Distribution

Minneapolis -- Target Corp.’s plan to open 125-135 stores in Canada is rapidly taking shape, as the retailer has released the locations of its first 24 stores in the country.

As previously announced, Target purchased the leasehold interests of 189 sites currently operated by Zellers Inc.

The majority of Target’s initial two dozen stores will open in early 2013, and include four locations in Toronto (Centrepoint Mall, Cloverdale Mall, Shoppers World Danforth and East York Town Centre).

MATTHEWS, N.C. — Momentum remains on the side of Family Dollar, as the company late Thursday reported another quarter of record sales and profits and the opening of 101 units, which included its first stores in California.

Family Dollar reported quarterly results after the market closed Thursday and offered a reminder why Walmart suppliers who participated in last month’s Connecting Northwest Arkansas Supplier Survey ranked dollar stores as the greatest competitive threat to Walmart in the next five years.

PLEASANTON, Calif. — Safeway on Thursday announced the sale of 16 of its Genuardi's stores in the greater Philadelphia area to Giant Food Stores, a division of Ahold USA. Safeway will continue to operate these stores until the transaction closes, and the company is working through an orderly transition for all of these stores.

In addition, Safeway plans to close three Genuardi's stores and sell the remaining eight Genuardi's stores, which it will continue to operate while it is working with potential buyers.

Pleasanton, Calif. -- Safeway Inc. is exiting the Philadelphia market. The company announced it has reached a definitive agreement to sell 16 of its Genuardi's stores in the greater Philadelphia area to Giant Food Stores, LLC, a division of Ahold USA.

The deal is valued at $106 million.

In addition, Safeway plans to close three Genuardi's stores and sell the remaining eight Genuardi's stores, which it will continue to operate while it is working with potential buyers.

New York City -- Subway Restaurants plans to add 2,500 restaurants in 2012, according to a report on QSRweb.com.

In 2011, Subway opened more than 2,100 locations, including 1,000 new units in the United States and Canada.  A big part of the chain's growth came from nontraditional spaces such as convenience stores, department stores, train stations, museums, hotel lobbies and movie theaters, the report said.
 

Goodlettsville, Tenn. -- Dollar General plans to open 625 stores and add more than 6,000 new jobs in 2012. The locations will be spread among Dollar General’s 38-state operating area, and include the new markets of California, where it will open 50 stores and a distribution center, and Massachusetts. The discounter will also open a distribution center in the Golden State this year.

Phoenix -- Sprouts Farmers Markets plans to close three of its six stores in Austin, Texas.

Sprouts announced the closings via Twitter. In the tweet, it said that employees of the three stores that are closing would be assigned to other locations.