Supermarket/Grocery

New York – The Great Atlantic and Pacific Tea Co. (A&P), which exited bankruptcy last year, is reportedly looking to sell itself. A report in the Wall Street Journal indicates that an internally distributed company memo from A&P chairman Gregory Mays to store managers states a sale of A&P is one of several options for funding growth, along with raising capital and refinancing.

MONTVALE, N.J. — The Wall Street Journal reported that grocer A&P, which emerged from bankruptcy about a year ago, is up for sale, according to an internal memo the publication obtained.

The WSJ reports that the memo, sent by chairman Gregory Mays and circulating to employees, outlines several options for the company to fund its growth, including raising capital and refinancing. The memo also states that a sale of the company is possible.

Walmart knows it isn’t going to win any supermarket industry prizes for store experience, not when operators such as Whole Foods and Publix are involved, but not leading the pack on price is a different matter.

ATLANTA — PepsiCo and Feed the Children have teamed up with Compassion Atlanta and Walmart to distribute two tractor trailers full of food and essentials to 800 Atlanta-area children and families in need.  

Walmart has opened its first supercenter in Canada’s eastern Maritime provinces of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. The retailer, which has operated in Canada for nearly two decades, plans to invest $90 million this year in the renovation and expansion of nine locations in New Brunswick and Novia Scotia.

Halifax — Walmart Canada on Friday opened its first supercenter in Atlantic Canada, in the Halifax Shopping Centre Annex in Halifax.

The store is one of 37 supercenter projects planned for the company's current fiscal year, which ends January 31, 2014. The projects, which were announced earlier this year, include building new stores and expanding, remodelling or relocating existing stores and represent an investment of more than $450 million in the Canadian economy.

No one would dispute that Lakeland, Fla.-based supermarket is a wonderful operator, but a piece in the August 12 issue of Forbes takes things a little too far and characterizes the regional operator of 1,073 stores as, “the Wal-Mart Slayer.”
 

Grand Rapids, Mich. — Meijer has opened a 190,000-sq.-ft. supercenter at the Gateway Marketplace shopping center located in the Michigan State Fairgrounds.

The new supercenter includes a grocery and full-service pharmacy with a drive-through.