Supply Chain & Merchandising

MINNEAPOLIS — Supervalu reported a loss of $111 for its second quarter, compared with net income of $60 million in the year-earlier quarter.

Revenue fell 4.6% to $8.04 billion in the quarter ended Sept. 8, from $8.43 billion in the year-earlier quarter. The decrease in net sales was blamed on both a decline in identical-store sales and the sale of a majority of the company’s gas stations, which had contributed $158 million in revenue in the second quarter last year.

Minneapolis -- Target announced plans to open a store in Staten Island, N.Y., in July 2013. The 150,000-sq.-ft. store will be located at the Richmond Shopping Center.

In addition, Target said it will open its second CityTarget store in the city of San Francisco, in October 2013. The new, 119,000-sq.-ft. CityTarget will be located at the southwest corner of Geary and Masonic Streets. On Oct. 10, the retailer opened the doors to the city’s first-ever Target store, also a CityTarget, at the Metreon.

Seattle -- Nordstrom plans to open a Nordstrom Rack on Long Island, N.Y., at Manhasset Center, which is owned and operated by Kimco Realty Corp.

The approximately 32,000-sq.-ft. store will be the retailer's third Nordstrom Rack location on Long Island and is scheduled to open in spring 2013.

The new two-level Nordstrom Rack will move into the former Filene's Basement location at Manhasset Center and will occupy space on both the ground and second level.

PLAINVIEW, N.Y. — A recent study showed that supermarkets generate high satisfaction among their shoppers. Supermarkets scored an average of 4.47 on a five-point satisfaction scale (where five is the highest), according to the "2012 U.S. Supermarket Experience Study" conducted by the Retail Feedback Group.

New York – Alsea, Latin America's biggest restaurant operator, will invest $110 million over the next three years in 220 new Starbucks cafes in Mexico and Argentina, Reuters reported.

Around $75 million of the investment would be put into some 170 new stores in Mexico, which is Starbucks' fastest-growing Latin American market, with the balance going to its number two regional market Argentina, according to the report.

Currently, Argentina and Brazil have about 50 Starbucks stores each.

New York -- Murphy Oil is splitting in two in order to better focus on the separate tasks of exploration and production, and the sale of gasoline and other goods through its retail locations, the Associated Press reported.

Murphy USA will become a separate company focused on selling fuels. Murphy USA operates retail gasoline stations in 23 states. Murphy USA will also operate seven fuel distribution terminals and ethanol production facilities in North Dakota and Texas.

Chicago -- Claire's Stores announced the opening of the first Claire's store in El Salvador. The store is located in the Metro Center Mall in the city of San Salvador.

Claire's partnered with Coquerias S. A. for the new store. Coquerias S.A. is also Claire's franchise partner in the Guatemala market.  

With the opening in El Salvador, the Claire's brand now reaches 34 countries globally.  

Minneapolis -- Target announced that, for the first time ever, it will offer shoppers the ability to match select online competitors’ prices in its stores between Nov. 1 and Dec. 16. Qualifying online retailers include Amazon.com, Walmart.com, BestBuy.com and Toysrus.com.