Supermarket/Grocery

Seattle -- Starbucks Coffee Company is entering the yogurt business. The company announced it has entered into a strategic agreement with the makers of Dannon to offer a jointly created and developed selection of specialty yogurt products in participating Starbucks stores and in grocery channels.

PITTSBURGH — GNC is no stranger to China, with more than 60 store-within-a-store locations in eight different major grocery, convenience and health and wellness chains in China. But two years after entering the market, the retailer is opening its first stand-alone location in Shanghai.

GNC plans on opening an additional 25 locations in China within the next 12 months.

New York -- Supermarket operator Compare Foods announced that it begun the implementation of the Swift Shopper app created by ezCommerce Solutions. The app, designed for those retailers hesitant to invest in mobile point-of-sale, costs retailers nothing and doesn’t require any hardware, training or integration to implement. Customers download it to their phone/tablet for free (or upgrade for the low cost of $1.99) and it enables them to scan any barcode as they shop.  

It works in every store where cashiers have dual-line handheld scanners.

Boston -- Although Target has narrowed Walmart’s basket advantage, the world’s largest retailer continues to demonstrate its price advantage, according to Kantar Retail’s semi-annual pricing study.

With an overall branded basket 2.4% less expensive than Target’s, Walmart’s overall price gap has still remained within a few percentage points of Target’s, although its lead has narrowed since the last iteration of the study. Importantly, Target’s edible basket was within cents of Walmart’s.

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — The competitive prospects of Spartan Stores and Nash Finch improved considerably on Monday when the two companies agreed to merge and create an enterprise with 177 stores, 22 distribution centers and annual sales of roughly $7.5 billion.

By Niklas Bjorkman, [email protected]

In retail we all struggle with data regardless if it is related to chain store management, logistic solutions, business intelligence at the head office, or ERP.  

Grand Rapids, Mich. -- Spartan Stores and Nash Finch Company on Monday announced that they have entered into a definitive merger agreement under which Spartan Stores and Nash Finch will combine in an all-stock merger valued at approximately $1.3 billion, including existing net debt at each company.

Nash Finch, which had revenues of about $4.8 billion last year, will become a subsidiary of Spartan Stores, which had revenues of $2.6 billion.

Pittsburgh -- GNC Holdings Inc. on Monday opens its first freestanding store in China. The store, located in the Raffles City complex in Shanghai, is the first of about 25 standalone stores GNC plans to open in China during the next 12 months.