Supermarket/Grocery

Bentonville, Ark. -- Wal-Mart said it will open two additional college campus locations, nearly two years after make its university debut at the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville.

According to a Monday report by the Wall Street Journal, which cited Inside Higher Ed, the retailer will open a 5,000-sq.-ft. store at Arizona State University in Phoenix next month, and will open in Atlanta on the Georgia Tech campus later this year.

New York -- Costco Wholesale appears to be eyeing China's online commerce market, according to published reports.

The Southern Metropolis Daily, a newspaper based in the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou, reported Thursday that the Issaquah, Wash.-based club retailer was interested in entering the country's e-commerce market and was in the process of looking for local partners.

Cincinnati -- ECOtality and The Kroger Co. announced Monday an expanded partnership including over 200 level 2 (quick charge) charging stations, and 25 DC Fast Chargers, to be installed across key markets through the EV Project.

The multimillion-dollar expansion will bring the total number of Blink chargers in the Kroger system to almost 300.

Arlington, Va. -- The Retail Industry Leaders Association said Monday via a written letter to the House Ways and Means Committee that all corporate tax preferences need to be “put on the table” so that politics can be neutralized and progress can be made.

San Bernardino, Calif. -- Stater Bros. announced Monday the construction start to its newest and most modern supermarket, slated to open in the Redlands Village Shopping Center — a grocery-anchored center being developed by Upland, Calif.-based Lewis Retail Centers in San Bernardino, Calif.

The 44,000-sq.-ft. store will replace a nearby store that is half that size. The larger format will allow wider aisles, outdoor seating and a variety of departments and amenities, and is slated to open in September.

Schnucks Markets unveiled a smaller format with the opening of its store in Ballwin, Mo. Comprised of a 40,000-sq.-ft. ground floor and a 5,000-sq.-ft. mezzanine, the supermarket combines the inviting ambience of a neighborhood market and easy-to-navigate layout with an updated array of amenities. The space is designed to promote shopper interaction and to spotlight fresh and prepared foods.

Beachwood, Ohio -- DDR Corp. announced Monday that, during the first quarter, it acquired two prime assets in Dallas and in Oakland, Calif., for $81 million.

Also during the quarter, DDR disposed of $46 million of non-prime assets, including $8 million of non-income producing assets.

Boston -- Walmart Canada and Target Canada are very competitively positioned from a basket price perspective, according to a recent report by Kantar Retail.  

Based on the study’s results, Kantar Retail believes that Target’s “Pay Less” consumables prices will stack up well against its Canadian competition and that the retailer will prove to be a formidable challenge to Walmart Canada’s price position in the market.