Supermarket/Grocery

Seattle -- Based on the success of its recent entries into the Indian and Vietnamese markets, Starbucks Coffee Company plans to enter the Southeast Asian nation of Myanmar within the next couple of years. Starbucks, which opened its first Vietnam outlet in February and started doing business in India last year, also plans to double its store count in Thailand to about 320 in the next five years.

Political and economic reforms in Myanmar have resulted in the European Union dropping sanctions against the country and the United States easing them.

Washington, D.C. -- Total retail sales increased 0.1% in April from March, according to figures released Monday by the U.S. Commerce Department. The increase, an improvement from a 0.5% decline in March, beat the 0.3% drop economists had predicted in a Bloomberg survey.  

Excluding automobiles, gas stations and restaurants, sales  increased 0.6% seasonally adjusted from last month and increased 3.9% unadjusted year-over-year, according to the National Retail Federation.

Cheshire, Conn. -- WS Development, based in Chestnut Hill, Mass., announced plans to build an open-air shopping, dining and entertainment complex in Cheshire, Conn., called The Outlets at Cheshire.

The center will also include public open space, walkways, recreation amenities, a residential component and full service grocer.  

Yummy Market, in the Toronto suburb of Vaughn, offers a European-styled shopping experience. The 50,000-sq.-ft. supermarket is focused on prepared foods and imported specialties, and includes a 3,050-sq.-ft. bakery/patisserie with breads, cakes and pastries baked from scratch.
     

New York -- British retailer Marks & Spencer takes a giant leap forward in its goal of becoming a multichannel leader with the opening of its innovative new concept store in Amsterdam. The centerpiece of the 5,000-sq.-ft. space — which marks M&S’ return to the Netherlands after a 10-year absence — is an “E-Boutique” dedicated to womenswear. The shop features what the retailer calls “the world’s first virtual rail,” a display that seamlessly integrates digital rails with physical rails of clothing samples.

CINCINNATI, Ohio — DunnhumbyUSA, a global leader in building brand value for consumer goods and retail companies, has made changes to its Cincinnati-based senior leadership.

The company has hired Ernest Leffler as VP of global infrastructure and Michele Weissman as VP of client solutions. The company has also promoted Jack Engle to the role of SVP of global products and services.

Thanks to an agreement between Meijer and Voyager network owner U.S. Bank, Fleet drivers can now use their Voyager network fuel cards at Meijer gas stations in the Midwest.

Cardholders presenting U.S. Bank Fleet Cards or those issued by any of the bank’s Voyager network partners can now make purchases at 189 Meijer fueling sites in Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois and Kentucky.

RESTON, Va. — E-commerce sales grew 13% year-over-year to $50.2 billion, marking the fourteenth consecutive quarter of positive year-over-year growth and tenth consecutive quarter of double-digit growth, according to comScore. It was also just the second quarter on record to surpass $50 billion in spending.

The survey also revealed that nearly half (48%) of time spent in the retail category occurred on mobile devices, with smartphones (34%) outpacing tablets (14%).

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Acosta Sales & Marketing, a leading full-service sales and marketing agency in the consumer packaged goods industry, is partnering with the Wounded Warrior Project to hold the 2013 Believe in Heroes campaign. 

Toronto -- Canadian Tire Corp. plans to spin off most of its real estate assets into a C$3.5 billion (approximately U.S. $3.49 billion) real estate investment trust, with an initial public offering expected later this year. The proposed new REIT would acquire a majority of the company's owned real estate, including approximately 250 properties comprised largely of Canadian Tire Retail stores, Canadian Tire anchored retail developments and one distribution center.