Distribution

Washington, D.C. -- A report released Thursday by the National Retail Federation and Hackett Associates said that import cargo volume at the nation’s major retail container ports is expected to remain at about the same levels as last year through July before starting to resume increases later this summer.

SCARSDALE, N.Y. — Natural food retailer Mrs. Green's Natural Market confirmed its acquisition of seven Superfresh grocery locations in Maryland and one Superfresh location in Washington, D.C., from the Great Atlantic and Pacific Tea Co.

Atlanta -- Sandal retailer Flip Flop Shops announced Thursday it has signed its 100th franchisee agreement for a new store to be located in Universal Studios, Calif. The store will be followed by openings in Santa Monica and Las Vegas.

The announcement follows recent news about the growing chain’s master franchise deal for Canada, which will see units open across the country.

Walmart executive were said to be among a group of major retailers who met with Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel on Wednesday to discuss the elimination of the city’s “food deserts,” essentially areas where roughly 450,000 residents don’t have convenient access to fresh food.

According to an AP report, representatives from Walmart, Walgreen, Aldi and three other chains who were not identified met with Emanuel who reportedly showed a detailed map of the city’s food deserts and made an appeal for projects in specific areas.

New York City -- Apparel giant VF Corp., whose brands include Wrangler, The North Face, and Nautica, said it has agreed to buy Timberland Co. for approximately $2 billion. The deal, expected to close in the third quarter, values Timberland at $43 a share, a 43% premium to Friday's closing price of $29.99 on the New York Stock Exchange.

SAN FRANCISCO— Williams-Sonoma announced that it will offer international shipping for its Pottery Barn, Pottery Barn Kids, West Elm and Williams-Sonoma brands. The company already offers international shipping for its PBteen brand through a partnership with FiftyOne Global E-commerce.

San Francisco -- Williams-Sonoma said Monday that it will offer international shipping across its brands. The chain is partnering with FiftyOne Global Ecommerce, a leading provider of international e-commerce services and infrastructure to U.S. retailers.

Customers in more than 75 countries are now able to shop online for Pottery Barn and Pottery Barn Kids products, the company said. The same service for West Elm and Williams-Sonoma should launch by the end of the month.

Laval, Quebec -- Alimentation Couche-Tard, parent of Circle K Stores, has signed an agreement to acquire up to 322 sites, plus an additional 65 reseller contracts, in Southern California, from ExxonMobil Corp. The purchase price was not disclosed.

“These stores are high volume, high impact locations,” Tim Tourek, Couche-Tard’s VP of operations for the west coast division, said in a statement. “They would significantly strengthen our overall footprint in this important market.”