Supermarket/Grocery

Washington, D.C. -- A Wednesday report by Bloomberg said that Wal-Mart Watch, a union-funded group that advocates for Wal-Mart Stores workers, said Justice Antonin Scalia should disqualify himself when the U.S. Supreme Court considers the company’s bid to derail a gender-bias suit on behalf of potentially one million employees.

Miami Beach, Fla. -- Terranova Corp. announced that grocer Sabor Tropical Supermarket has joined Biscayne Plaza Shopping Center, in Miami Beach, Fla., as a new anchor tenant.

The 24,000-sq.-ft. store is slated to open in 2012. According to Terranova, the retailer is replacing President Supermarket in the center and is required to renovate the interior of the store no later than January 2012. This will be Sabor Tropical’s fifth South Florida store.

Shareholders of Wal-Mart de Mexico elected three new female board members at the company’s annual meeting yesterday, bringing to six the number of women on the company’s eleven-member board.

The new members include Shelley Broader, chief merchandising officer of Walmart Canada, Olga Gonzalez, Walmart’s VP audit services for Latin America and Kristin Oliver, SVP people for the Walmart International division. Other women on the board include Cathy Smith, Blanca Trevino and Kristin Oliver.

Darby, Pa. -- Metro Commercial Real Estate announced it has negotiated new new leases totaling 33,113 sq. ft. at the new Darby Town Center, located in Darby, Pa. 

The 142,000-sq.-ft., Save-A-Lot-anchored center, which had its grand opening on December 9, 2010, will also be home to a new 10,000-sq.-ft Dollar Tree. A new 3,961-sq.-ft. lease was also completed for Hair World and Popeye’s will also lease approximately 2,152 sq. ft. 

Arlington, Va. -- The Retail Industry Leaders Association on Thursday praised Illinois Governor Pat Quinn for signing the e-Fairness legislation, which addresses the long-standing inequity in the retail sales industry between brick-and-mortar retailers and their online-only counterparts.

London -- Wm. Morrison Supermarkets PLC said Thursday that it has acquired a 10% stake in U.S. online grocer FreshDirect, based in New York City.

According to Morrison, the U.K. fourth-largest supermarket chain, the acquisition marks its debut in the online food market.

Morrison has also announced plans to test a c-store format and to expand its grocery store counts in order to increase its presence in the U.K grocery market.

Whittier, Calif. -- Watt Commercial Properties said that it has signed Dollar Super Store to a five-year lease for 5,762 sq. ft. of space at Santa Fe Springs Marketplace, an 144,261-sq.-ft. retail center located in Whittier, Calif.

Santa Fe Springs Marketplace is 97% leased to several tenants including Food 4 Less, Rite Aid, O’Reilly and Frazee Paint.

Miami Beach, Fla. -- Terranova Corp. announced the addition of Rent-A-Center to El Mercado Shopping Center, located in Hialeah, Fla.

The new store will occupy approximately 4,000 sq. ft.

El Mercado is anchored by Publix, along with Anna’s Linens, GNC, Pollo Tropical and a United States Post Office.