Supermarket/Grocery

Austin, Texas -- Merchandise optimization solution-provider Revionics said that it has entered into a multi-year agreement with DIXY Group, one of Russia’s largest national retail operators in the food retail market, to provide Revionics price optimization solution to the company’s DIXY Neighborhood Stores, which includes 1,580 retail stores.

DNA Brands, maker of DNA Energy Drink, has signed a new distribution agreement with Koerner Distributor to sell its rebranded energy drink line and latest energy coffee drink products.

Koerner Distributor has four branches which cover a population of more than 1 million people in 52 Illinois counties. Koerner distributes of beer, wine and liquor brands such as Miller, Coors and Corona to retailers such as Schnucks, Shop N Save, Deirberg's, Circle K, Casey General Store and Huck's.

Another piece of the leadership puzzle fell into place at Kroger as the company continues to execute a succession strategy backed by the tailwind of 40 consecutive quarter of same store sales growth.

Kroger named Mark Tuffin to the role of SVP of the company’s retail divisions to fill a position previously held by Michael Ellis who was elevated to the role of president and COO last month. Tuffin previously served as president of the company’s Smith’s Food and Drug Stores division.

Cincinnati – Kroger has promoted Mark Tuffin to senior VP of retail divisions. He succeeds Michael Ellis, who will become Kroger's president and COO on Jan. 1, 2014.

Faced with unwavering demand for its brand of food retailing and an abundance of potential locations, Whole Foods executives on Tuesday increased their forecast for U.S. store growth to 1,200 locations from 1,000.

New York -- Whole Foods Market has inked a deal for a new location in the Bryant Park area of Manhattan – on Sixth Avenue between 41st and 42nd Streets.

A Wall Street Journal report, which cited unnamed sources, said that the grocer has agreed to take 10,000 sq. ft. on the ground floor and 22,000 sq. ft. on the second floor at 1095 Sixth Ave., a building owned by a Blackstone Group fund.

It promises to be a mad dash to the finish for the nation’s retailers this week with half of holiday shoppers planning to wrap up their holiday shopping online and nearly one third of shoppers yet to begin spending, according to the latest survey results from the National Retail Federation.

By Graeme McVie, VP, LoyaltyOne, [email protected]

Statistics tell the story: the U.S. population is getting older at a dramatic rate. The Department of Health & Human Service’s Administration on Aging estimates that nearly 55 million people – nearly one-in-six – will be age 65 or older by 2020, compared with 40 million in 2010.