Supermarket/Grocery

Redwood Shores, Calif. -- Convenient access to the information that drives purchase decisions is the main reason shoppers go online, according to a new survey conducted by the e-tailing group and sponsored by Oracle. Eighty-one percent of the respondents said that ease of research and comparison shopping were the top reasons they shop online. And increasingly, they are doing it across product categories, including staples. Seventy-five percent research tech purchases online before deciding to buy, and 50% said they do the same for commodity products.

New York -- A new report from PwC US and Kantar Retail suggests that the retail industry may be transitioning to a 'post-modern' consumer-centric era triggered by the speed of technological advancements, globalization and hyper-competition, both online and offline.

The Retailing 2020 report recommended that successful retailers will need to transform themselves to grow in an increasingly polarized world of greater channel fragmentation that will result in greater non-store retail growth and smaller retail formats.

An intriguing shopper marketing initiative involving Unilever and Tesco’s Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Market division was launched today in select markets.

The two companies launched an intriguing program designed to help shoppers save money, drive sales of Unilever brands at Fresh & Easy stores and help the Arbor Day Foundation plant trees.

By Sean Jackson, [email protected]

In recent weeks, there have been some well-publicised examples of retail giants whose financial performance has been severely impacted by breakdowns in the supply chain. As salt in the wound to these behemoths of retail, there are just as many examples of organizations that have exceeded market expectations due to an ability to behave nimbly and respond quickly to changes in consumer demand.

Riverside, Calif. -- Vestar, in a joint venture with a fund advised by UBS Global Asset Management, announced that it has acquired Riverside Plaza, a 475,211-sq.-ft. retail center located on 35 acres in Riverside, Calif., for $84,844,000 in an all cash transaction. The acquisition marks one of the largest investment sales transactions in Southern California's Inland Empire region in the past 10 years. Vestar currently manages more than 22 million sq. ft. of retail properties in the West.

AUSTIN, Texas — Whole Foods Market has received a 2012 Green Power Leadership Award for sustained excellence from the Environmental Protection Agency for its renewable energy purchase of 800 million kilowatt-hours (kWh) last year.

In addition to its renewable energy purchases, Whole Foods Market is generating nearly 258,000 kWh annually with the use of on-site solar arrays. Whole Foods Market adds this most recent award to its three previous Green Power Partner of the Year and two Green Power Purchasing awards from the EPA.

Austin, Texas -- Whole Foods Market said Tuesday it has received a 2012 Green Power Leadership Award for sustained excellence from the Environmental Protection Agency for its renewable energy purchase of 800 million kilowatt-hours (kWh) last year.  

The annual award recognizes leading green power purchasers for their commitment and contribution to helping advance the development of the nation's voluntary green power market.