Large Chains

New York -- Los Angeles Alliance for a New Economy, a Los Angeles community group, as filed an appeal against the building permits granted to Wal-Mart Stores to build a store in the city's Chinatown neighborhood, the Associated Press reported.

The chain obtained necessary permits to build a 33,000-sq-ft. store last week, one day before the City Council was due to vote on a building moratorium for large retail chains in Chinatown, the report said.
 

CALGARY — Safeway's Canada stores have launched an annual fundraising campaign designed to benefit Easter Seals and the Special Olympics.

During April, the company's 215 Safeway stores across western Canada will raise funds for organizations that are at the forefront of providing assistance, training, therapy and social outlets for the thousands of people who live with physical or intellectual disabilities.

MONTREAL — Walmart Canada and Breakfast Clubs of Canada, an organization that provides breakfast to Canadian school children, have raised $2.9 million through their Help Them Shine Campaign.

The money raised will help launch 125 new in-school breakfast programs and increase its training programs with a specific focus on nutrition, youth self-esteem and volunteerism, according to a press release.

SALISBURY, N.C. — Food Lion continues to implement its new strategy of offering greater value on store brands and being competitive on national brands, while providing a convenient shopping experience. The company announced that it has launched the strategy in 268 stores in Virginia, West Virginia and North Carolina. These markets are the first stores in 2012 to unveil the new strategy, the company said.

Salisbury, N.C. -- Grocery chain Food Lion, a subsidiary of Delhaize America, said Wednesday that it has rolled out a previously announced new brand strategy to 268 stores in Virginia, West Virginia and North Carolina. These markets are the first stores in 2012 to unfurl the new strategy, which is based on customer feedback. 

Waban, Mass. -- Sam's Club, Aldi, Publix Super Markets, Amazon.com, and H.E.B. are the retailers with the most loyal customers according to a new study by Temkin Group. The report, the 2012 Temkin Loyalty Ratings, rates the loyalty that consumers have to 206 large companies across 18 industries.

Cincinnati -- Kroger announced that Tim Brown now will be responsible for stores in western Tennessee, Kentucky, Mississippi, Arkansas, and Missouri, as president of the company's Delta division.

Brown, 52, has been VP operations in the company's Delta division, based in Roanoke, Va., since 2011. Before that, he served as the Mid-Atlantic division's VP merchandising since 2009.
 

CINCINNATI — Long-time Kroger executive Tim Brown will now be responsible for stores in Western Tennessee, Kentucky, Mississippi, Arkansas and Missouri as president of the company's Delta division.

Brown, 52, has been VP operations in the company's division, based in Roanoke, Va., since 2011; before that he served as the Mid-Atlantic division's vice president of merchandising since 2009.

Pleasanton, Calif. -- Safeway Inc. said Monday it approved a $1 billion stock buyback program.

The operator of grocery chains such as Safeway, Vons and Dominick's had about $400 million remaining under its stock repurchase program, through Feb. 22. The buyback authorization does not have an expiry date.

New York -- The Kroger Co. appointed Suzanne Lindsay as its first director of sustainability. Prior to Kroger, Lindsay led sustainability initiatives at PetSmart.

“We have made substantial progress in sustainability in the past five years through energy savings, waste reduction, transportation efficiency and by reducing the use of plastic bags,” said Lynn Marmer, group VP, corporate affairs at Kroger. “Suzanne will help us accelerate our progress and identify new opportunities to improve our environmental stewardship.”