Supermarket/Grocery

Paris -- Carrefour, the second largest retailer in the world after Wal-Mart Stores, has selected French retailing veteran Georges Plassat, 62, as its next CEO and chairman.

Walmart opened its second supercenter in Chicago this week, and the only thing missing from the press release announcing the new store was a quote from President Obama praising the company as a job creator.

Instead, Walmart had to settle for some kind words from Chicago mayor and former Obama chief of staff Rohm Emanuel.

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Meijer announced Friday the appointment of J.K. Symancyk to the newly created role of COO for the company, along with the addition of Peter Whitsett to the Meijer team as EVP merchandising and marketing.

Grand Rapids, Mich. -- Meijer said Friday it has appointed J.K. Symancyk to the newly created role of COO. The grocery and superstore retailer has also hired Peter Whitsett as executive VP of merchandising and marketing.

Symancyk will report directly to Mark Murray, president of Meijer, and will have three direct reports: Janet Emerson, executive VP of retail operations; Rick Keyes, executive VP of supply chain and manufacturing; and Peter Whitsett, who is operating in the role previously held by Symancyk.

New York City -- French retailer Carrefour is in advanced talks to replace its CEO, according to The New York Times.

The board of the company is talking with Georges Plassat to replace its current CEO, Lars Olofsson, the report said. Plassat is chief executive of Vivarte, the Paris-based owner of retail clothing chains and shoe stores including Kookai, Chevignon and Naf Naf.

Asda, Walmart’s U.K. subsidiary, has big plans for 2012 that include investing more than £500m ($784 million) in its stores in 2012.

The company said it will invest the money in opening 25 new stores and three depots, as well as expanding and remodeling 43 of its existing stores. According to the company, this investment will create up to 5,000 new jobs in the United Kingdom. The company noted that current Asda associates would have the opportunity to enhance their careers through the company’s apprenticeship program.

Washington, D.C. -- Survey results released Thursday by the Retail Advertising and Marketing Association, and conducted by BIGinsight, found that 173 million people will watch the Super Bowl football game on Sunday, Feb. 5, the most in the survey’s eight-year history and up from an estimated 171 million last year.

Paris -- A Thursday report by the Wall Street Journal said that French retailer Carrefour SA may hire French apparel group chief Georges Plassat to replace current CEO Lars Olofsson. WSJ cited unnamed sources close to the situation.

According to the report, Plassat could replace Olofsson as early as next week.

Plassat is head of Vivarte SA, in which he is also a shareholder.

Carrefour and Vivarte have not commented on the matter.

WEST DES MOINES, Iowa — Hy-Vee has introduced a mobile application that it said could make locating pie crust in its stores as easy as saying "pie."

The supermarket chain announced the release of the app, which allows customers to locate products, browse ads, search for recipes, build shopping lists, shop and interact with the company through social media. The app is built on the AT&T Mobile Enterprise Applications Platform and uses Taqtile Mobility's Shingle solution.

MINNEAPOLIS — Supervalu on Tuesday named Michael Moore EVP and chief marketing officer. Moore will lead all of the company’s marketing activities, including overseeing customer and brand strategy, advertising, customer loyalty, and research and analytics.

Moore was named to the top marketing post following this week’s decision by Julie Dexter Berg to leave the company and return to the West Coast.