Supermarket/Grocery

Bangalore, India -- According to multiple reports on Monday, India’s largest retailer has hired two former executives of Wal-Mart Stores’ China operations as its two top executives.

Reliance Industries Ltd., which operates 1,000 retail stores across India selling everything from produce to electronics, has named Rob Cissell as CEO of Reliance Retail Ltd. and has named Shawn Gray as COO.

In his newest column, Retail Rap with Jeff Green, Chain Store Age columnist Green examines the early uptick in medical users in retail centers and questions why the trend has apparently stalled.

Click here to read his latest editorial. 

Bentonville, Ark. -- Wal-Mart Stores announced Friday that its U.K.-based Asda unit has promoted Judity McKenna to the position of COO.

McKenna is currently Asda’s finance director.

MINNEAPOLIS — Supervalu announced that Matt Rubel will stay on as a member of its board of directors, despite his retirement from Collective Brands.

Rubel retired as chairman, president and CEO of Collective Brands earlier this month. Per Supervalu's governance principles, he submitted his offer of resignation as a member of the board of directors. On June 28, the company’s Board of Directors unanimously rejected his offer of resignation.

AMSTERDAM — Ahold has tapped retail veteran James McCann to serve in the newly created role of chief commercial development officer.

Former and short-time Walmart executive Robert Atencio is among a group of marketers slated to interview former P&G chairman and CEO A.G. Lafley during an event called Shopper Insights in Action. The 11th annual event is billed as a riveting brainstorming session in which the former P&G head will share thoughts on the future of research, marketing, retail and the evolution of the changing consumer. Atencio, who formerly served as VP insights and customer strategy at Walmart, is currently VP global insights at Pfizer Consumer Healthcare.

Walmart could be put at a competitive disadvantage in Brazil if a bizarre merger between the company’s two larger rivals proceeds and secures regulatory approval.

The nation’s two largest retailers, Pao de Acucar and France-based Carrefour are attempting to merge their operations in a convoluted deal that has drawn the ire of fellow French retailer Casino, which owns a large stake in Pao de Acucar. 

Deerfield, Ill. -- Walgreens is expanding its presence in Chicago, and adding 600 new jobs in the process. Under its new "Chicago Hometown Investment Initiative," the drugstore chain plan to expand its downtown office space, add new stores and remodel up to 142 existing units.

Rochester, N.Y. -- Wegman’s Food Markets, said Thursday it has broken ground on a 123,070-sq.-ft. grocery supermarket in The Village at Valley Forge in King of Prussia, Pa.

A lease has also been signed for Next Door Bar & Grill, a restaurant concept owned by Wegman’s Food Markets for 12,000 sq. ft. on an adjacent parcel in the mixed-use development.

Latham, N.Y. -- Plug Power announced that it will supply 161 GenDrive fuel cells to Kroger’s food distribution center in Compton, Calif. Kroger will use the renewable energy source to power its fleet of electric lift trucks. Because GenDrive is fueled with hydrogen, the only byproducts created through the electrochemical energy-conversion process are heat and water.