Large Chains

Wal-Mart Stores is stepping up its use of solid-state lighting in a big way.

The discounter is installing LED ceiling lighting fixtures in new U.S.

Chile is the top destination for emerging market retail expansion, followed by China, where retail sales totaled a whopping $3.7 trillion in 2013, according to the 2014 A.T. Kearney Global Retail Development Index.

With Uruguay, Brazil, Peru, Panama, Colombia, Costa Rica and Mexico also in the index of top emerging economies ready for retail expansion, Latin America continues to show strength as a regional retail growth market.

Cincinnati -- Phillips Edison/ARC Grovery Center REIT II, announced the acquisition of two grocery-anchored shopping centers, Lake Washington Crossing and MetroWest Village. These acquisitions expand the company's portfolio to include the state of Florida.

Lake Washington Crossing is a Publix grocery store-anchored shopping center located in Melbourne, Florida, approximately 35 miles east of Orlando. Other national and regional tenants featured at the 118,698 sq.-ft. shopping center include Sally Beauty, Pizza Hut, KFC and H&R Block.

Jackson, Tenn. -- Transwestern announced that it brokered the disposition of Lynnwood Place, a 96,666-sq.-ft. shopping center in Jackson, Tennessee. The seller was Columbia, South Carolina-based Edens, and the buyer of the Kroger-anchored retail center was Phillips Edison & Company.

Completed in 1986, Lynnwood Place encompasses 11.73 acres and is 89% eased to retailers including Kroger, Charter Communications Inc., Cato Fashions and Youfit Health Clubs.

Salisbury, N.C. -- Delhaize America banner Food Lion has unveiled a new shopping experience for customers in 31 stores in the greater Wilmington, North Carolina, market, and has announced plans to remodel 45 stores in Greenville as part of the grocery’s "Easy, Fresh and Affordable…You Can Count on Food Lion Every Day" strategy.

Just a month and a half after Kroger announced plans to acquire e-commerce retailer Vitacost.com, the company completed the merger. According to Kroger, Vitacost.com's position in the nutrition and wellness products space, including its proprietary brands, complements its natural foods business and Simple Truth Organic and Simple Truth corporate brand offering.

Kroger purchased all outstanding shares of common stock of Vitacost.com for $8 per share in cash. The tender offer expired at 5 p.m., EDT, on August 15.

Bentonville, Ark. – Consolidated net income at Wal-Mart Stores Inc. grew 0.6% to $4.1 billion in the second quarter of fiscal 2014 from $4.07 billion in the second quarter of fiscal 2013, with factors including incremental e-commerce investments and healthcare costs dampening profit growth. Wal-Mart cut its profit forecast for the full year as a result.

Overall second quarter performance at Wal-Mart was sluggish. Net sales rose 3% to $119.3 billion from $116.1 billion. Currency exchange rate fluctuations negatively impacted net sales performance.

Singapore -- Two retail chains in Singapore, Cold Storage and Guardian, have selected the Pricer ESL (electronic shelf label) solution in their stores and the rollout is planned to be completed by the end of 2015. The two chains are under the umbrella of The Dairy Farm Group.

Cold Storage operates about 50 large supermarkets in Singapore while Guardian operates 150 pharmacy stores.

Walmart met low second quarter sales and profit expectations it set for itself but significantly lowered its full year outlook due to a tepid third quarter sales forecast and increased e-commerce and health care costs.

Loblaw has appointed Pavi Binning, George Weston Limited president, as a director on the company’s board.

Binning has been a director of George Weston Limited since 2012. He joined the company in 2010 as CFO after spending a year as a director of Loblaw Companies Limited. Prior to joining Weston, Binning was at Nortel Networks Corporation, where he held the role of CFO and subsequently chief restructuring officer. Prior to that, Binning held CFO positions at both Hanson plc and Marconi Corporation plc, as well as executive positions at Diageo plc.