Supply Chain & Merchandising

Framingham, Mass. – Staples Inc. is reportedly in negotiations with the state of New York to resolve a dispute about the terms of an agreement to sell numerous items to New York state agencies and qualifying non-profits for a penny each. According to the Wall Street Journal, Staples agreed to honor the one-cent prices on 219 items for three years in order to win a state office and school supplies contract.

Portland, Oregon -- The Green Building Initiative announced a wave of Green Globes certifications for new supermarkets across the nation. The properties include New Seasons Markets in Oregon, and Whole Foods Market, Price Chopper, Aldi’s, Harris Teeter, Wegmans, and Publix stores across the country.
 

After 40 years in the beer business, Molson Coors Brewing Company president and CEO Peter S. Swinburn is retiring from the company and its board of directors on December 31. The board has named Mark R. Hunter, currently CEO and president of Molson Coors Europe and a 25-year industry veteran, as his successor.

Minneapolis -- Target Corp. has pulled back the curtain on its new small-format store, TargetExpress, in the “Dinkeytown” section of Minneapolis. The 20,000-sq.-ft. store is just steps away from the University of Minnesota. (See the video tour). 

Target plans to open four TargetExpress stores in 2015, with three locations in the San Francisco Bay Area, and one in the Highland Park area of St. Paul.

O’Reilly Automotive, the nation’s second largest auto parts retailer, said it is on track to open 200 new stores this year after posting its 22nd consecutive quarter of profit growth in excess of 15%.

Bentonville, Ark. -- Wal-Mart Stores announced that Bill Simon, president and CEO of Walmart U.S. since June 2010, is leaving the company. He will be replaced by Greg Foran, 53, president and CEO of Walmart Asia, who will take up the post on Aug. 9, reporting directly Wal-Mart president and CEO, Doug McMillon. Simon will be available on a consulting basis for the next six months to ensure a seamless transition.

Second quarter sales at Amazon increased 23% to $19.3 billion thanks to growth of new and existing products, but the company reported an even bigger loss than it did the prior year.

Eden Prairie, Minn. – The loss of a large tax benefit caused Supervalu’s net income to plummet 49% in the first quarter of fiscal 2015 to $43 million from $85 million in the year-ago period.

Revenue slipped to $5.23 billion from $5.24 billion.