Supermarket/Grocery

Old Bridge, N.J. -- R.J. Brunelli & Co. said Thursday that it has completed a series of leases that will bring major retailers, restaurants, recreational facilities and personal services to sites in Middlesex, Monmouth, Ocean, Mercer, Union, Essex, and Bergen counties in central and northern New Jersey.

Cincinnati -- Kroger Co. said Thursday that its fourth-quarter net income jumped 9.2% while sales rose 7.4%. It also announced that its board authorized a $1 billion stock repurchase plan.

Net income was $278.8 million, compared with $255.4 million in the year-ago period. Quarterly revenue rose to $19.9 billion, with same-store sales up 3.8%.

Kroger offered a cautious outlook for the current year, saying rising fuel costs are likely to take a bite out of household budgets.

New York City -- Walgreens said Thursday its same-store sales in February rose 3.1%, but the growth was slower than Wall Street expected. Analysts expected, on average, expected a 3.5% increase.

The company said pharmacy same-store sales rose 2.7% but were hurt by generic drug introductions over the last year. Non-pharmacy, or front-end, revenue increased 3.8%.

Rite Aid Corp. said Thursday that its same-store sales rose 1% in February, less than the 1.5% increase analysts had predicted.

 ISSAQUAH, Wash. and WESTBOROUGH, Mass. -- The past three-months were favorable to the warehouse sector, as both Costco and BJ’s Wholesale reported quarterly results that were in-line with or beat analysts’ expectations.

LAKELAND, Fla. — Publix on Tuesday disclosed a 4.4% increase in its fourth-quarter sales, reaching $6.4 billion, while comparable-store sales for quarter also rose 3.2%.

Net earnings for the retailer totaled $342.1 million, compared with $284.2 million in the year-ago period, an increase of 20.4%. Earnings per share for the fourth quarter increased to 44 cents for 2010, up from 36 cents per share in 2009.

SAN JOSE, Calif. -- Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Market has entered Northern California with the opening of its first store in San Jose. The grocer also opened another Bay Area store in Danville today.

New York City -- While Walmart and Target continue to closely contend on price, Target’s basket price came in less expensive in the latest semi-annual pricing study by Kantar Retail.

“Walmart’s price positioning reveals that it has largely returned to a blanket EDLP approach, while Target’s TPC positioning is centered on price promotions to drive guests’ impressions and achieve actual basket price leadership,” said Leon Nicholas, senior VP of Retail Insights for Kantar Retail and contributor to the study. 

Seattle -- The newest location of PCC Natural Markets (PCC), the nation’s largest natural foods retail cooperative, has been LEED (Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design) Platinum from the United States Green Building Council. The store, in Edmonds, Wash., is also Salmon-Safe certified, making it the only grocery store in the nation to have earned both honors.

San Jose, Calif. -- Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Market on Wednesday celebrated the opening of its first locations in Northern California, in San Jose, and Danville.

The openings are the first of more than a dozen Fresh & Easy stores set to open early this year in Northern California. The chain, which opened its first stores in 2007, currently has 166 locations.
 

West Chester, Ohio -- Jacksonville, Fla.-based Regency Centers said it has begun construction to renovate Beckett Commons shopping center, located in West Chester, Ohio.

The center remodel will include demising vacant space into six additional side shop spaces, new exterior façade and awnings, upgraded signage, new roof and HVAC units.