Supermarket/Grocery

Neckarlsum, Germany — German discount grocer Lidl is applying business intelligence technology to its planned expansion into the U.S.

Lidl, which operates nearly 10,000 stores and 130 distribution centers across 26 countries, will use solutions based on the SAP HANA business intelligence platform to support its IT strategy for entering the U.S. market.

Cincinnati - The Kroger Co. is extending a partnership that provides a number of financial services to shoppers at its stores. By continuing a 30-plus-year agreement with global payment services provider Western Union, Kroger gives customers the ability to send and receive Western Union money transfer transactions, purchase money orders and pay their bills at more than 2,300 Kroger store locations.

What’s wrong with America? Plenty, according to the National Retail Federation which just slashed its full year retail sales forecast ahead of second quarter earnings announcements from major retailers next month.

Online retailer Jet.com is all about low prices and so far the upstart membership club competitor is living up to it value proposition.

Las Vegas – Privately held real estate company Vestar has completed a buyout of The District at Green Valley Ranch, in Henderson, Nevada. Vestar paid $120 million to its joint venture partner Rockwood Capital to take full ownership of the 37-acre, 384,107-sq.-ft. landmark retail property minutes from Las Vegas.

Houston - Sub Zero Ice Cream & Yogurt has leased 1,200-sq.-ft. of retail space in Vintage Marketplace, a Whole Foods-anchored shopping center, for its first Houston location. Jacob Grossman with The Weitzman Group handled negotiations as exclusive tenant representative for Sub Zero.

At Vintage Marketplace, Sub Zero joins a line-up that includes, in addition to Whole Foods, concepts including Verts, Orangetheory Fitness, Mod Pizza, Supercuts and several others.

Cincinnati - Phillips Edison Grocery Center REIT II Inc. has acquired two grocery-anchored shopping centers, expanding the company's portfolio in Colorado. Meadows on the Parkway is a 216,437-sq.-ft. grocery store-anchored shopping center in Boulder, Colorado, The center is anchored by Safeway and also features national tenants Subway, Regus, Great Clips, Michaels, Anytime Fitness and Fast Signs.

Montvale, N.J. – So far, chapter 11 bankruptcy appears to be going as planned for The Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company (A&P). A&P has received approval for financing from the U.S. Bankruptcy Court of the Southern District of New York, bids for some stores, and will close 25 stores in the near term due to “lack of interest” and ongoing losses.

Quincy, Mass. – The sell-off of stores from the newly bankrupt Great Atlantic and Pacific Tea Co. (A&P) has begun. The Stop & Shop Supermarket Co. LLC has entered into an agreement with A&P to acquire 25 A&P stores in greater New York for $146 million.

Lakeville, Minn. - Mid-America Real Estate Corp.’s investment sales team recently brokered the sale of Heritage Commons in Lakeville, Minnesota (part of the Minneapolis metropolitan statistical area) to Austin, Texas-based Epic Real Estate Partners. Epic purchased the 138,690-sq.-ft. grocery-anchored neighborhood center.

Heritage Commons is anchored by Cub Foods and is complemented by national and local tenants including Subway, Papa Murphy’s, Great Clips and American Dental.