Supermarket/Grocery

New York City -- The judge in the Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company’s Chapter 11 bankruptcy case on Tuesday approved a $750 million exit financing plan for the supermarket operator.

The approval moves A&P closer toward exiting Chapter 11 and operating as a  privately held company.

The financing package consists of a $400 million revolving loan and a $350 million term loan from J.P. Morgan Chase and Credit Suisse.

WEST DES MOINES, Iowa — Hy-Vee has introduced a mobile application that it said could make locating pie crust in its stores as easy as saying "pie."

The supermarket chain announced the release of the app, which allows customers to locate products, browse ads, search for recipes, build shopping lists, shop and interact with the company through social media. The app is built on the AT&T Mobile Enterprise Applications Platform and uses Taqtile Mobility's Shingle solution.

New York City -- Winick Realty Group said that children’s retailer Youngworld leased 30,000 sq. ft. for a new three-story location in the Corona section of Queens, N.Y.

The retailer has been a part of the community for more than 30 years, previously operating a 20,000-sq.-ft. location nearby. Built after the address had been ravaged by fire, the new, all-glass construction features 18-ft. ceilings and three floors of retail measuring 10,000 sq. ft. apiece.

Covington, La. -- Stirling Properties announced it has acquired Shreveport, La.-based Avant Properties, strengthening Stirling’s presence in the Gulf South.

Avant Properties’ current personnel and portfolio will be integrated into Stirling Properties operations. 

Jacksonville, Fla. -- Regency Centers announced it has closed on the acquisition of its first New York property, the 141,382-sq.-ft. Lake Grove Commons, for $72.5 million with its co-investment partner First Washington Realty.

Located on Long Island, Lake Grove Commons is a Class A property anchored by the only Whole Foods Market in Suffolk County along with LA Fitness and Petco. Built in 2008, the center is fully leased to six national tenants.

SUNBURY, Pa. — Weis Markets on Monday announced it has joined the SmartWay Transport Partnership, a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency program, that will help the grocer assess the environmental and energy efficiency of the trucks supplying its 161 stores.

Jacksonville, Fla. -- Regency Centers Corp. announced changes in its executive management team. Bruce Johnson, executive VP and CFO has announced that he will retire at the end of 2012. Effective with his retirement, Lisa Palmer, senior VP of capital markets, will succeed him as CFO.

NAPLES, Fla. — The Retail Industry Leaders Association has appointed new members to its board of directors, including a new board chairman.

RILA said Target chairman, president and CEO Gregg Steinhafel was appointed RILA chairman of the board. Steinhafel, who previously served as vice chairman, succeeds Bill Rhodes, who currently serves as chairman, president and CEO of AutoZone.