Distribution

Sam’s Club opened four new 136,000-sq.-ft. units this week expanding its base of clubs to a record 630 units.

The new clubs are located in Owasso, Okla., Fall River, Mass., and Mansfield and Corpus Christi, Texas. The latter is a relocation of a 20 year old club. These opening follow the addition of three new clubs earlier in the month in Aiken, S.C., Romeoville, Ill., and Edmond, Okla.

Bentonville, Ark. – Wal-Mart Stores plans to open as many as 110 stores in China between 2014 and 2016, as well as several new Sam’s Club locations there. The new stores will employ as many as 19,000 people.

Carter’s, parent company of Carter's and OshKosh B'gosh, reported record sales in the third quarter, driven primarily by growth in the company’s Carter's brand and international businesses.

“Our growth reflects the strength of our brands and multi-channel business model,” said chairman and CEO Michael D. Casey. “We believe we are well-positioned with strong product offerings and compelling promotions heading into the holiday season and expect to achieve our growth objectives this year."

GNC plans to make some major supply chain investments in 2014, including opening a fourth distribution center serving domestic stores, located near Indianapolis, following strong results for the third quarter.

The company reported a net income increase of 17.3%, from $62.2 million to $73 million.

Revenue grew about 9%, from $621.6 million to $675.6 million. Same store sales increased approximately 6.7% in domestic company-owned stores, including GNC.com sales, in the quarter, while in domestic franchise locations, same-store sales increased 5.9%.

Less than two weeks after announcing plans to reduce overall international capital expenditures, top Walmart executives were telling a different story in China this week.

At a press event in Beijing, Walmart CEO Mike Duke and Walmart China CEO Greg Foran said the company planned to opening as many as 110 new facilities during the next three years including stores in China’s smaller cities while also closing up to 9% of its 397 units and remodeling 165 stores.

Brentwood, Tenn. – Tractor Supply Company reported that net income for the third quarter was $64.8 million, up almost 30% from net income of $50 million in the same quarter a year earlier. The company also announced the opening of its first store in Wyoming, as it continues to expand into the Western region of the country

Toronto – Sobey’s Inc. has signed a consent agreement with the Canadian Competition Bureau allowing it to proceed with the acquisition of substantially all of the assets of Canada Safeway.

As part of the consent agreement, Sobey’s will divest 23 stores in the provinces of Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba and Sasketchewan. The deal, announced in June, will cost Sobey’s owner Empire Co. Ltd. about $5.7 billion.

Canada Safeway is up for grabs, and the Canadian Competition Bureau is allowing Sobey’s Inc. to proceed with the acquisition of substantially all its assets.

As part of the consent agreement, Sobey’s will divest 23 stores in the provinces of Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba and Sasketchewan. The deal, announced in June, will cost Sobey’s owner Empire Co. Ltd. about $5.7 billion.