Supermarket/Grocery

Costco and BJ’s reported impressive same-store sales for June, and that’s good news for Sam’s Club. Given the strong correlation in performance between Sam’s and its direct competitors it is reasonable to assume Sam’s is on track to easily attain its second quarter same-store sales guidance, which calls for an increase in the range of 3% to 5%. Sam’s posted a first-quarter comp increase of 4.2% but doesn’t provide monthly updates.

Stronger-than-expected retail sales in June had media outlets using words like “soar” and “surge” to describe the gains reported by retailers who disclose monthly results. While it is probably overstating things to characterize increases of 4.5% at Target, 6.7% at Macy’s and 4.8% as Walgreens as anything other than an “increase,” the hyperbole on the part of the media and analysts can be forgiven because everything is relative, and the numbers are fantastic compared with earlier this year.

Former Walmart China executives Rob Cissell and Shawn Gray have joined the retail subsidiary of Indian conglomerate Reliance Industries, according to the Economic Times of India. Cissell will serve Reliance CEO and Gray will serve as COO, according to the newspaper.

It’s only been two months since Walmart acquired an undisclosed minority interest in Chinese online supermarket operator Yihaodian, but now the company is indicating it may conduct an initial public stock offering in the United States, according to Bloomberg.

The new agency said the Shanghai-based company is looking to expand aggressively and quoted Yihaodian chairman Yu Gang as saying the company will most likely sell shares to the public in the United States but offered no timetable.

Now that Walmart has completed its acquisition of a majority stake in South African retailer Massmart a major competitor contends it will need to lay off 8.6% of its work force to improve its competitive position.

That’s according to South African media reports indicating rival Pick n Pay Stores said it was looking to eliminate 3,137 of its 36,673 positions. Conversely, Walmart has said it will create 15,000 jobs in South Africa within five years, implying a fairly robust level of expansion.

The 4.5% increase in same-store sales Target reported for June was at the high end of the company’s expectations, came on top of a prior year increase of 1.7% and was driven primarily by an increase in average transaction size with a more modest benefit associated with increased traffic.

Westchester, Ill. -- Tri-Land Properties announced Thursday that Marshalls and Qdoba Mexican Grill have joined the company’s projects in Indiana and Minnesota.

At Southern Plaza, a 335,000-sq.-ft. Indianapolis shopping center anchored by Kroger and Office Depot, Marshalls has opened a 24,084-sq.-ft. store.

At Century Plaza, a 300,592-sq.-ft. shopping center located in Merrillville, Ind. anchored by Staples and Old Time Pottery, Qdoba Mexican Grill has opened a 2,700-sq. ft. Mexican fast-casual restaurant.

The country’s largest Japanese supermarket chain will debut at Heritage Plaza, in Irvine, Calif.

According to shopping center owner Regency Center, based in Jacksonville, Fla., it has leased 13,853 sq. ft. at Heritage Plaza to Mitsuwa Marketplace. The Asian grocer, which has eight other U.S. locations, including six in California, is slated to open in fourth quarter 2011, in a former Ace Hardware space.

New York City -- Discounters and warehouse clubs turned in robust performances in June, led by Costco Wholesale Club, whose same-store sales in the United States rose 12%, while internationally same-store sales jumped 18%. Excluding the impact of inflation in gasoline prices and stronger foreign currencies, Costco said same-store sales in June rose 8%. Its results beat expectations.

MONTVALE, N.J. — A&P has launched a new program offering exclusive discounts to pet owners across New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware and Connecticut. The program is a collaboration with the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.