Supermarket/Grocery

MINNEAPOLIS  — Costs related to workforce reduction contributed to $424 million, or $2 per diluted share loss, at Supervalu for its fourth quarter of fiscal 2012. For the quarter, net sales were $8.2 billion. For the fourth quarter of fiscal 2011, the company reported net sales of $8.7 billion and net earnings of $95 million or 44 cents per diluted share.

Cherry Hill, N.J. -- Philadelphia-based Pennsylvania Real Estate Investment Trust said that Coco Fruit will open a 180-sq.-ft. kiosk in the Macy’s wing of Cherry Hill Mall, located in Cherry Hill, N.J.

The company also announced that Chicken Now has opened in the mall’s food court, in a 441-sq.-ft. location.

In 2012, Cherry Hill Mall has welcomed The Art of Shaving, Henri Bendel is opening this summer, and additional will be announced shortly, including an upscale home furnishing retailer, according to PREIT.
 

In March there was a decline in the number of circulars overall, however, pages per flyer increased. The increase in pages was primarily due to a significant increase in Walmart and Toys"R"Us page counts. Much of the promotional activity was driven by Easter falling earlier in April as compared to 2011.

Walmart distributed an additional four-page flyer in the week of 3/11/2012; they also circulated two flyers instead one in most of the markets in the week of 3/4/2012. These additional flyers accounted for the increase total pages as compared with last year.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The Walmart Foundation has joined with The Band Perry, Kimberly Williams-Paisley and four of the nation's largest food companies — General Mills, ConAgra Foods, Kraft Foods and Kellogg Company — to fight hunger this spring. At an event in Nashville, leaders of this effort launched a campaign that will enable millions of Americans the opportunity to get involved by shopping at Walmart or visiting the company's Facebook page today through April 30.

PLEASANTON, Calif. — Safeway has named Robert Edwards president of the company. Edwards has served as Safeway's EVP and CFO since 2004.

Edwards, 56, will have overall responsibility for the company's retail operations, marketing, merchandising, corporate brands, manufacturing, distribution and finance functions.  He will continue as CFO until a successor is named to the position.

GREENVILLE, S.C. — Bi-Lo noted last week that three of its locations along the South Carolina coastline had been refreshed in March.

“Bi-Lo believes in offering our customers the highest possible standards and this remodel program speaks directly to that,” stated Bi-Lo president Michael Byars.

The enhanced departments in the updated stores feature improved freshness, variety and quality, including:

Is Walmart’s private brand White Cloud toilet tissue too good? That’s the question the company has to be asking itself about the product’s specifications after seeing recent test results from Consumer Reports.

Walmart is the nation’s largest food retailer, and 140 million people shop its stores each week, yet somehow the company ranked second to last on a ranking of the best and worst supermarkets in America.