Supermarket/Grocery

The National Grocers Association held its annual meeting recently in Las Vegas and Candice Lastimado of Seattle-based Metropolitan Markets came away the big winner.

Michael Reed has been promoted to VP real estate for Stater Bros. Markets.

Reed joined Stater Bros. in 2014 as senior director of real estate, a position he held until his recent promotion. He will report to president and CEO Pete Van Helden.

Prior to Stater Bros., Reed served as real estate store development manager for Starbucks where he was responsible for growing the company’s Mid-West and Western Mountain regions.

Stater Bros. operates 168 supermarkets in California.

Michael Reed has been promoted to VP real estate for Stater Bros. Markets.  
 
Reed joined Stater Bros. in 2014 as senior director of real estate, a position he held until his recent promotion. He will report to president and CEO Pete Van Helden.

Prior to Stater Bros., Reed served as real estate store development manager for Starbucks where he was responsible for growing the company’s Mid-West and Western Mountain regions.  

Stater Bros. operates 168 supermarkets in California.

Food Lion is making a major investment in store remodels.

The grocer announced it will remodel 142 stores in the greater Charlotte, N.C., market in 2016. Food Lion said it will invest $215 million in the stores, which includes remodeling, additional price investments throughout the year and investments in associates and the community through its Food Lion Feeds initiatives.

Citing union sources, The Bellingham Herald on Tuesday reported that Albertsons is prepared to acquire the remaining core stores of Haggen with the blessing of the Federal Trade Commission. "It appears that other bidders are not going to raise their bids or otherwise make them qualified bids, so the scheduled auction is cancelled and the sale to Albertsons will be put before the court for approval in the next week," representatives of Haggen union workers released in a statement.

There is an endless variety of ways hackers can attempt to gain access to retailers’ networks, but a few are particularly common.

In a new study, “Data Breach Digest,” Verizon identifies 18 different data breach scenarios drawn from analyzing more than 1,200 global cases investigated by the Verizon Risk Team in the past three years.

“There is a lot more commonality than most people realize,” said Chris Novak, director of investigative response, Verizon Enterprise Solutions.

In an effort to stay competitive in a field crowded with big players, 27-unit, Minneapolis-based grocery retailer Lunds & Byerlys is creating a highly personalized omnichannel experience.

Lunds & Byerleys is partnering with omnichannel commerce technology provider Unata to launch a new e-commerce and digital customer engagement program. The seamless experience-based program is currently live in six locations with subsequent stores to be rolled out by the end of March.

Supply chain issues are a potential threat for any retailer, but grocery chains need to be particularly vigilant in tracking products from source to shelf.

High-profile product recalls in recent years have resulted in brand damage, lawsuits, and even prison terms for executives of companies involved. While the source brands typically face more regulatory and legal ramifications, it is still wise for retailers of produce and other food items to invest in technologies that use automation to minimize the likelihood or impact of such events.

Irvine, Calif. -- Irvine Company has announced it will begin a transformation $30-million reinvestment in Woodbridge Village Center located in Irvine, California. The redevelopment of the center includes upgrading the retail, dining and entertainment mix to complement longtime favorites, freshen the architecture for a coastal California feel, and create an expansive outdoor setting for dining, relaxing and community gatherings that overlooks North Lake.

Houston -- Baker Katz announced that construction on an 8,000-sq.-ft. building that is 100% leased to AT&T, Frost Bank and Chipotle is underway.

Baker Katz acquired this property last year with plans to revamp the property into a multi-tenant destination. The property is located in Houston, Texas at the intersection of I-10 East and Haden Road in business district and ship channel area.