin, Texas.     FREP now owns five shopping centers, and the joint venture is actively seeking additional investments in grocery-anchored shopping centers throughout the Southeast.    

Cincinnati - The Kroger Co. has been accepted as an “Elite Member” of Energy Star Certification Nation by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).  Kroger was the only grocery retailer granted Elite Member certification status, which was granted to organizations that earned Energy Star certification for at least 150 buildings in 2014.  

Kroger has gotten the ultimate green seal of approval from the EPA.

The federal government has announced that Kroger is the only grocery retailer to be granted elite Energy Star Certification status by the EPA.

"Kroger is committed to reducing our impact on the environment, and our Energy Star certified buildings have delivered energy and cost savings as well as reduce our carbon footprint," said Keith Oliver, Kroger's VP for facility engineering. "We are pleased to help our partners at the EPA celebrate 15 years of Energy Star certifications."

New York - Edeka, Germany's largest supermarket company, decided to surprise its customers with some unexpected seasonal cheer. Thirteen hidden cameras caught shoppers’ expressions as the store lights went down and cashiers scanned items in such a way that their registers beeped the right notes of holiday favorite "Jingle Bells.” 

An assortment of cashiers, 13 hidden cameras, and a whole lot of holiday spirit led to an epic surprise at a grocery store in Germany this month.

Edeka, Germany's largest supermarket chain, decided to surprise its shoppers with a seasonal treat.

In an attempt to liven up the otherwise boring chore of grocery shopping, these cashiers opted to delight their patient shoppers with a choreographed orchestra that beeped the holiday classic, "Jingle Bells."

Watch here and enjoy!