Supply Chain & Merchandising

Pleasanton, Calif. -- Safeway announced Monday that it has promoted its executive VP and CFO Robert Edwards to the position of president.

Edwards has held his current role since 2004. He will have overall responsibility for the company's retail operations, marketing, merchandising, corporate brands, manufacturing, distribution and finance functions, and will continue as CFO until a successor is named to the position.

PLEASANTON, Calif. — Safeway has named Robert Edwards president of the company. Edwards has served as Safeway's EVP and CFO since 2004.

Edwards, 56, will have overall responsibility for the company's retail operations, marketing, merchandising, corporate brands, manufacturing, distribution and finance functions.  He will continue as CFO until a successor is named to the position.

New York -- State and federal authorities in New Jersey broke up a multistate theft ring that stole merchandise from Home Depot Inc. stores by not ringing up all items at self-checkout counters, the Associated Press reported.

The thieves were active in about 70 Home Depot stores, mostly in New Jersey, and also in New York, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland and Virginia.

ATLANTA — An organized retail theft ring that targeted 70 Home Depot stores in six states has been taken down by multi-agency task force after the arrest of three men in New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania. Two other suspects are still be sought. 

NEW YORK— The ax has fallen at JCPenney. The company on Thursday laid off 600 workers from its corporate headquarters Plano, Texas, as its looks to streamline its business model amid a major reinvention of the business. The staff reduction, which equaled 13% to 14% of the headquarters staff, did not include any senior executives, according to The New York Times.

Bayonne, N.J. -- Inland Real Estate Acquisitions announced it has acquired Bayonne Crossing, a 356,647-sq.-ft. shopping center in Bayonne, N.J., for approximately $75.2 million.

Located just off the Hudson River and across from Manhattan, the acquisition includes a 91,109-sq.-ft. Wal-Mart Urban Store and a 146,583-sq.-ft. Lowe’s Home Improvement, both anchor tenants on ground leases purchased by Inland Real Estate Acquisitions.

Walmart is the nation’s largest food retailer, and 140 million people shop its stores each week, yet somehow the company ranked second to last on a ranking of the best and worst supermarkets in America.

Dublin, Calif. -- Epicor Software Corp. said Thursday it has acquired Internet AutoParts, a provider of business-to-business e-commerce solutions for automotive replacement parts distributors, jobbers and vehicle repair businesses.

Terms of the deal were not disclosed.