Supermarket/Grocery

Report: HEB to hand out shares to 55K employees
The New York Times is reporting that Texas grocery chain HEB is planning on distributing some 15% of the company’s shares to employees who are over 21 and have worked at least 1,000 hours in a calendar year. “So many in retail are competing in the race to the bottom, and people are the largest cost. So it seems logical to cut people, and lots of folks are doing it,” H-E-B president and CEO Craig Boyan said. “We think that’s a trap. We believe the race for the bottom cheapens the American experience.
TexturePlus calls on Congress to pass retail and restaurant remodeling legislation
Texture Plus, the largest U.S. manufacturer of high-impact textured faux wall panels, urged the United States Senate and House of Representatives to quickly pass the “Restaurant and Retail Jobs and Growth Act.”

“Retailers and restaurants depend on remodeling their locations every five years to stay competitive,” said Brian Kampe, CEO. “The standard 39 year depreciation for building remodeling makes those improvements a difficult tax burden.”

99 Cents Only Stores has a new CFO

99 Cents Only Stores has appointed a new CFO who has been a veteran retail leader for Kroger and Albertsons.
Publix same-store sales up but stock takes a hit

Exceptional customer service continues to drive growth at Publix Supermarkets, which had strong earnings and same-store sales growth in its third quarter.

Publix sales for the third quarter 2015 totaled $7.8 billion, representing a 6.3% increase from last year. Comparable-store sales for the third quarter of 2015 increased 4.2%.
Whole Foods Market adds Target omnichannel guru to exec ranks

Whole Foods Market is adding a Target veteran with experience in technology and omnichannel marketing to its executive leadership team.

The grocery retailer announced that it has named Don J. Clark global VP of purchasing for non-perishables.

“He is a proven leader in the retail industry with a clear track record of delivering results. His core values align very well with our company’s, and we are confident that Don will execute a range of innovative strategies that help take our non-perishables business to the next level.”
Whole Foods adds Target omnichannel guru to exec ranks

Whole Foods Market is adding a Target veteran with experience in technology and omnichannel marketing to its executive leadership team.

The grocery retailer announced that it has named Don J. Clark global vice president of purchasing for non-perishables.
Borrowing a page from big tobacco to grow produce sales

Big screen actors and television personalities made smoking cool for generations of Americans. Now produce marketers and retailers hope a new deal with Hollywood can have the same effect on fruits and vegetables.
Columbus discovers new mobile payment service

Consumers in Columbus, Ohio, are being given a new option for mobile payment.

CurrentC, the mobile payment application from retailer-backed consortium Merchant Commerce Exchange, is now being piloted at stores in Columbus. Major retailers currently participating in MCX include Walmart, Sam’s Club, Sears, Target, CVS and Kmart.

MCX briefly announced the Columbus beta test on the CurrentC webpage, with few details. Reuters reports that 12 major retailers are testing the service at 200 store locations, and the test may be expanded in early 2016.
Winn-Dixie bets on lower prices to draw shoppers

Southeastern Grocers on Thursday announced a significant pricing initiative that addresses exactly what customers need: a $40 million investment into permanent lower prices on the products Winn-Dixie customers buy the most.

Customers stated in a recent survey that “affordable prices” was the most important requirement from a grocery store, so Winn-Dixie is introducing a New Regular Pricing Program that will permanently reduce the prices on more than 1,500 grocery items at all 518 Winn-Dixie stores.
Meijer takes LED plunge

Meijer is piloting a new approach to store lighting.

The retailer's remodeled store in Beavercreek, Ohio, is its first-ever location to feature 100% LED lighting. The LEDs, from GE, are expected to save more than a half million kilowatt hours of electricity annually.

The new lighting is part of an extensive $50 million remodeling project that Meijer is undertaking at four supercenters in the Dayton market. According to Meijer, the GE LEDs deployed in the store are 30% more efficient than traditional lighting, with a 50% longer lifespan.
Lidl breaks ground on U.S. headquarters

German discount grocery chain Lidl has broken ground for a new regional U.S. headquarters and distribution center in Spotsylvania County, Virginia.
Study: Consumers get smart about e-commerce in Q3

Consumers are making more e-commerce transactions, and smartphones are helping to drive growth.

According to the new Q3 2015 Performance Index report from e-commerce technology platform MarketLive, e-commerce sales continue to improve across all retailer categories (apparel, beauty, home furnishings, catalog, brick-and-mortar, and brand-direct), and across all major performance metrics. These include revenues (+13.5%), traffic (+19.8%), and average order value (+3.9% to $158).