Supermarket/Grocery

 The Kroger Co.’s first female corporate officer is retiring.

Austin, Texas -- Whole Foods Market on Wednesday posted disappointing third quarter earnings and revenue, but it also gave out some more details about its new, value-driven store concept.

The company revealed that it will debut the format, 365 by Whole Foods Market, in the second half of next year, with the first store opening in the Silver Lake section of Los Angles. It plans to open up to five 365 stores (all in the second half of next year), with the expectation of doubling the number of openings in 2017. Stores will average about 30,000 sq. ft.

Bentonville, Ark. – Wal-Mart Stores Inc. is reportedly making sure its suppliers understand expectations for labeling of products.

According to the Wall Street Journal, the retailer recently sent a memo to hundreds of suppliers, including major CPG firms such as Kraft Heinz Co. and Nestle, reminding them that the amount of an item inside a package must match the amount stated on the outside label.

In an ongoing effort to refresh its selection of on-trend food products, Sam's Club is once again expanding its offering when it comes to organics.

Ahold USA has become the first major grocery retailer to join an initiative requiring Florida tomato suppliers to increase farmworker pay and protect workers from forced labor and sexual assault.

The Coalition of Immokalee Workers announced Wednesday that Ahold USA is America's first major grocer to join the group's Fair Food Program. Ahold USA is the parent company of Stop & Shop, Giant Foods of Landover, Giant Foods of Carlisle, Martin's and online grocer Peapod.

Whole Foods Market Inc. says it is taking the right steps to position itself for the long term and sees demand for more than 1,200 stores in the United States despite reporting a lackluster increase in same store sales for the third quarter.  

The health foods grocery retailer posted a same store sales increase of just 1.3% for third quarter ended July 5. Analysts had expected a 3% increase. The company did report  earnings of 43 cents per share on $3.63 billion in revenue. Total sales increased 8% to a record $3.6 billion.

Woodland Hills, Calif. – A good politician knows to focus locally, and increasingly retailers are following that lead. In that spirit BrightStreet Ventures, the technology affiliate of shopping center developer NewMark Merrill Companies, has launched BlueList, a real-time mobile offers service for local merchants and nearby consumers.

Miami – A 70,000-sq-.ft., multi-level Whole Foods flagship will serve as retail anchor of a 38-story, 390-unit luxury apartment building that Miami-based The Related Group plans to build in midtown Atlanta.

Smallwood, Reynolds, Stewart, Stewart is the project architect and Atlanta designer Michael Habachy will create the interiors including a grand rooftop clubroom, demonstration kitchen, luxurious South Beach-themed 10th floor pool and more.

Atlanta-based Phillips Partnership will design the Whole Foods Market.

North Bergen. N.J. - Vitamin Shoppe Inc. hired David M. Kastin as senior VP, general counsel and corporate secretary effective Aug. 17. Kastin will be responsible for overseeing all internal and external legal matters of the company and will serve as corporate secretary to Vitamin Shoppe's board of directors.  

Minneapolis – Supervalu Inc. beat Wall Street expectations for profit in the first quarter of fiscal 2016 and also announced it is considering spinning off its Save-A-Lot grocery banner. Net earnings soared 42% to $61 million, from $43 million in the same quarter the prior fiscal year.

Cost of sales rose at a slower pace than net sales, aiding profit growth. Net sales rose 3% to $5.41 billion, from $5.26 billion.