Supermarket/Grocery

Austin, Texas -- Whole Foods Market said Friday it will acquire six leases from Johnnie's Foodmaster, a family-owned grocery chain based in Chelsea, Mass. The transaction is expected to close Nov. 30.

Johnnie's Foodmaster will close all six locations prior to the closing date, but Whole Foods said it has guaranteed interviews to all Johnnie's Foodmaster employees at the six acquired locations with the goal of hiring as many as possible.

Bentonville, Ark. -- Wal-Mart Stores Inc. announced the completion of its increased investment in Yihaodian, a fast-growing Chinese e-commerce company. The chain now holds an approximate 51% stake in the Yihaodian holding company.

"This investment demonstrates we are committed to the development of e-commerce in China and bringing the best possible shopping experience to Chinese customers," said Neil Ashe, president and CEO of Wal-Mart's Global e-commerce division in a statement.

As we continue to witness the battle of brick-and-mortar versus online shopping, it’s interesting to see Walmart’s latest ploy to “one-up” their online competition. Their new Walmart To Go service is offering customers same-day delivery of online orders for just $10. While the initial test period is expected to last only through the holidays, the possibility that this could stick makes me think that Walmart To Go might ultimately have some huge implications for brick-and-mortar retail. The big question, of course, is will it work? Can Walmart pull it off?

By Sam Khalilieh

Study after study has concluded that adding doors to medium temperature coolers (MTC) is a great solution for a variety of issues that plague retailers. Whether looking at energy use, operational costs, product safety or consumer comfort, there is no downside to adding doors. So why do so many overlook this very basic approach?

Cincinnati -- The Kroger Co. announced Marnette Perry has been named SVP, strategic initiatives and operations, and Michael Ellis has been named SVP, retail divisions. The appointments support Kroger's long-term growth plans announced last week.

Perry recently led the team responsible for Kroger's "faster checkout" rollout, which the chain said has reduced customer wait times at checkout from an average of four minutes to 30 seconds.

Beijing -- Wal-Mart Stores announced a series of initiatives to make the company's supply chain in the United States, China and around the world more sustainable.

In its eighth year, the annual Top Redevelopers survey continues to underscore the country’s emphasis on refurbishing and repositioning over building anew. Just as in the prior seven years, shopping center owners are concentrating on existing assets — sometimes tweaking, sometimes refreshing, sometimes razing sections and rebuilding. For all, however, the goal is to maximize exposure and returns for all the tenants involved.

Franklin Township, N.J. -- Crossroads Cos., based in Mahwah, N.J., announced that three new Crossroads at Somerset lease agreements have rendered the retail Phase II component of the grocery-anchored neighborhood shopping center fully occupied.

Integrated Health, La Vida Massage and and Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital will join the 118,000-sq.-ft, mixed-use project, already tenanted by Verizon Wireless, My Tokyo Sushi, Let’s Yo Frozen Yogurt, Frank’s Pizza and Hair Cuttery.