Supermarket/Grocery

Asheville, N.C. – A significant increase in gain from the disposal of assets helped boost net income 37% at Ingles Markets Inc. in the second quarter of fiscal 2015 to $14.3 million, from $10.5 million in the same quarter a year earlier. Lower gasoline prices helped reduce net sales 3% to $915.3 million, from $947.76 million.

Excluding gasoline, same-store sales rose 1.2%.

ALDI is trying to tap into consumers’ desires to eat healthier by putting a dietitian's stamp of approval on some of its foods.

The retailer is teaming up with nutrition experts to introduce "Dietitian's Picks" to its stores to help shoppers easily identify healthy choices and kick-start healthy eating habits at home.

Former Walgreens CEO Greg Wasson is one of three top retail industry executives confirmed as inductees into the Grocery Manufacturers Association’s Hall of Achievement when the trade group holds a gala event in conjunction with its annual meeting this fall.

GMA will also honor former ConAgra Foods CEO Gary Rodkin and Chairman of the Board of Flowers Foods George Deese with the GMA Hall of Achievement Award in August.

Sprouts Farmers Market cited strong top-line sales growth as among the reasons for the retailer’s 4.8% comp increase for the first quarter.

Net sales for the first quarter ended March 29 were $857.5 million, a 19% increase compared to the same period in 2014. Net sales growth was driven by strong performance in new stores opened and a 4.8% increase in same store sales growth, the company said.

Tyler, Texas – Millennials are gaining buying power, and a substantial shift to Millennials in the retail marketplace will occur by 2020. For 152-store supermarket retailer Brookshire Grocery Co., the time to start reacting to this developing change is now.

“We needed to figure out how to market to this customer base and make it relevant to them,” said John D’Anna, senior VP and CIO of Brookshire Grocery.

When Target pulled out of Canada, it was widely expected that Walmart would snap up some of Target's locations. But Walmart has decided to acquire only 13 stores, in a deal worth $136 million.

Walmart announced it has reached agreements to acquire one distribution center, 12 store leases and one owned property in Canada. The retailer says it expects to invest another $153 million to renovate the 13 stores and distribution center, bringing Walmart’s total investment to approximately $289 million.

St. Louis -- Schnuck Markets will begin construction of a new estimated $100 million, state-of-the-art distribution center at NorthPark in Kinloch in north St. Louis County. The 915,000-sq.-ft. center is expected to be completed in summer 2016.

San Francisco -- Americans modestly increased their spending in April, with growth across most major purchase categories, according to Visa’s Retail Spending Monitor (RSM), a quarterly report that tracks retail spending patterns based on real-time purchase data.  Retail spending in April was up 4.5% from the prior year, excluding automobile and gasoline purchases.