Supply Chain & Merchandising

Bi-Lo and Winn-Dixie parent Bi-Lo Holdings plans to retire the Sweetbay and Reid’s banners. The company will begin converting all Sweetbay stores to the Winn-Dixie name and Reid's stores to Bi-Lo in 2014, and confirmed the Harveys banner would remain intact.

The grocery retailer acquired all three banners from Brussels, Belgium-based Delhaize Group last May.

Milwaukee — NAI MLG Commercial has announced eight recent transactions across the state of Wisconsin.

New York -- E-commerce solution-provider Borderfree said it has partnered with The Container Store to expand the chain’s international e-commerce reach in time for the holidays.

Previously only accessible to consumers in the U.S., and Canada, The Container Store’s online product offerings are now available to consumers in Australia, India, Mexico, Germany, France, Japan, Switzerland, Russia, and the U.K.

New York -- Changes in foreign exchange rates had a negative impact on Costco’s comparable store sales for the fourth quarter ended Sept. 1, but the wholesaler still reported increases in both its U.S. and international markets. 

The company’s comparable sales for the quarter increased 5%. U.S. comparable store sales increased 5% for the quarter, while international comparable store sales increased 4%. 

Rite Aid has decided to extend its sourcing partnership with Intesource, an e-sourcing provider in the retail, drugstore, grocery and restaurant industries.

Rite Aid has leveraged Intesource's e-sourcing technology since 2009. The partnership helped the chain secure significant savings on both direct and indirect categories — including snow plowing services — and drove efficiencies across the entire supply chain.

Revlon’s wholly owned operating subsidiary, Revlon Consumer Products, completed its previously disclosed acquisition of the Colomer Group, including the Revlon Professional business, for a cash purchase price of $665 million.

Miami Gardens, Fla. — The owners of Palmetto Gardens Plaza, a 7.1-acre center in Miami Gardens, have reached a settlement with PNC Bank, secured a new loan with Hudson Financial Services and signed a lease with Wal-Mart for a Neighborhood Market Store as its anchor tenant.

In January of 2010, PNC Bank filed a foreclosure action against Palmetto Design Center, the property owner. That action has been settled.

Thorofare, N.J. -- Checkpoint Systems announced that Family Dollar Stores has entered into a multi-year agreement that includes the deployment of Checkpoint's electronic article surveillance solutions in all of its existing and future stores.

The rollout in the chain's existing 7,900 stores is expected to be completed by December 2014.