Supermarket/Grocery

AUSTIN, Texas — Whole Foods is taking the opportunity to reach out to its Jewish consumers by reminding them that it has a number of kosher-certified items for Hannukah, which begins Dec. 20.

The retailer is touting its availability of whole organic turkeys, pumpkin puree and roasted chestnuts to latkes, matzo meal and Hanukkah gelt (chocolate coins).

Specifically Whole Foods is offering:

CHICAGO — The third annual Mobile Audit, released Thursday by e-commerce and digital marketing company Acquity Group, found that mobile adoption is on the rise. In fact, the percentage of retailers with a mobile site reached 37% in 2011, up from 12% in 2010 and only 4% in 2009 — a 210% increase over the past year alone.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Winn-Dixie Stores announced that it is offering special bundles for tailgate, school or office parties, and for trick-or-treating to help customers get ready for Halloween. The grocer said it also is holding special pumpkin-decorating workshops for children this Saturday and Sunday afternoons at select stores. Any child visiting a Winn-Dixie store while wearing a Halloween costume on Saturday, Sunday or Monday will receive a fresh-baked cookie from the Winn-Dixie bakery.

CAMP HILL, Pa. — Same-store sales at Rite Aid increased by 2.9% in October, compared with last October, the retail pharmacy chain said Thursday.

The increase included a 1.3% increase in same-store sales on the front end, as well as a 3.6% increase in pharmacy same-store sales, including a negative offset of about 160 basis points due to the introduction of new generic drugs.

Total sales for the month were nearly $2 billion, a 2.8% increase over October 2010's $1.9 billion.

WASHINGTON — The National Retail Federation said it welcomed a proposal unveiled by House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Dave Camp, R-Mich., to reform the nation’s corporate tax structure.

AUSTIN, Texas — Whole Foods announced that in just six weeks, its shoppers donated more than $2 million in stores and online to support the School Garden Grant Program, the first major initiative of the Whole Kids Foundation. In partnership with FoodCorps, the Foundation will fund $2,000 grants for schools in the United States and Canada to support the launch or expansion of school gardens.

QUINCY, Mass. — Stop & Shop announced that it has expanded the availability of its SCAN IT! Mobile shopping app. 

First introduced last June for iPhone 3GS and 4G in three stores, SCAN IT! Mobile is now also available for many Android devices which will double the reach of customers, the company said. In addition, the pilot will expand to an additional 42 Stop & Shop stores in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut.

CHICAGO — At an event Tuesday in Chicago, Supervalu announced that it will open a Save-A-Lot store in the Lawndale neighborhood of Chicago, bringing thae total number of Save-A-Lot stores in the Chicagoland area to 14. Supervalu, which said it is opening the store as part of its commitment to helping eliminate food deserts nationally, made the announcement alongside First Lady Michelle Obama and Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel. The Lawndale store will open by the end of November.