Supermarket/Grocery

Washington, D.C. -- A report released Tuesday by the Commerce Department said that retail sales in the United States rose 1.1% in February, the most in five months.

The advance matched Bloomberg estimates and followed on the heels of a 0.6% increase in January that was larger than anticipated.

NEW YORK — Sprouts Farmers Market, a Phoenix-based natural-foods supermarket chain, has reached an agreement to merge with competitor, Sunflower Farmers Market, based in Boulder, Col. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

The combined company will operate 139 stores in eight states under the Sprouts banner, with annual sales of approximately $2 billion. It will open about 12 new stores this year.

“Our operations are very similar," said Sprouts president Doug Sanders, who will lead the combined supermarket company.

EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. — Supervalu, which already has committed to providing customers with sustainably-sourced wild-caught seafood, has taken the next steps to ensure its farm-raised seafood is also sourced responsibly. The company announced that it is partnering with the Global Aquaculture Alliance (GAA) to implement a new, comprehensive procurement policy to ensure sustainable sourcing of farm-raised seafood.

Well, 2012 is certainly off to a wild start. While there’s been nothing quite as dramatic and earth shattering as last year’s tsunami in Japan, there are plenty of global events and outside influences affecting our industry. I’m talking about the increases we’re seeing at the gas pumps and the warmer-than-average winter we’ve been experiencing throughout the country.

By Steven Boon, [email protected]

As retailers strive to be competitive in the current economic environment, many are considering the use of new software solutions to more effectively identify their customers’ wants and desires – and better determine what products they need to have on their store shelves to maximize sales and minimize wastage.

Lynnwood, Wash. -- Whole Foods Market will open a store in Lynnwood, Wash., on March 15. It is the first Whole Foods location in the Pacific Northwest to use Glycol as a refrigerant, reducing the amount of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) produced by the store.

The store emphasizes a commitment to green practices and environmentally friendly construction, from the LED lighting to the locally sourced, reclaimed Douglas Fir wood visible throughout.

New York -- Sprouts Farmers Market, a Phoenix-based natural-foods supermarket chain, has reached an agreement to merge with competitor, Sunflower Farmers Market, based in Boulder, Col. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

The combined company will operate 139 stores in eight states under the Sprouts banner, with annual sales of approximately $2 billion. It will open about 12 new stores this year.

“Our operations are very similar," said Sprouts president Doug Sanders, who will lead the combined supermarket company.

Although Walmart International has completed three acquisitions during the past 12 months, it is actually the least preferred method of growth, according to international division CFO Cathy Smith. Just imagine if acquisitions were the top priority.

Smith’s comments about acquisitions came earlier this week at a Raymond James and Associates investor conference where she appeared with treasurer Jeff Davis and detailed four dimensions of Walmart’s international growth strategy.

It seems like forever ago that Walmart stopped reporting monthly sales and providing regular guidance updates, which is why one comment by Walmart CFO Charles Holley stood out above all the others he made this week at the Bank of America Merrill Lynch Consumer & Retail Conference.

NEW YORK — McDonald’s, Whole Foods Market and Best Buy are among the retailers participating in a new American Express program that allows shoppers to load discounts onto their American Express cards via Twitter.