Supermarket/Grocery

Brooksville, Fla. -- Jacksonville, Fla.-based Regency Centers said it has leased retail space to two new tenants in Brooksville, Fla., at Suncoast Crossing.

Sprint has leased 1,750 sq. ft., and Gia’s Cakes & Goodies has leased 1,400 sq. ft.

Both are slated to open this summer.

The 260,000-sq.-ft. shopping center is anchored by a 142,000-sq.-ft. Target and a 98,000-sq.-ft. Kohl’s alongside national retailers such as Supercuts and McDonald’s.
 

Newport Beach, Calif. -- Grubb & Ellis Co. said that Cole Real Estate Investments has selected members of the company’s Retail Group to lease Whittwood Town Center, a 686,211-sq.-ft. shopping center in Whittier, Calif.

Whittwood Town Center is approximately 97% leased, with national tenants including J.C. Penney, Target, Vons, Kohl’s, PetSmart, 24 Hour Fitness and Panera Bread.

WASHINGTON — U.S. retail sales rose for the 10th consecutive month in April, increasing 0.5% to $389.4 billion, the U.S. Census Bureau reported Thursday.

The government agency also disclosed retail sales experienced a 7.6% jump above the year-ago period. Across retail sectors, grocery stores during April rose 1.5% to nearly $45.9 million, up from $45.3 million in March, while health and personal care stores, which have experienced positive numbers over the past several months, saw a surprise drop of 0.3% to nearly $22.7 million for the month.

EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. — Supervalu banner Save-A-Lot has appointed a new leader, replacing company veteran Bill Shaner, who has lead the division since 2006.

Eden Prairie, Minn. -- Supervalu has named Santiago Roces, a former Wal-Mart Stores executive, as the CEO and president of its discount Save-A-Lot division. Roces, who most recently served as senior VP and general manager of Wal-Mart's small-format division, replaces Bill Shaner, who led Save-A-Lot since 2006 and worked for Supervalu for 27 years.

Supervalu it plans to double the number of Save-A-Lot stores, growing it to more than 2,400 locations by the end of 2015.

Salisbury, N.C. -- Food Lion has opened its third LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design)-certified store, in Hope Mills, N.C.

“By building our third LEED grocery store, we will reduce energy costs by more than 20% compared to a typical supermarket, as well as conserve 40% more water than other Food Lion stores,” said Kyle Mitchell, VP of store development for Delhaize America South. “Food Lion has one of the most advanced retail energy conservation programs in the country.”

Washington, D.C. -- Retail sales rose 0.5% in April after a 0.9% increase in March, the Commerce Department reported Thursday. It was the tenth straight increase and came as consumers spent more on gasoline, clothing and autos in April.

Much of the gain in April, however, came from a surge in gasoline and food prices. Excluding a 2.7% jump in gasoline sales, the increase was a much smaller 0.2%.

Grocery stores sales jumped 1.5% -- triple the March increase. That partly reflected higher food prices.

MALVERN, Pa., and VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — Building on the successful introduction of the nutrition iQ program to stores, two Supervalu banners announced that they will implement an education initiative designed to help grocery shoppers navigate the aisles with great-tasting foods that meet their nutritional needs.

Acme and Farm Fresh Food & Pharmacy said the Colors in Your Carriage initiative shoppers find quick-to-prepare, good-tasting solutions to fill the nutrient gaps highlighted in the 2010 Dietary Guidelines.

Lakeland, Fla. -- Publix Super Markets said that it has reached a deal to sell the Crispers restaurant chain to Healthy Food Concepts, an affiliate of the Miami-based investment group Boyne Capital Partners. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Crispers is a fast-casual restaurant chain serving soup, salads and sandwiches with 36 locations in Florida.
 

Purchase, N.Y. -- Excluding auto sales, total retail sales in April 2011 grew by 8.8% year-over-year, stronger than March’s growth rate, and substantially higher than the average 7.1% year-to-year growth rate of the previous quarter, according to MasterCard Advisors’ SpendingPulse, a macroeconomic report tracking national retail and service sales.