Supermarket/Grocery

As other retailers make headlines for store closings, Ross Stores’ 2014 expansion plans remain on track. The off-price retailer has already opened 30 Ross Dress for Less and seven dd's Discounts stores in 14 different states, and there's more to come.

Chiquita Brands International plans to combine with and Fyffes, an international importer and distributor of tropical produce, in a stock-for-stock transaction that will create a global banana and other fresh produce company with approximately $4.6 billion in annual revenues.

Once the transaction is completed, before the end of 2014, Chiquita shareholders will own approximately 50.7% of ChiquitaFyffes, while Fyffes shareholders will own the remaining 49.3%, on a fully diluted basis.

New Albertson’s has acquired five Dominick’s locations and appointed Shane Sampson, currently president of the company’s Boston-based Shaw’s division, as president of the Jewel-Osco division based in Chicago.

Sampson fills the role that had been held by interim division president Jim Rice since January 2014.

Sampson’s first project highlights the company’s commitment to investing in Chicago: Remodeling and reopening five additional former Dominick’s locations.

Bi-Lo Holdings, parent company of the Bi-Lo and Winn-Dixie supermarket chains, plans to convert seven existing Harveys stores to Winn-Dixie stores and three existing Winn-Dixie stores to Harveys stores.

The stores are part of the pending acquisition of 134 operating stores from Delhaize Group.

Supervalu directors Mark Neporent and Lenard Tessler have stepped down from the company’s board of directors as a result of Cerberus-owned Albertsons’ deal to acquire Safeway.

Neporent and Tessler were both appointed to the Supervalu board in 2013 as designees of Symphony Investors, a Cerberus Capital Management L.P.-led investor consortium. Symphony Investors owns approximately 20.9% of Supervalu’s outstanding common stock, and has the right to designate replacement directors for Neporent and Tessler.

Air Wick has launched a Familiar Favorites collection, which is inspired by the scents of brands like Snuggle, Cinnabon and Baby Magic.

"Scent has the power to evoke a unique sense of comfort when you surround yourself with fragrances you know and love," said Domenick Tiziano, senior brand manager, Reckitt Benckiser. "We're thrilled to be partnering with three of America's most recognizable and beloved brands for this new collection, so consumers can enjoy the comforting scents they love at home anytime."

Just as the winter months draw to a close, SC Johnson's Glade brand announced a line of new spring-inspired scents, which it says will evoke the excitement of the change of seasons.

The Glade Limited Edition Spring Collection consists of five new fragrances:

Walmart didn’t mention competitive issues as a source of sales weakness during its fourth quarter, but reports this week from Kroger and Costco indicate they were at least a contributing factor.