Mass Market Retailers articles from June 2004

Mass Market Retailers archives from June 2004

Mass market sales--May '04.(Brief Article)(Illustration)
June 28, 2004... Mass Market Sales--May '04 Overall Sales Same-sotre Sales Drug Chains 8.4 6.6 Supermarkets 3 1.6 Discout Strs. 8.4 5.1

Year-to-date performance.(Brief Article)(Illustration)
June 28, 2004... Year-to-Date Performance Overall Sales Same-sotre Sales Drug Chains 8.7 6.9 Supermarkets 3.1 1.7 Discout Strs. 8.6 5.6

New big lots center.(Industry News)(Buildings and facilities of Big Lots Inc.)(Brief Article)
June 28, 2004... NEW BIG LOTS CENTER: Big Lots Inc. has opened a 1.2 million-square-foot distribution center in Durant, Okla. The facility, costing $70 million, is Big Lots' fifth distribution center. The center created 250 jobs initially and could eventually...

Shift at PriceSmart.(Industry News)(appointments)(Brief Article)
June 28, 2004... SHIFT AT PRICESMART: Jose Luis Laparte has been appointed president of San Diego-based PriceSmart Inc. Laparte is currently a consultant to the company, which operates warehouse clubs in Asia, Central America and the Caribbean. He will assume...

FTC gives green light.(Industry News)(Federal Trade Commission)(J.C. Penny Company Inc., Eckerd Drug Co., CVS Corp. and Jean Coutu Group Inc. merger, acquisition and divestment)(Brief Article)
June 28, 2004... FTC GIVES GREEN LIGHT: The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has approved J.C. Penney Co.'s sale of its Eckerd drug store unit to CVS Corp. and the Jean Coutu Group. The FTC granted early termination of the waiting period under the...

Noonan is sentenced.(Industry News)(cases)(Rite Aid Corp. former president Timonthy Noonan)(Brief Article)
June 28, 2004... NOONAN IS SENTENCED: Timothy Noonan, former president and chief operating officer of Rite Aid Corp., has been sentenced to two years' probation after pleading guilty to withholding information from the chain's internal investigators in 2002. He...

Rainbow head quits.(Industry News)(resignations)(Brief Article)
June 28, 2004... RAINBOW HEAD QUITS: Dale Riley has resigned as vice president and general manager of Minnesota retail at Roundy's Inc. Riley, formerly an executive with Byerly's Inc. and Kowalski's Markets, had been hired by Roundy's to run its Rainbow Foods...

Dollar Tree results.(Industry News)(Company sales and earnings)(Brief Article)
June 28, 2004... DOLLAR TREE RESULTS: Dollar Tree Stores Inc. reported a 7.3% rise in net income to $35.2 million in the first fiscal quarter.

New Kroger Marketplace unit to open.(buildings and facilities)(Brief Article)
June 28, 2004... COLUMBUS, Ohio -- To help maintain its dominant 47% share of the grocery market in this city, Kroger Co. is introducing its Marketplace format. The large-footprint stores, which encompass about 90,000 to 100,000 square feet, include...

Gas prices don't scare consumers.(warehouse club company sales and earnings)
June 28, 2004... NEW YORK -- American consumers were undeterred by astronomically rising fuel prices in May, and retailers enjoyed a month of solid sales growth as a result. It was a particularly bright period for the top three warehouse club operators,...

The Wal-Mart story.(Spotlight)(management)
June 28, 2004... FAYETTEVILLE, Ark.--Wal-Mart Stores Inc.'s reputation as an employer took center stage at this year's annual meeting. The giant retailer used the gathering to announce changes in its labor practices, including the creation of a group to...

Marshall Field's goes to May.(CONTRACTS)(Brief Article)
June 28, 2004... MINNEAPOLIS -- Target Corp. has agreed to sell its Marshall Field's department store division as well as nine Mervyn's outlets in the Twin Cities to May Department Stores Co. for $3.24 billion in cash. The transaction, which is subject to...

Save-A-Lot gets 17 food stores.(News)(Mergers, acquisitions and divestments)(Brief Article)
June 28, 2004... ST. LOUIS -- The Save-A-Lot unit of Supervalu Inc. has acquired 17 former Grocery Outlet units. Sixteen are in the Dallas/Fort Worth region, and one is in Shreveport, La. Save-A-Lot, which operates limited-assortment discount grocery...

'Needs' are up front, 'wants' are in back.(News)(layout of Target Corp.'s department stores)(Brief Article)
June 28, 2004... GREELEY, Colo. -- Target Corp.'s store here, the first example of a new prototype that will be reflected in about 200 units by the end of the year, is designed to make shopping easier and more fun. Recognizing that consumers are driven to...

Kmart, Home Depot do deal.(News)(Mergers, acquisitions and divestments)(Brief Article)
June 28, 2004... TROY, Mich. -- Kmart Holding Corp. has decided to sell up to 24 stores to Home Depot Inc. The exact number of stores, the total purchase amount--which could be around $365 million--and the precise locations may be determined by early August....

Drug discount cards take effect.(News)(Brief Article)
June 28, 2004... WASHINGTON -- On June 1 senior citizens in the United States could begin using Medicare-approved proscription discount cards. Medicare has approved 33 regional and 40 national cards. The Bush administration says the cards can reduce...

Biggest gainers.(Money)(Brief Article)(Illustration)
June 28, 2004... BIGGEST GAINERS Close Change % Stock 05/28/04 vs. 05/14/04 Change Kmart 52.36 +8.06 +18.2 BJ's 23.62 +3.33 +16.4 Dillard's...

Biggest losers.(Money)(Brief Article)(Illustration)
June 28, 2004... BIGGEST LOSERS Close Change % Stock 05/28/04 vs. 05/14/04 Change Cardinal Health 67.71 -5.73 -7.8 A&P 6.93 -0.34 -4.7 Cost Plus ...

Most active.(Money)(Brief Article)(Illustration)
June 28, 2004... MOST ACTIVE Vol (000) As a % Change vs. 1 Wk. Ended of Total 1 Wk. Ended Stock 05/28/04 Shares 5/14/04 Wild Oats 5,627 24.3 +377.3...

Scoreboard.(Money News)(Illustration)
June 28, 2004... SCOREBOARD Quarter Dollar % RETAILERS Ended Sales Change Big Lots 05/01 1.02 bil +7.5 BJ'S (1) 05/01 1.65 bil +12.0 Costco...

Dollar general completes share repurchase.(Money News)(securities)(Brief Article)
June 28, 2004... DOLLAR GENERAL COMPLETES SHARE REPURCHASE: Dollar General Corp. has completed the purchase of shares authorized by its written trading plan under rule 10b5-1 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. The plan automatically terminated when the...

Kroger wraps up new bank credit facility.(Money News)(buildings and facilities)(Brief Article)
June 28, 2004... KROGER WRAPS UP NEW BANK CREDIT FACILITY: Kroger Co. has executed a new revolving-credit facility totaling $1.8 billion. The new credit line replaces a 364-day facility totaling $1 billion and a five-year credit line of $812.5 million. Citibank...

Moody's ups ShopKo outlook, affirms ratings.(Money News)(rankings)(Brief Article)
June 28, 2004... MOODY'S UPS SHOPKO OUTLOOK, AFFIRMS RATINGS: Moody's Investors Service has affirmed the long-term debt ratings of ShopKo Stores Inc. and changed the company's outlook to "stable" from "negative," citing ShopKo's "significant reduction" of...

Earnings surge 25% at Target.(Money)(company sales and earnings)
June 28, 2004... MINNEAPOLIS -- Driven by a double-digit sales gain at its discount store division and improved profits in all segments, Target Corp. saw its bottom line jump more than 25% in the first quarter of fiscal 2004. Net earnings for the three...

Winn-Dixie adjusts.(Spotlight)(company sales and earnings)
June 28, 2004... JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Slumping sales and margins as well an impairment charge helped drive the third quarter bottom line for Winn-Dixie Stores Inc. to just above breakeven, while year-to-date results reversed a prior-year profit. In response,...

Pharmacy figures big in CVS results.(Money)
June 28, 2004... WOONSOCKET, R.I. -- Propelled by an outstanding operating performance, net income at CVS Corp. jumped 24.6% during the first quarter. Management, however, lowered its full-year earnings guidance after assessing costs related to the pending...

SDM posts double-digit gains.(Money)(Shoppers Drug Mart Corp.)
June 28, 2004... TORONTO -- A continuation of sales growth and cost-containment measures contributed to double-digit increases at both the top and bottom lines for Shoppers Drug Mart Corp. (SDM) during the first quarter of fiscal 2004. Net income for the...

Kmart shows signs of promise, posts $93 million profit.(Money)
June 28, 2004... TROY, Mich. -- Though still unable to find a solution to its prolonged top-line slump, Kmart Holding Corp. continued to demonstrate to Wall Street that it can generate profits from a sharply reduced sales base. The successor to Kmart Corp....

Weis unveils ambitious growth plan.(Money)
June 28, 2004... SUNBURY, Pa. -- Increased customer traffic as well as tightened and improved expense controls helped Weis Markets Inc. to register modest increases in both profits and sales during the first quarter of fiscal 2004. While announcing the...

Mass retail stocks mixed in May.(Money)(retail trade)
June 28, 2004... NEW YORK -- Mass market retailing stocks were mixed in May. Despite a setback on Wall Street, there is solid evidence that the economy's growth rate is accelerating, which should eventually translate into more positive results for mass...

New York, Chicago, Los Angeles remain top of list.(Top 100 Markets)(rankings )
June 28, 2004... NEW YORK -- The big three remain the big three. New York City, Los Angeles/Long Beach and Chicago again lead the country's top retail markets--for the fourth consecutive year. In the supermarket arena Chicago retained first place with a...

TRIMSPA.(Q&A)(interview)(Interview)
June 28, 2004... Alex Goen Chief Executive Officer TRIMSPA Q: How are TRIMSPA's current retail sales? Where does the company rank in the industry? A: TRIMSPA has enjoyed the No. 1 position in the weight loss tablet category for some time now, according...

Opportunities for retail growth are more broad based.(Top 100 Markets)
June 28, 2004... NEW YORK -- Much of the nation's retail growth can be expected to follow the population growth, which is shifting to the South and West. But the slower growing markets of the Northeast and Middle Atlantic regions, some of which are...

New center is geared to lifestyle.(Top 100 Markets)(Brief Article)
June 28, 2004... NEW YORK -- A new retail concept that could change the way people shop is popping up across the country, those who study the industry point out. Lifestyle retail centers provide shoppers with an environment geared to their lifestyles and...

Many markets show effects of improving economy.(Top 100 Markets)
June 28, 2004... NEW YORK -- Last year, Washington, D.C., Houston and Dallas each moved up on the list of the nation's top 10 markets by total retail sales, while Philadelphia, Atlanta and Boston/Lawrence/Lowell/Brockton fell. Los Angeles/Long Beach held...

Reports study ethnic shoppers.(Top 100 Markets)(Brief Article)
June 28, 2004... NEW YORK -- It has been known for some time that ethnic consumers are a vital part of America's retail scene. Two soon-to-be released reports from the market research firm Packaged Facts Inc. drive that point home even further by taking a...

It is far from over for supers.(Top 100 Markets)
June 28, 2004... NEW YORK -- The supermarket business has never been more intensely competitive than it is today, as the market share rankings on this page and page 38 clearly show. Much of the competition, moreover, is coming from alternative formats. ...

Boots Healthcare USA.(Q&A)(Bill Bell, President)(Interview)(Advertisement)
June 28, 2004... Boots Healthcare USA Inc. Bill Bell, President, North America Q: What is the background of Boots Healthcare? A: we are an $800 million global consumer products business competing in three core categories. In the analgesics segment we...

Eckerd sale will shake things up.(Top 100 Markets)
June 28, 2004... NEW YORK -- J.C. Penny Co.'s decision to sell Eckerd Corp. earlier this year marks the end of the drug chain's dominance in many United States markets. The sale of the 2,799-store company to CVS Corp. and the Jean Coutu Group means that...

Wal-Mart isn't the only story.(Top 100 Markets)
June 28, 2004... NEW YORK -- A quick glance at the market share rankings on this and the next page will certainly confirm the impression of Wal-Mart Stores Inc. as the unquestioned leader in discount general merchandise retailing. But a closer look reveals...

Canus.(Q&A)(Andree Falardeau, President)(Interview)(Advertisement)
June 28, 2004... Andree Falardeau President Q: What are your product lines? A: we offer skin care products that are based on the naturally moisturizing properties of fresh goat's milk. We offer an adult's line consisting of various sizes of soaps,...

Columbus a market that's exploding.(Market focus: Columbus)
June 28, 2004... COLUMBUS, Ohio -- This market has been a cradle of American retailing. Companies that started here include Limited Stores, Big Lots Inc. and Wendy's International Inc. Other familiar names born here that have added to Columbus'...

Supers rush to fill void left by Big Bear.(Brief Article)
June 28, 2004... COLUMBUS, Ohio -- The departure of Big Bear Stores Inc. from this market has created an opening for upscale supermarketers, and they are rushing to fill it. Whole Foods Market Inc., for one, is taking over a vacated Big Bear unit on...

Style.(Q&A)(Interview)
June 28, 2004... Bruce McQuiston General Manager, Style Health & Beauty Care LLC Q: What makes Style Health & Beauty Care special? A: sixty-five years of salon heritage go into every hair care product we make. Style Hair Care was developed in the salons...

Meijer flexes its muscle in GM.(Market focus: Columbus)(general merchandise)(Brief Article)
June 28, 2004... COLUMBUS, Ohio -- In most markets in the nation's heartland Wal-Mart Stores Inc. has the leading share of general merchandise sales. Meijer Inc. has made Columbus an exception. With nine units in the metropolitan Columbus area Meijer...

CVS makes itself more shoppable.(Top Markets)(Brief Article)
June 28, 2004... COLUMBUS, Ohio -- CVS Corp.'s success in this market is exemplified by its store in the suburb of Gahanna. The 24-hour unit on North Stygler Road fills an impressive number of prescriptions a week, notes district manager Aaron Kanas. ...

Big Lots' LAB innovates, tests.(Top Markets)
June 28, 2004... COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Big Lots Inc. has selected this market for one of its six LAB (Learning and Building) stores around the country. The units serve as literal laboratories for merchandising strategies, many of which are implemented...

Inexorable Walgreens makes inroads on CVS.(Market focus: Columbus)
June 28, 2004... COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Walgreen Co. is way behind CVS Corp. in the battle for drug store market share here, but do not expect the gap to last. Figures for last year have yet to be tabulated, but from 2001 to 2002 Walgreens' market share rose...

MSI has way of succeeding.(Top Markets)(Medicine Shoppe International Inc.)(Brief Article)
June 28, 2004... COLUMBUS, Ohio -- In this area, as elsewhere, Medicine Shoppe International Inc. (MSI) thrives by offering expert, personalized patient care in franchised apothecary-style stores. While Medicine Shoppe is based in St. Louis, Columbus is a...

Marc's finds a new home in Columbus.(Top Markets)(Marc Glassman Inc.)(Brief Article)
June 28, 2004... COLUMBUS, Ohio -- One of the more anomalous mass retailers has spiced up this market with its unique format. Marc Glassman Inc. brought its Marc's banner to Westerville last year, giving central Ohioans the chance to comb through closeouts...

Discount Drug Mart has its niche.(Top Markets)
June 28, 2004... COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Discount Drug Mart Inc. is making its presence felt in this market with three stores in operation and three in the works. It is apparent that the chain's large-store format has proven just as successful here as in its...

Myriad retailers, diverse cultures crowd Houston.(Market focus: Houston)
June 28, 2004... HOUSTON -- The oil industry is not the only source of energy in this city, which is also home to an energetic and fiercely competitive retail scene. Another characteristic of retailing here is diversity, which matches the mix of consumers....

'Texas is a kind of wide open market'.(Top Markets)
June 28, 2004... HOUSTON -- Texas is nothing like southern California when it comes to retail development. Safeway Inc. chairman, president and chief executive officer Steve Burd pointed that out in a recent conference call as he sought to reassure...

It's tough going for supers.(Market focus: Houston)(supermarket competition)
June 28, 2004... HOUSTON -- Competition is the defining characteristic of the grocery business here. Safeway Inc. is among the retailers feeling the burn of what has become an overstored market The company's Randall's Food Markets Inc. division has lost...

Hispanics shop more, spend more.(Houston, TX)
June 28, 2004... HOUSTON -- Hispanics account for about a third of this city's population, and they are a group much sought after by supermarket operators. According to the Food Marketing Institute, Hispanics shop more frequently and spend more in food...

Everyone's pumping gas.(Top Markets)(Houston, TX, and retail gasoline sales)(Brief Article)
June 28, 2004... HOUSTON -- The importance of the oil industry to this city makes it only fitting that even supermarkets have gotten into the act. Such food retailers as Kroger Co. Randall's Food Markets Inc. and HE. Butt Grocery Co. (H.E.B.) have added...

99 cents only comes to Houston market.(Top Markets)(Brief Article)
June 28, 2004... HOUSTON -- Dollar store retailer 99 cents Only Stores is always on the lookout for deals, and in January 2003 it found one. The chain bought a state-of-the-art distribution center, valued at about $80 million, for just $23 million. That...

City no longer has French twist.(Market focus: Houston)(French retailer Auchan )
June 28, 2004... HOUSTON -- The local supercenter scene lost some of its international flavor last year when French retailer Auchan closed its two stores here. The idea of selling food and general merchandise in one big outlet was still relatively new when...

Local chain to reinvent its approach.(Garden Ridge Inc. )(Brief Article)
June 28, 2004... HOUSTON -- Locally based Garden Ridge Inc. is shifting gears in an effort to better compete with retail giants Home Depot Inc., Wal-Mart Stores Inc. and Target Corp. The chain, currently operating under Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection,...

CVS' Eckerd purchase adds new dimension.(Top Markets)
June 28, 2004... HOUSTON -- The face of the drug store industry here will change dramatically following CVS Corp.'s purchase of 1,263 Eckerd Corp. stores from J.C. Penney Co. CVS was a recent arrival to the Texas market, opening its first stores in the...

Rice Epicurean Markets finds its place by specializing.(Top Markets)(Brief Article)
June 28, 2004... HOUSTON -- Some retailers have bulked up in recent years in an effort to become more competitive. Local grocer Rice Epicurean Markets has gone the other way, becoming smaller and focusing on a viable niche. The gourmet-focused Rice...

At the crossroads of America, signals are mixed.(Market focus: Indianapolis economic trends)
June 28, 2004... INDIANAPOLIS -- Like other metropolitan centers, Indianapolis has had to weather a slumping economy since the recession of 2001. But the city that bills itself as "the crossroads of America" (it is served by more segments of interstate...

Choice sites there for the taking.(Indianapolis, IN, retail locations)(Brief Article)
June 28, 2004... INDIANAPOLIS -- The Indianapolis retail scene has had its ups and downs in the tough economy of the last few years. But a retail building boom initiated at the end of the last decade has given several mass market chains the sites they need to...

Food scene about to heat up.(Indianpolis, IN, supermarkets face more competition from Wal-Mart)(Brief Article)
June 28, 2004... INDIANAPOLIS -- Supermarket competition is intense here, with Kroger Co. going head to head against local favorite Marsh Supermarkets Inc. In recent years both have lost market share to a growing roster of supercenters. But as if that were...

Marsh knows its customers.(Marsh Supermarkets)(Brief Article)
June 28, 2004... INDIANAPOLIS -- One of the challenges faced by supermarket chains today is that the days when a single cookie-cutter format could satisfy the needs of almost all customers in all markets are over. As the population has grown more diverse, the...

Regional supers can take page from Marsh.(Market focus: Indianapolis)(Marsh Supermarkets)(Company Profile)
June 28, 2004... INDIANAPOLIS -- Marsh Supermarkets Inc. is a good example of the vitality and creativity that regional chains bring to the grocery industry. Founded in 1931 when Ermal Marsh opened a single grocery store in Muncie, Ind., the company weathered...

Target plays role in Indy 500.(Market focus: Indianapolis)(sponsorship of the Indy Racing League)(Brief Article)
June 28, 2004... INDIANAPOLIS -- Just as Louisville, Ky., is linked with the Kentucky Derby, so this city is forever associated with the Indianapolis 500 auto race, even giving its name to the Indy Racing League (IRL). And since the enormous popularity of...

A perfect market for supercenters.(Indianapolis, IN)
June 28, 2004... INDIANAPOLIS -- Perhaps because of its strong population growth during the 1990s and its particular demographics, Indianapolis was viewed by several supercenter operators as fertile ground for developing the format. As a result, the region has...

Walgreens, CVS slug it out for supremacy.(Indianapolis, IN)
June 28, 2004... INDIANAPOLIS -- Just as Indianapolis is witnessing a battle royal among supercenter operators, the city is serving as an arena in which leading drug chains Walgreen Co. and CVS Corp. fight for supremacy. CVS is the market leader here,...

Hispanics stand up; retail reacts.(Indianapolis, IN)(Brief Article)
June 28, 2004... INDIANAPOLIS -- Like many other Midwestern cities, Indianapolis saw its Hispanic population grow rapidly in the decade before the 2000 Census. Mass-market retailers have responded by tweaking formats and/or product assortments at some locations...

Chic boutiques, bodegas live side by side in L.A.(Market focus: Los Angeles)
June 28, 2004... LOS ANGELES -- It comes as no surprise that a city of almost 10 million people has an abundance of retail outlets. But Los Angeles is not a typical big city. Sprawling across nearly 4,100 square miles from the Pacific Ocean to the San...

New Albertsons outlet takes a different direction.(larger store in Valencia, CA)(Brief Article)
June 28, 2004... LOS ANGELES -- As retailers around the globe struggle to find ways to stay competitive with Wal-Mart Stores Inc. and other one-stop-shopping outlets, Albertsons Inc. is trying a new strategy in suburban Los Angeles. The company's store in...

It's Wal-Mart vs. Inglewood.(Market focus: Los Angeles)
June 28, 2004... LOS ANGELES -- So far this year there have been few more high-profile and contentious issues involving mass market retailers here than the battle between the City of Inglewood and Wal-Mart Stores Inc. After local officials rejected...

'The grocer that shouldn't be'.(Trader Joe's)
June 28, 2004... LOS ANGELES -- In an area with supermarkets everywhere a unique chain has established itself as an attractive alternative to the big-box retailers that dominate this market. Trader Joe's Co., which started here as Pronto Markets in 1958...

'In L.A. supers follow the neighborhoods'.(Los Angeles supermarkets)
June 28, 2004... LOS ANGELES -- In a market where nearly 45% of the population claims Hispanic origins and a little more than 12% are of Asian descent, retailers in Los Angeles are acutely aware of the need to attract ethnic consumers. While the city...

In aftermath of strike customers returning.(supermarket strike in Southern California)
June 28, 2004... LOS ANGELES -- With the southern California supermarket strike over for nearly three months, shoppers are returning to the area's grocery stores, and executives at the chains affected by the labor dispute say business is nearly back to...

Drug chains like L.A. climate.(Market focus: Los Angeles)(Industry Overview)
June 28, 2004... LOS ANGELES -- As the weather here continues to heat up this summer, so does the competition among chain drug stores. Over the past few years perennial market leaders Albertsons Inc.'s Say-on Drugs and Rite Aid Corp. have seen increasing...

Dollar stores fit everywhere.(Los Angeles, California)
June 28, 2004... LOS ANGELES -- In a market where shoppers have a wide variety of retail outlets to choose from, many here are opting for dollar stores. With one of the highest concentrations of dollar outlets in the country, Los Angeles consumers have...

Minneapolis a great place in tough times.(Market focus: Minneapolis)
June 28, 2004... MINNEAPOLIS -- The Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul constitute one of the major retail markets and business centers of the Midwest and the nation. Moreover, in spite of the difficult climate of recent year's, the region's economy has...

Kmart Chap. 11 changes scene.(Minneapolis/St. Paul)(Brief Article)
June 28, 2004... MINNEAPOLIS -- From downtown Minneapolis to the gargantuan Mall of America in Bloomington, the Twin Cities is a vibrant retail landscape, it has experienced some changes in recent years and more are undoubtedly on the way. The city center...

Minneapolis is Target town.(Market focus: Minneapolis)
June 28, 2004... MINNEAPOLIS -- Target Corp. is a vital part of the economic fabric of the Twin Cities, being the state's largest publicly owned company in terms of sales and a major job provider as well with 32,000 employees in the state, ranking it just...

Marshall Field's, Mervyn's remain on block.(up for sale by Target Corp.)
June 28, 2004... MINNEAPOLIS -- Earlier this year Target Corp. announced that it would seek buyers for its Marshall Field's department store and Mervyn's specialty chains. The decision came after both financial analysts and shareholders bad urged...

Wal-Mart new in the market.(Minneapolis/St. Paul market)(Brief Article)
June 28, 2004... ST. PAUL, Minn. -- Last month the Twin Cities gained a new discount store operator as Wal-Mart Stores Inc. made its debut in the Midway neighborhood of St. Paul The world's largest retailer took over a former Kmart Corp. location at University...

There are supermarkets galore.(Minneapolis/St. Paul)(Brief Article)
June 28, 2004... MINNEAPOLIS -- The food retailing scene in the Twin Cities is distinguished by intense competition and diversity. Different chains and formats vie for consumers' dollars and in the process provide a wide range of shopping experiences and value....