Data & Analytics

BELLEVUE, Wash. — Supervalu customers that cash in their coins at in-store Coinstar kiosks can do so for free when they select the Supervalu gift card option, Coinstar announced.

The no-fee option will be available in about 1,000 stores that operate under the Supervalu banner, including such chains as Acme, Albertsons, Jewel-Osco and more, by next month.

Supervalu and Coinstar began their collaboration on the gift card project last January in approximately 78 Albertsons stores located in Washington and Oregon.

PLANO, Texas -- JCPenney has completed a new five-year $1.25 billion bank credit facility.

The new facility replaces a $750 million credit facility that was scheduled to mature in April 2012 and provides further strength to the company's liquidity position. The facility may be used for general corporate purposes and will mature in April 2016.

LOS ANGELES -- Ralphs announced that it is continuing its partnership begun last year with Shell to offer participating customers more rewards at the pump. According to the company, Southern Calif.-area customers will now earn double points on qualifying purchases at Ralphs when they buy fuel at participating Shell locations.    

LAKELAND, Fla. -- Strong earnings and sales growth in the first quarter helped drive up Publix's stock price.

Publix’s sales for the first quarter of 2011 were $6.8 billion, a 4.4% increase from last year’s $6.5 billion. Comparable-store sales for the first quarter of 2011 increased 2.8%.

Net earnings for the first quarter of 2011 were $398.2 million, compared with $364.4 million in 2010, an increase of 9.3%. Earnings per share for the first quarter increased to 51 cents for 2011, up from 47 cents per share in 2010.

Target is the newest member of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s GreenChill organization. The decision to join the group comes as Target has been expanding the frozen and refrigerated capacity in its stores at a breakneck pace as part of the PFresh remodeling program. Greenchill is an EPA partnership with food retailers to help them reduce refrigerant emissions and decrease their impact on the ozone layer and climate change.

BENTONVILLE, Ark. — Sam's Club is offering skin health screenings to customers on May 14 as part of Skin Cancer Awareness Month.

 Sam's Club shoppers will offer skin assessments, which will be conducted by U.S. Wellness, to both members and non-members. U.S. Wellness will conduct DermaScan skin tests, which use Type A ultraviolet light to show sun damage that is invisible to the naked human eye. The retailer added that it will offer free DermaScan skin tests to the first 100 participants who sign up in each club.

The most recent pricing survey from the equity research team at Credit Suisse shows that Target is either 3.1% more expensive or 1.9% less expensive than Walmart. The firm compared prices at stores in the Dallas and Chicago markets, as it does every month, and during March discovered the gap between the two competitors narrowed considerably.

“Target’s price gap with Walmart tightened from 4.2% in February to 3.1%,” according to the firm. “Target’s basket price decreased sequentially by 0.8% compared with Walmart’s 0.3% increase.”

Lakeland, Fla. -- Publix Supermarkets said Monday that sales and earnings rose in the first quarter. Net earnings rose 9.3% to $398.2 million, compared with $364.4 million in 2010.

Sales for the first quarter totaled $6.8 billion, and same-store sales rose 2.8%.

“Although the economy continues to be weak, I’m pleased our strong operating performance resulted in another increase in our stock price,” said Ed Crenshaw, Publix’s CEO, said in a statement.

Bernardino, Calif.  -- Three new Stater Bros. a that three supermarkets have earned the prestigious EPA GreenChill Gold Certification for meeting tough standards and using refrigerants that do not harm the earth's ozone layer.

Stater Bros. is the only Southern California grocer to have three stores that are certified at the Gold Level, which is the second highest award from GreenChill.

EPA's GreenChill Partnership works with supermarkets to reduce refrigerant emissions and decrease their impact on the ozone layer and climate change.

New York City -- Foot Locker has unveiled upgraded mobile commerce sites for each of its athletic footwear retail banners -- Foot Locker, Lady Foot Locker, Kids Foot Locker, Footaction, Champs Sports and CCS -- with added functionality and enhancements to provide customers with a seamless and optimal cross channel experience.

In addition, the company is introducing mobile sites for its Lady Foot Locker, Kids Foot Locker, and Footaction retail divisions.