Supermarket/Grocery

Houston -- Discount supermarket operator Aldi announced it is preparing to enter the Houston market with 30 new stores over the next three years. The expansion will begin in spring of 2013, with the opening of more than 10 new locations.

With this expanded Texas footprint, Aldi is expected to bring 400 jobs and an investment of over $100 million of capital expenditures to the local community. The first Aldi stores in Houston will open in the spring of 2013, with more than 10 new locations.

New York -- Kohl’s, Nordstrom and Target  ranked first in their categories in a new survey by Harris Interactive The 2012 Harris Poll EquiTrend (EQ) study surveyed Americans about brands across several retail segments, revealing which brands prompted them to open their hearts—and consequently—their pocketbooks.

New York -- Manhattan-based ATCO Properties & Management said it has acquired a Whole Foods retail location in Mill Valley, Calif., for $17.3 million.

Situated within the Alto Shopping Center on Mill Valley’s North side, the 23,200-sq.-ft. store opened a year ago and has established itself as one of the chain’s best performers, according to ATCO senior VP Damon Hemmerdinger.

Garden City, N.Y. -- Sabre Real Estate Group said it has arranged five retail leases on Long Island totaling almost 20,000 sq. ft.

In Commack, N.Y., women’s apparel retailer Bolton’s leased 2,500 sq. ft. in the Mayfair Shopping Center for a store that is expected to open in June. Levin Management Corp., of Plainfield, N.J., owns the shopping center.

Yorkville, Ill. -- Tucker Development Corp. said that Athens Gyros & Kebabs will open a location at Yorkville Marketplace, located in Yorkville, Ill.

The Middle Eastern restaurant signed a lease to occupy a 1,258-sq.-ft. space within the 145,000-sq.-ft. shopping center anchored by Jewel-Osco and OfficeMax.

Huntington Beach, Calif. -- DJM Capital Partners said that a new 154,000-sq.-ft. Costco has opened at Bella Terra, an open-air center in Huntington Beach, Calif. Costco opened in a building vacated by Mervyn’s.

Costco at Bella Terra is a full-format store offering Gas Station, Fresh Bakery, Fresh Meat, Fresh Produce, Fresh Deli with Rotisserie Chicken, Optical Department, 1-Hour Photo, Pharmacy, Tire Center, Hearing Aid Center, Fine Wine & Liquor and Food Court.

Wal-Mart Stores fell to the number two spot on the Fortune 500 list after holding the number one spot for two years. It was ousted by Exxon Mobil, which benefitted from rising oil prices.To see the full list, click here.

There was an increase in the number of circulars retailers released in the month of April, while page counts increased only slightly.

AUSTIN, Texas — Whole Foods is rewarding customer that live a green lifestyle through its new app it created with Whole Planet Foundation and BlueAvocado.

Austin, Texas — Whole Foods is rewarding customers that live a green lifestyle through a new app it created with Whole Planet Foundation and BlueAvocado.