Large Chains

Minneapolis -- Supervalu Inc. announced Thursday that it has reached a deal to sell its Albertsons, Acme, Jewel-Osco, Shaw's and Star Market stores and related Osco and Sav-on in-store pharmacies to a private equity group in a transaction valued at $3.3 billion.

AB Acquisition, a consortium of investors led by Cerberus Capital Management, will get 877 stores across the various banners in the deal. The investor group also includes Kimco Realty Corp., Klaff Realty LP, Lubert-Adler Partners and Schottenstein Real Estate Group.

NEW YORK — The breakup of Supervalu to private equity firm Cerberus Capital Management could be announced as soon as Thursday when Supervalu shares third-quarter results with analysts, according to a report in the Wall Street Journal published Friday.

Bloomberg also reported that a deal between Cerberus and Supervalu was imminent. According to that Bloomberg report, Cerberus would lead an investment of around $500 million in equity.

Oak Brook, Ill. -- Inland Diversified Real Estate Trust announced Monday the acquisition of a majority interest a portfolio of six grocery/home-improvement-anchored retail properties located in Las Vegas.

The properties were acquired in a joint venture between a subsidiary of Inland Diversified and affiliates of the seller Territory Inc.; the joint venture valued the portfolio at about $296 million.

Top food executives at Walmart are presumably in the crosshairs of Safeway recruiters now that longtime chairman and CEO Steve Burd has announced his retirement.

New York -- Private equity firm Cerberus Capital Management LP and its partners are nearing an agreement to buy parts of Supervalu Inc., the Wall Street Journal reported.

Cerberus and its partners plan to buy some assets of the retail chain and take a stake in the remainder, which is expected to remain public, according to the report.

Bentonville, Ark. -- Wal-Mart Stores Inc. said Friday it has created a new executive position to oversee new store formats in international markets.
 
Lev Khasis, who joined the company in 2011 after working in Russian retail, was named president and CEO of new formats for Wal-Mart International. He built up Russia’s largest food retailer X5 through acquisitions into a market leader before resigning to join Wal-Mart Stores.
 

Deerfield, Ill. -- Walgreens reported Friday that sales for the month of December dipped 4% to $6.71 billion, from $6.99 billion in the year-ago period.
 
Total front-end sales fell 1.3% and same-store front-end sales decreased 2.3%.
 
Total same-store sales fell 6.1% in December.

Minneapolis -- Supervalu last week settled its suit enforcing a non-compete clause against former president Leon Bergmann, the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal reported.

According to the report, Bergmann had resigned as president of Supervalu's independent business organization in favor of a position with Unified Grocers. Supervalu sued to enforce its confidentiality agreements.

Details of the settlement were not disclosed.

El Dorado, Ark. -- Murphy Oil USA announced Wednesday it has entered into an agreement with Wal-Mart Stores Inc. for 200 new fuel stations in the midwestern and southeastern U.S.

According to the agreement, Murphy Oil will build more than 200 new fuel stations at existing Wal-Mart Super Centers over the next three years.

Steven Cosse, president and CEO, Murphy Oil Corp., said the agreement with Wal-Mart is a significant step forward for the pair’s long-term relationship.

Some are merchants, with long careers in brick-and-mortar stores. Others are tech trailblazers, using new media to match merchandise and buyers. Others are influencing retail in less direct, but no less significant, ways. All share an ability to create new opportunities and, in their own way, are looking to reinvent the shopping experience. And all wield a great deal of influence in today’s complex retail landscape.