Supermarket/Grocery

Branded food supplier ConAgra’s acquisition of private label rival Ralcorp promises to create an interesting new dynamic when it comes to trading partner relationships.

Earlier this week, the companies announced they had reached an agreement valued at $6.8 billion whereby ConAgra will acquire Ralcorp for $90 a share to create one of the nation’s largest food companies with annual sales of roughly $18 billion.

Rapidly growing food retailer The Fresh Market experienced a bit of a hiccup with its third quarter results, but president and CEO Craig Carlock contends the company’s long term vision remains intact.

Sales at the 128 unit retailer increased 22.1% to $321.5 million and profits increased 19% to $10.9 million, but analysts were looking for stronger profits and lower expenses. Some also believed the company’s relatively young store base should have produced a same store sales increase stronger than the 5.6% figure the company reported.

Tucson, Ariz. -- Oakbrook, Ill.-based Inland Diversified Real Estate Trust announced the acquisition of The Corner, an 80,155-sq.-ft. shopping center in Tucson, Ariz., for approximately $29.5 million.

Tenants at The Corner include Total Wine, Nordstrom Rack and Five Guys Burgers and Fries, along with Sleep Number by Select Comfort, Sprint and Paradise Bakery.  

Laguna Hills, Calif. -- Vintage Real Estate announced that The Fresh Market will open at its neighborhood shopping center The Village at Nellie Gail Ranch in Laguna Hills, Calif., which is undergoing a $17 million renovation and expansion.  

The gourmet grocer will open a 21,000-sq.-ft. store in summer 2014.

The expansion and renovation of Village at Nellie Gail Ranch includes new facades, storefronts, refreshed landscaping and outdoor gathering spots. With the expansion, the center will total approximately 100,000 sq. ft.

Washington, D.C. -- On Tuesday, a majority of named class plaintiffs filed a notice of appeal to challenge a ruling from the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York granting preliminary approval to a proposed settlement of a long-standing antitrust class action filed by merchants against Visa, MasterCard and the largest banks. The merchant group will ask the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit to deny preliminary approval due to the legal defects in the proposed settlement.
 

San Antonio -- The grocery industry, for the most part, lags in using online shopper insights for shopper and competitive advantage, according to a study developed in partnership with BeaconUnited, a national grocery broker, and ArchPoint Consulting, and powered by business intelligence firm Black Pearl Intelligence. Grocery-related social media conversations are now estimated at 10 million annually, yet many grocers are still slow to respond, the study found.

New York -- Cyber Monday continues its importance, driving a nearly 22% increase in year-over-year online sales, Chase reported Tuesday as part of its latest Holiday Pulse report. Monday sales beat Sunday, the next highest day, by a margin of 26.7%.

Each year, in December, Chain Store Age publishes a retail overview of the northeastern quadrant of the United States and, each year, there’s not a lot of bad news to report, even in recessionary times. This year is no exception; in fact, despite a superstorm that ravaged much of the region, the economic engine continues to chug along.

Heating and air-conditioning systems are major targets for reducing energy use in retail stores. It’s easy to see why: Together, heating and cooling systems consume approximately 38% of the energy used in such facilities (according to the Environmental Protection Agency’s Energy Star program).

Mystery shopper reports served as a wake-up call to Kroger’s 131-store Fred Meyer division.

In 2009, Fred Meyer stores scored a meager 68.3% in overall customer impression in the reports. But over the past three years, the number has jumped to 83.8%, according to data provided by Reality Check of Seattle, the retailer’s secret shopper service provider.