Supermarket/Grocery

Prairie Farms Dairy has rolled out a line of Old Recipe Seasonal Favorites Milk in three flavors: Jelly Bean, Chocolate Marshmallow and Easter Egg Nog.

According to the dairy, the milk is ultra-pasteurized and has an extended shelf life of 75 days, and all flavors are produced using milk from cows not treated with artificial growth hormones.

Oak Brook, Ill. — Inland Real Estate Income Trust has acquired the 69,381-sq.-ft. Park Avenue Shopping Center in Lille Rock, Ark., for $28.12 million. IREIT Business Manager & Advisor assisted Inland Real Estate Acquisitions in the transaction.

Peapod has opened a new fulfillment facility in Agawam, Mass., to better serve the needs of consumers from Hampshire and Hampden counties in Massachusetts.

By Jeff Weidauer, VP of Marketing and Strategy, Vestcom International

Webster defines technology as “the application of scientific knowledge for practical purposes, especially in industry.” Put another way, technology is the use of knowledge that solves problems in a practical manner. It’s important to understand that, because when it comes to the concept of retail technology, history shows that too often the solution becomes a hammer looking for a nail.

Hong Kong - Hong Kong-based supermarket chain ParknShop has chosen Galleria Retail Technology Solutions to further enhance its merchandising operations. ParknShop will use Galleria category planning, automation and optimization solutions to obtain insights via clustering and demand signal analytics, as well as optimize and execute its store strategy.

Zaandam, The Netherlands -- Ahold plans to significantly expand its Peapod presence in the U.S. market.

"Peapod is expected to double its capacity in the U.S. in 2014," Dick Boer, Ahold CEO, told analysts during the company’s fourth-quarter earnings call.

Roundy's chairman, president and CEO Robert A. Mariano was optimistic following fourth quarter and full year results for the period ended Dec. 28, 2013.

The grocer saw a net sales increase of 2% to a little more than $1 billion, with net income at $8.7 million, or $0.19 diluted net earnings per common share. For the full year 2013, the company saw net sales increase by 1.5% to $4 billion. Net income was $34.5 million, or $0.76 diluted net earnings per common share.

Phoenix – Same-store sales and strong performance at new stores helped drive impressive net come and revenue growth at Sprouts Farmers Markets Inc. during the fourth quarter and fiscal year 2014. On a year-over-year basis, net earnings more than doubled to $9.3 million from $5.9 million in the quarter and almost tripled to $51.3 million from $19.5 million.