Supermarket/Grocery

New York -- California is on track to become the first state in the United States to impose a statewide ban on single-use plastic bags. Lawmakers passed the bill last week, and California governor Jerry Brown on Thursday said he would probably sign it into law.  

The legislation would ban single-use plastic bags from supermarkets and drug stores in 2015, and from convenience and liquor stores in 2016. The bill would allow stores to charge 10 cents for paper or reusable bags.

Family Dollar has rejected the revised proposal made by Dollar General on Sept. 2 on the basis of antitrust regulatory considerations. The Dollar General offer may be financially superior, the dollar store operator noted, but it's not likely to pass muster with the Federal Trade Commission.
 

Minneapolis - Target Corp. plans to open two new smaller-format TargetExpress stores in San Francisco’s Financial District and Berkeley, California, in March 2015. Target’s first TargetExpress store opened this year in Minneapolis, and the San Francisco-area stores will mark the first time Target is expanding this format outside the Minneapolis area.

Cincinnati - The Kroger Co. is hiring to fill an estimated 20,000 permanent positions in its supermarket divisions. The company has created more than 40,000 permanent new jobs in the past six years, not including the 25,000 employees who joined as a result of the Harris-Teeter acquisition.

"Kroger's growth trajectory creates more job opportunities for current and future employees," said Katy Barclay, Kroger's senior VP of human resources.

By Joe Tichar, senior VP of corporate operations, DDR, Beachwood, Ohio

Forward-thinking retailers are increasingly leveraging their brick-and-mortar locations to establish omnichannel models that meet the growing consumer demand for a more convenient, more cost-effective and more personalized shopping experience.
 

Commack, N.Y. -- Stein Mart is set to join the tenant mix at Mayfair Shopping Center in Commack, New York, leasing 30,800 sq. ft., according to Levin Management, exclusive leasing and managing agent for the property. 

Stein Mart is moving into the space formerly occupied by MJM Designer Shoes, which is relocating to a new 12,000-sq.-ft. space within the 221,000-sq.-ft. shopping center.

Meijer is preparing to hire thousands of new employees for its stores as the growing company prepares for the fall and holiday selling seasons, announced Janet Emerson, EVP of operations for the Grand Rapids, Mich.-based retailer.

"Meijer is always looking for good people," Emerson said. "Our continued growth provides a great opportunity to find new team members who will help deliver on the Meijer promise of providing exceptional customer service."