Logistics

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%.

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.

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.

San Jose, Calif. – eBay is acquiring Shutl, a London-based same-day e-commerce delivery company with North American headquarters in San Francisco, for an undisclosed sum. Through the purchase, eBay hopes to establish its one-hour eBay Now delivery service in 25 cities in the U.S., and U.K., by the end of 2014.

Publix Super Markets has decided to sell PIX, the fuel/C-store concept it began testing in 2001. Circle K Stores, a wholly owned subsidiary of Alimentation Couche-Tard, will purchase 13 sites, of which 11 are located in Florida and two in Georgia.

Max Arnold & Sons, a family-owned company located in Hopkinsville, Ky., which has been in operation for more than 60 years, will purchase the site located in Tennessee.

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.

FedEx anticipates moving more than 22 million shipments around the world on Cyber Monday, Dec. 2 —its busiest day in company history. The 11% year-over-year increase will be driven by online retailers feeding the FedEx Ground and FedEx SmartPost networks.

Chicago — Regency Centers Corp. has announced the development of Glen Gate, a 102,876-sq.-ft. shopping center located in Glenview, Ill., a North Shore suburb of Chicago. A 75,564-sq.-ft. Mariano’s Fresh Market, slated to open next fall, will anchor the development. The center will have one out-lot with an additional 24,000 sq. ft. for retail and restaurants.