Large Chains

Charlotte, N.C. -- Aston Properties announced plans to develop Caldwell Crossing in Harrisburg, North Carolina, on the corner of Caldwell Road and Hwy. 49. 

Construction has begun on the 85,000-sq.-ft. center with an anticipated opening date in late fall 2015.

Caldwell Crossing will be anchored by a Harris Teeter grocery store and will include up to 26,000 sq. ft. of small shops. In addition to Harris Teeter and the shops, the center will include two outparcels.

New York - Fairway Group Holdings Corp., the parent company of Fairway Market, shrank its net loss to $9.7 million in the first quarter of fiscal 2015 compared to $27.95 million in the same quarter the prior year. Declining general and administrative expenses, resulting from the elimination of IPO- and consultant-related fees from the first quarter of fiscal 2014, helped reduce net loss.

Tewksbury, Mass. – Delhaize Group, parent company of Maine-based supermarket chain Hannaford Bros. Co., is reportedly making a bid for part or all of the embattled Market Basket grocery chain. Market Basket operates 71 stores in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Maine, and has been embroiled in a dispute with employees over management since July.

Brussels, Belgium – Delhaize Group, parent company of U.S. supermarket chains including Food Lion and Hannaford Bros., swung to a net loss of $60.2 million in the second quarter of fiscal 2014, compared to net income of $140.3 million in the same period a year earlier.

Impairment charges in Delhaize’s Serbian business and loss of market share in its home Belgium market contributed to the retailer’s poor profit performance. Revenue rose 0.5% to $7.04 billion, from $7.01 billion. U.S. same-store sales rose 3.3%.

Milwaukee – Costs related to the exit of its Rainbow business in the Twin Cities markets, as well as the upcoming closure of a distribution center, helped push Roundy’s Inc. to a net loss in the second quarter of fiscal 2014. Roundy’s reported a net loss of $13.5 million, compared to net income of $11.6 million.

Net sales from continuing operations for second quarter 2014 were $971.9 million, an increase of 12% from $868.3 million for second quarter 2013. Same-store sales dropped 2.2%.

Costs related to the exit of its Rainbow business in the Twin Cities markets, as well as the upcoming closure of a distribution center, helped push Roundy’s to a net loss of $13.5 million in the second quarter of fiscal 2014.

Net income for the quarter was $11.6 million, while net sales from continuing operations for second quarter 2014 were $971.9 million, an increase of 12% from $868.3 million for second quarter 2013. Same-store sales dropped 2.2%.

Costco saw a boost in net sales and same-store sales during the month of July.

Net sales totaled $8.55 billion for the four weeks ended Aug. 3, an increase of 9% from $7.87 billion during the similar four-week period last year.

Same-store sales increased 5%, while U.S. same-store sales also increased 5% during the period.

For the 48 weeks ended Aug. 3 net sales were $101.43 billion, an increase of 7%. During the 48 weeks, same-store sales increased 4%. In the United States, same-store sales rose 5%.

Lakeland, Fla. – Net earnings at Publix Super Markets slightly increased to $404.1 million in the second quarter of fiscal 2014 from $400.1 million in the year-ago period.

Net sales rose about 7% to $7.5 billion from $7 billion, aided by the shift of the Easter holiday to the second quarter of the current fiscal year from the first quarter of the previous fiscal year. Same-store sales rose 6.3%.

Asheville, N.C. – Ingles Markets Inc. swung to a profit of $13.83 million in the third quarter of fiscal 2014 from a net loss of $14.42 million in the third quarter of the prior fiscal year. The elimination of debt refinancing costs from the previous fiscal year helped push Ingles Markets into the black.

Net sales rose 5% to $978.26 million from $934.01 million. Same-store sales increased 2.1%, benefiting from an Easter shift to the third quarter of fiscal 2014 from the second quarter of the previous fiscal year.

Sunbury, Pa. – Net income at Weis Markets Inc. plummeted close to 47% during the second quarter of fiscal 2014, compared to the prior year period. Weis reported net income of $12.8 million, compared to $21.18 million a year earlier.

Weis cited company reinvestment and price discounting as driving the net income decline. Second quarter sales increased 4.5% to $691.9 million, from $662.1 million and same-store sales increased 2.9%.