Supply Chain & Merchandising

Eden Prairie, Minn. -- Supervalu has named Bruce Besanko as the company’s executive VP and CFO, effective Aug. 7. Besanko joins Supervalu after serving as executive VP of finance, CFO and CAO for OfficeMax since 2009.

PURCHASE, N.Y. — PepsiCo reported net revenue of $16.8 billion for the second quarter of 2013, a 2% increase from $16.4 billion for the same quarter last year.

Structural changes, principally the refranchising of the company's beverage operations in Vietnam and China, negatively impacted reported net revenue performance by nearly 1% and foreign exchange translation had a 1.5% unfavorable impact in the quarter. Adjusted to exclude the impact of foreign currency translation and structural changes, revenue grew 4.2%.

New York -- Berkowitz Development Group has inked a lease renewal with Sports Authority for 43,000-sq. ft. at Kendallgate Shopping Center in Miami.

As part of a nationwide effort, the retailer will redesign the store’s interior and incorporate updated exterior signage.

Lewisville, Texas -- Almost six-in-10 (58%) U.S. smartphone owners, representing one-in-three overall shoppers, “showroom” or check for better prices on in-store items using their mobile devices. The Parago Dynamic Pricing Study also shows that Amazon is the number one way U.S. consumers compare prices on smartphones in store.

UPS reported second quarter results that were below the company's expectations as a result of disappointing performance in freight forwarding and a "slight miss" in International package.

Same store sales increased 1.3% at RadioShack during the second quarter, but clearance driven sales activity took a toll on profitability and the retailer enlisted the services of several turnaround firms.

Irvine, Calif. – Taco Bell plans to discontinue all kids’ meals and toys at its U.S. restaurants. The fast-food chain will start removing the items from its menu at stores this month at anticipates to have eliminated all kids’ meals and toys in the U.S. by January of next year. Menu items from kids’ meals will remain available for individual purchase.

Greg Creed, CEO of Taco Bell, said kids’ meals are not part of the company’s long-range strategy and have an insignificant impact on overall sales.

Boulder, Colo. -- Trader Joe’s is North America’s favorite grocery store based on customer satisfaction, according to a new study of 6,600 consumers conducted by Market Force Information. Publix Super Markets and Whole Foods Market rounded out the top three. All three received high marks for courteous staff, inviting atmosphere and high-quality produce. Hy-Vee also scored well on those measures.