Supermarket/Grocery

Operating internationally is full of pitfalls and political peculiarity, as Walmart has again discovered in South Africa where various government officials are attempting to wring additional concessions from the company related to its acquisition of Massmart.

Colorado Springs, Colo. -- Addison, Texas-based Coyote Management LP said that Jimmy John’s will open a 1,665-sq.-ft. sandwich shop at Chapel Hills Mall, in Colorado Springs, Colo.

The new restaurant is slated to open this fall.

Chapel Hills Mall is a two-level, 1.2 million-sq.-ft. enclosed super-regional mall anchored by Dillard’s, J.C. Penney, Macy’s, Sears, Dick’s Sporting Goods and Burlington Coat Factory.
 

AUSTIN — H-E-B, Walmart, Sam’s Club and Denny’s are among the companies that will host some 103 electric vehicle charging stations in Austin, Texas., allowing customers to plug in while they shop. The stations are part of Utility Austin Energy’s Plug-In EVerywhere network.

The charging stations are available for use by everyone with an electric vehicle. Austin Energy offers a $25 six-month subscription swipe card for unlimited charging at any network location. Otherwise, a credit card can be used for $2 per hour of charging.

Little reason to believe Sam’s Club won’t easily meet or possibly exceed second-quarter same-store guidance that calls for an increase of 3% to 5%, following reports this week from Costco and BJ’s Wholesale club. Sam’s results correlate closely to its warehouse club rivals, and they both reported solid gains even after excluding the distorting effect of higher year-over-year gas prices.

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Fred's on Thursday reported sales of $452.7 million, up 1% compared with the year-ago period, for the second quarter ended July 30. On a comparable-store basis, second-quarter sales decreased 0.4% versus an increase of 2.5% in the same period last year.

"July's sales performance was consistent with the first two months of the quarter as external economic factors, including high unemployment and reductions in government aid, continued to have a negative impact throughout the Southeast," stated Bruce Efird, Fred's CEO.

New York  City -- The Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company (A&P) has asked U.S. Bankruptcy Court in White Plains, N.Y., for a second extension of its deadline to submit an exclusive plan of reorganization to its creditors.

The supermarket operator is looking for an extension to Jan. 16, 2012, from a previous deadline of Dec. 31, 2011. In court papers, it said the extension  would provide it with "the very best opportunity for a successful exit from Chapter 11."
 

July same-store sales at Fred’s declined 0.5% and that’s not a particularly good sign for Walmart, as the company prepares to release its quarterly results on Aug. 16. Fred’s appeals to lower income shoppers at its 672 stores in the Southeastern U.S. where the company has considerable overlap with Walmart.

BENTONVILLE, Ark. — Walmart announced that through its Acres for America program it is donating $500,000 to help protect, conserve and restore fragile urban ecosystems in Washington D.C., Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York City.