Supermarket/Grocery

Anchors wanted for two South Carolina centers
Southeastern Grocers’ announcement it would close six Bi-Lo stores in South Carolina leaves two Wheeler centers anchors, and the REIT has put out a call out for replacements. CEO Jon S. Wheeler said his company would entertain a grocer or non-grocer to fill the vacancies at Cypress Shopping Center in Boiling Springs and Shoppes at Myrtle Park in Bluffton. Bi-Lo will shut down operations at the 47,260-sq.-ft. Cypress store and the 37,900-sq.-ft. Myrtle Park store in June.
Amazon marks 20 years as a public company
Amazon is celebrating two decades as a public company in a big way — as an enterprise worth nearly $460 billion. The retail giant, which began as a modest online bookstore, went public on the Nasdaq in an IPO valued at a modest $438 million. Today, Amazon has grown into an empire that not only sells books, but has become a major player across categories, including clothing, food, furniture, jewelry, private-label goods and electronics, among other segments.

Update on Walmart Mexican bribery case

There’s been a new twist in the U.S. lawsuit over Wal-Mart’s alleged bribery in Mexico.
Supermarket Trends: Technology, food safety and sustainability are top of mind

The supermarket industry is constantly changing. Consumer food choices and how they shop, frequent regulation modifications and new technologies to integrate are just a few things we gathered from recent customer input concerning the most pressing issues for the industry. As 2017 rolls along, there are four emerging trends we see that grocery marketers should be aware of for the remainder of the year. 1. Impact of the digitally engaged food shopper on retail facilities
Supermarket chain files Chapter 11

Struggling Marsh Supermarkets is looking for a buyer, but it doesn’t have all that much time. The 86-year-old grocery store chain on Thursday filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, and said it is seeking a buyer for all or part of its business. The company’s 44 locations will continue normal operations throughout the process. But the stores will be shuttered if the company does not find a buyer within 60 days.
Aldi makes leadership claim on low prices

Watch out Walmart — discount grocer Aldi is beating you in one crucial area. Aldi’s prices are 21% lower than its lowest-priced rivals, including Walmart, CEO Jason Hart told Reuters. And he plans to maintain that gap going forward. The fast-growing Aldi, which recently entered California, operates some 1,600 stores in the United States, with 400 new locations planned by the end of 2018.
Amazon Disrupts Again: Here’s what you need to know

Ever since the announcement of Amazon Go and its promised checkout-free shopping experience, retailers have been left wondering, “what does Amazon Go mean for the rest of retail?”
Online giant tops in ‘brand intimacy’

Amazon leads the way in the retail industry when it comes to creating an emotional bond with customers, but the industry as a whole lags behind two other categories. That’s according to MBLM’s Brand Intimacy 2017 Report, in which Amazon placed first in the retail category. followed by Whole Foods Market and Target Corp. The remaining brands in the top 10 for the retail industry are: H&M, Macy’s, Nordstrom, Sephora, Ikea, The Home Depot and eBay.
Local chef to curate Gainesville food hall

Deborah Butler’s vision to remake her family’s Gainesville, Florida, retail complex into a unique, local phenomenon got a little clearer this week. Butler has put noted local chef and restaurateur Bert Gill in charge of curating the dining establishments at the Stengel Field Food Hall at Butler Town Center, scheduled to open in 2018. It takes its name from the aviation school run on the site in the 1940s and ‘50s by pioneering pilot Carl Stengel.
Wegman’s to anchor new NRDC center

National Realty & Development Corp. landed the first anchor for its new project in Middletown, New Jersey, and it’s a whopper.
What Happened to Manhattan’s Supermarkets?

Broker Faith Hope Consolo, who’s placed countless retail businesses in some of Manhattan’s best neighborhoods, has lately turned her attention to Harlem. She’s happy to note that restaurants and national retail brands are blossoming uptown, but that – outside of a Whole Foods opening on 125th Street – full-size supermarkets are nonexistent since the Pathmark closed there last year. And it’s not just a Harlem phenomenon.
Inland’s Deal Machine Rolls On

Given the success of this year’s Fastest-Growing Acquirers, it’s understandable to think the process seems simple. Well, it’s not as easy as it looks, warned G. Joseph Cosenza, president of Oak Brook, Ill.-based Inland Real Estate Acquisitions. Quality must meet opportunity and yield, he said.
The grocery-anchored center remains as strong an investment as ever, Cosenza said. An Inland fund that’s dominated by grocery-anchored projects (approximately 80%) has 95% occupancy. Supermarket renewals are resulting in rent increases of 10% and higher.