Supermarket/Grocery

The rhetoric over allowing foreign direct investment in India is reminiscent of the rhetoric that would have occurred in the United States 30 years ago had Walmart’s critics knew then what they profess to know now.

According to the Employment Situation report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the national unemployment rate held at 8.2%. Nonfarm payroll employment continued to edge up in June, with 80,000 jobs added.

Professional and business services added 47,000 jobs in June, while health care added 13,000 jobs and wholesale trade added 9,000 in June.

TORRANCE, Calif. — Yakult U.S.A. is introducing a probiotic drink to the U.S. market.

Yakult Light, which has nearly two-thirds less sugar and one-third fewer calories than regular Yakult, contains active probiotic bacteria called Lactobacillus casei strain Shirota. The product also is made with natural sweeteners and natural flavors, and is free of preservatives, gluten and high-fructose corn syrup. Unlike regular Yakult products, Yakult Light will tout blue and white packaging, with the red Yakult logo.

New York -- Myers Group plans to install the QThru mobile platform, which enables shoppers to scan items with a smartphone as they shop, in its supermarkets. The company has been testing the system for six months at its IGA Ridge Supermarket in Snoqualmie, Wash.

DEERFIELD, Ill. — Walgreens will acquire 144 stores operating under USA Drug, Super D Drug, May's Drug, Med-X and Drug Warehouse banners in an agreement valued at approximately $438 million.

MINNEAPOLIS — Target reported a 2.1% same-store sales increase that was toward the low end of the company’s expectations.

Despite June sales that were softer than expected, Target left its second quarter profit forecast intact as the weaker-than-expected result offset a better-than-expected performance the previous month.

LAKELAND, Fla. — Publix is testing online ordering of its deli products in one Lakeland, Fla. store beginning Aug. 3. Through the service, customers an order custom subs, wraps, sliced meats and cheeses. Publix expects to roll out the program to 50 additional stores later this year.

Total U.S. shopper traffic in retail stores and malls for June 2012

Summer retail is heating up. June brought high temperatures and a steady stream of shoppers to stores across the nation. Retail foot traffic in June increased 5.2% compared with the previous month and 7% over the same period last year.

Greensboro, N.C. -- High-end grocer The Fresh Market is making a stand in California, as it prepares to open its first three stores in the state.

According to a Tuesday report by Investor’s Business Daily, Fresh Market has signed leases and begun construction on one store in Santa Barbara, one in Palo Alto and a third in Roseville. The grocer said it expects to open its first store in the state either late this year or early 2013.

New York -- As discounters such as Target, Stein Mart and warehouse club operator Costco posted disappointing same-store sales results in June, TJX Cos. and Ross Stores shone with gains that surpassed Wall Street estimates. TJX saw a same-store sales rise of 7% in June, beating the 4.2% rise predicted by analysts. Ross was up 7% for the month, after Wall Street forecast a 4.8% increase. Sales rose 12% to $886 million in June. Both chains raised their second-quarter profit forecasts.