Supermarket/Grocery

Redlands, Calif. -- Esri announced Wednesday that the Great Atlantic and Pacific Tea Co. has licensed Esri GIS technology and data to provide localized shopping trends data toward supporting the grocer’s commitment to growing its market presence across the Northeast.

Naples, Fla. -- New York City-based Brixmor Property Group has announced the Dec. 6 grand re-opening of its redevelopment of Naples Plaza, one of the oldest shopping centers in Naples, Fla.

Melrose, Mass. -- Charter Realty & Development Corp. announced that shortly after acquiring Towers Plaza in Melrose, Mass., it has signed a 20-year lease for 29,980 sq. ft. to Whole Foods Market.

Whole Foods will move into a space currently occupied by Johnny’s Foodmaster. The space will undergo a major renovation that will coincide with Charter’s renovation of the balance of the center.

Philadelphia -- Metro Commercial Real Estate said that David’s Bridal will open an 8,164-sq.-ft. store at Great Northeast Plaza, located in the northeastern part of Philadelphia.

The new store is slated to open by spring 2013.

By Keith Carpentier, [email protected]

New York -- Although consumers are defecting in growing numbers, the majority say they could have been retained, according to survey results released Wednesday by Accenture.

According to the Accenture Global Consumer Survey, in 2012 one-in-five consumers switched companies they buy from -- including retailers, wireless phone and Internet service -- marking a 5% increase in switching over 2011 levels. However, the survey also found that 85% of consumers say the companies could have done something differently to prevent them from switching.  

London -- Tesco CEO Philip Clarke announced Wednesday that the British supermarket retailer will likely sell or close its entire U.S. presence, which means that 199 Fresh & Easy stores could be shuttered or sold off.

According to multiple reports, Tesco is close to making the decision after five unprofitable years in the U.S. The retailer launched the concept in 2007, confident there was a niche for a grocery store with fresh food offerings formatted in a unique footprint that was smaller than a typical supermarket but larger than a c-store.

Houston -- A Tuesday report by NPD Group found that total consumer traffic through convenience stores was down 2.1% in the third quarter, compared with the same period last year.

NPD’s convenience store market research reports that the traffic decline this quarter was largely driven by lower purchase frequency (5.9 visits per 30 days), but was also influenced by a slight decline in the overall reach of the channel (only 50.2% of consumers aged 16+).
 

Chicago -- Store opening plans for 2013 are at a four-year high even as positive retail trends tempered with uncertain fiscal policies signal a cautious start to the new year, according to a report released Monday by Jones Lang LaSalle.

According to Jones Lang LaSalle’s 2013 National Retail Real Estate Outlook, retailers will open as many as 78,325 stores in the next two years – up 11% from year-end plans in 2011. Construction will add 52 million sq. ft. of space in 2013, more than double the 20 million sq. ft. completed in 2012.

MATTHEWS, N.C. — Less than six months after joining Family Dollar, Tammy L. DeBoer has been named SVP of food.

DeBoer will report to Paul White, EVP and CMO at the rapidly growing discount retailer. This latest appointment comes as the retailer has taken steps to position itself as a one-stop destination for shoppers with expanded assortments of food and consumables.