Supermarket/Grocery

Survey: Few consumers report recent bad retail experience
Waban, Mass. – In a sign that retailer efforts to enhance customer service may be working, few consumers report having a bad experience with a retailer in the past six months. According to a new Temkin Group report, “What Happens After a Good or Bad Experience, 2015,” only 4% of consumers report having a bad experience with a retailer.

Six retailers are at a 1% reporting level for bad customer experience: True Value, Costco, Bed Bath & Beyond, Ace Hardware, Gap, and Staples.
American Express launches program to help smaller merchants combat fraud
New York -- American Express has officially launched its Small Merchant EMV Assistance Program, which was announced last October by President Obama. The nationwide campaign was created to help U.S. small merchants fight fraud through a $10 million reimbursement program designed to accelerate adoption of EMV payment terminals. It will also arm small merchants with knowledge about EMV’s security benefits.

NRF: Consumers will save tax refunds

Washington, D.C. – Retailers looking forward to consumers receiving their tax refund checks this year may be setting themselves up for disappointment. According to a new survey from the National Retail Federation (NRF) and Prosper Insights & Analytics, close to half (47%) of the 66% of Americans expecting a tax refund this year plan to save it.
Report: Aldi sees opportunity for 450 Texas stores

Essen, Germany – Global discount supermarket retailer Aldi Inc. is thinking big when it comes to Texas. According to the Dallas Morning News, Aldi sees potential for as many as 450 stores in the Lone Star State.

This would be part of a larger expansion program, announced in November, that would grow Aldi’s total U.S. store count by 650 units to about 2,000 by 2018. Southern California is another major growth target for the chain.
Newk’s Eatery plans 30 new stores in 2015

Jackson, Miss. – Fast-casual restaurant chain Newk's Eatery is expanding to Columbia, South Carolina, as part of growth plans that include nearly 30 new corporate and franchised stores in 2015. The Columbia expansion is in partnership with its newest franchisees, Chris and Pam Corn.

The Corns will open their first Newk's in City Market in the Vista in late 2015 and have plans to open two additional locations in Columbia and the surrounding area.
Walgreens says 'aloha' to 15th flagship store

Walgreens is opening a massive new store, the drug chain's 15th flagship, in Honolulu, Hawaii.

The new store is 35,000-plus feet and is Walgreens' 12th store on Oahu and 18th in Hawaii.

The store also boasts culturally inspired design reflective of elements of traditional Hawaiian architecture, as well as components of the natural landscape.
Walgreens opens flagship in Honolulu

Deerfield, Ill. — Walgreens will celebrate the official opening of a two-story, flagship store in Honolulu, in the Ala Moana shopping district on Feb. 21 at 9 a.m.

This is Walgreens 15th flagship store, its 12th store on Oahu and 18th overall in Hawaii. The culturally inspired design reflects elements of traditional Hawaiian architecture, as well as embraces components of the natural landscape.
Top Developers, Fastest-Growing Acquirers/3P Managers

Are you one of America's Top Developers, Acquirers or Third-Party Managers? Chain Store Age will release the results of the 26th Annual Top Developers and Fastest-Growing Acquirers and 3P Managers in the May 2015 issue distributed at the RECon show in Las Vegas.

The three surveys measure retail and shopping center space developed, acquired and contracted for management/leasing during the 2014 calendar year. The top five or six companies in each category (by square footage) will be ranked in the May issue. In short:
Exclusive: As Leasing Demand Picks Up, the Next Generation of Retail Tenants Takes Hold

By Matthew K. Harding

With demand from national, local and franchise companies across a broad range of categories picking up markedly in the Northeast, this is an opportune time to take a look at the movers and shakers that are defining the next generation of retail tenancy. And interestingly, the most successful concepts are embracing a new reality that leverages technology and creative approaches for reaching consumers.

Categories to watch
Retail sales to reach $4.9 trillion in 2015

New York - Retail sales in the U.S. will reach $4.87 trillion for the full year 2015. According to EMarketer analysis, this represents a 4% increase from 2014.

U.S. retail e-commerce sales will total approximately $350 billion in 2015, up 14% from $305.7 billion the prior year. Despite rapid growth, retail ecommerce will still account for just 7% of total retail sales in the U.S. during the current year, EMarketer estimates.
Report: Kmart rebranding select stores to K-Fresh banner

New York -- The Kmart store in Chillicothe, Ohio, has scaled back its hours and grocery offerings in preparation for its switch from a 24-hour supercenter to the retail chain's new K-Fresh concept, according to a report by the Chillicothe Gazette.

The newspaper reports that the K-Fresh concept has been piloted at two stores, one in suburban Chicago and another in Hawaii.
Price Chopper selects Agilence Retail 20/20 exception reporting

Schenectady, N.Y. – Price Chopper Supermarkets will deploy Retail 20/20 exception-based reporting to replace its legacy exception reporting application. Price Chopper, which operates grocery stores in Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Pennsylvania and Vermont, selected Retail 20/20 for its advanced reporting engine and intuitive interface.