Supermarket/Grocery

St. Petersburg, Florida - The Sembler Company and Forge Capital Partners, in their Forge Real Estate Partners III investment fund, have recently purchased two shopping centers:  Causeway Shopping Center in Indian Harbour Beach, Florida, and Springdale Shopping Center in Austin, Texas.     FREP now owns five shopping centers, and the joint venture is actively seeking additional investments in grocery-anchored shopping centers throughout the Southeast.    

Baton Rouge, Louisiana - JLL’s Capital Markets experts announced the sale of Coursey Commons Shopping Center on behalf of Blue Ridge Real Estate Company. Wal-Mart Stores purchased the Baton Rouge, Louisiana shopping center for $10.9 million. The 67,775-sq.-ft. center is anchored by a Walmart Neighborhood Market and includes Sally Beauty Supply, AT&T Mobility, UPS store and Weight Watchers.  

Cincinnati - The Kroger Co. has been accepted as an “Elite Member” of Energy Star Certification Nation by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).  Kroger was the only grocery retailer granted Elite Member certification status, which was granted to organizations that earned Energy Star certification for at least 150 buildings in 2014.  

A fresh round of unionization efforts appear to be in store for major retailers next spring after organized labor won a favorable ruling regarding how elections are conducted.

Kroger has gotten the ultimate green seal of approval from the EPA.

The federal government has announced that Kroger is the only grocery retailer to be granted elite Energy Star Certification status by the EPA.

"Kroger is committed to reducing our impact on the environment, and our Energy Star certified buildings have delivered energy and cost savings as well as reduce our carbon footprint," said Keith Oliver, Kroger's VP for facility engineering. "We are pleased to help our partners at the EPA celebrate 15 years of Energy Star certifications."

New York - Edeka, Germany's largest supermarket company, decided to surprise its customers with some unexpected seasonal cheer. Thirteen hidden cameras caught shoppers’ expressions as the store lights went down and cashiers scanned items in such a way that their registers beeped the right notes of holiday favorite "Jingle Bells.” 

An assortment of cashiers, 13 hidden cameras, and a whole lot of holiday spirit led to an epic surprise at a grocery store in Germany this month.

Edeka, Germany's largest supermarket chain, decided to surprise its shoppers with a seasonal treat.

In an attempt to liven up the otherwise boring chore of grocery shopping, these cashiers opted to delight their patient shoppers with a choreographed orchestra that beeped the holiday classic, "Jingle Bells."

Watch here and enjoy!

New Albany, Ohio – Steve Davis has resigned as CEO of Bob Evans Farms Inc. by mutual agreement with the board of directors. The official change will take place immediately, but Davis will remain with the company through the end of the year to assist with the transition process.  

Online sales at third party marketplaces grew faster than the overall industry, according to cloud-based e-commerce solutions provider ChannelAdvisor.

The digital measurement firm reports that November was a mixed month for e-commerce channels. But Amazon, Google Shopping and Other 3PMs (third party marketplaces) grew materially faster than the 16% e-commerce baseline growth rate comScore had predicted.

Specifically, ChannelAdvisor reports:

GAINESVILLE, Fla - More than 40 major retail chains, including The Home Depot, Walmart, Kroger and Target, formed a specialized research council to facilitate the use of science to curtail theft and violence. As part of this effort, A specialized University of Florida research team has been formed to interviews offenders, analyzes large datasets, and conducts field experiments to adapt and devise new crime control methods and technologies.