Mass Market Retailers articles from June 2007

Mass Market Retailers archives from June 2007

Safeway names exec.(INDUSTRY NEWS)(appointment of Steve Neibergall)(Brief article)
June 18, 2007... SAFEWAY NAMES EXEC: Safeway Inc. has named Steve Neibergall president of its Eastern Division. He replaces Hank Cominiello, who will join the company's corporate retail operations team as group vice president of retail initiatives. Neibergall...

Walgreens adds D.C.(INDUSTRY NEWS)(distribution center)(Brief article)
June 18, 2007... WALGREENS ADDS D.C.: Walgreen Co. has opened its 12th full-service distribution center. Situated in Anderson, S.C., the facility is described as the retailer's most technically advanced distribution center, and its most inclusive. It is said to...

New Bashas' format.(INDUSTRY NEWS)(Bashas' Supermarkets)(Brief article)
June 18, 2007... NEW BASHAS' FORMAT: Chandler, Ariz.-based Bashas' Supermarkets has opened its first Ike's Farmers Market store. The new concept, which debuted in Oro Valley, Ariz., features organic breads; bulk food offerings, including nuts, grains and...

Winn-Dixie backups.(INDUSTRY NEWS)(Winn-Dixie Stores Inc.)(Brief article)
June 18, 2007... WINN-DIXIE BACKUPS: Winn-Dixie Stores Inc. plans to equip 66 of its stores with backup generators that can provide full power in the event of a blackout. The diesel-powered, 500-kilowatt generators are being installed at stores in areas that...

Smart & Final deal.(INDUSTRY NEWS)(acquisition of Apollo Management L.P.)(Brief article)
June 18, 2007... SMART & FINAL DEAL: Smart & Final Inc. has announced the completion of its sale to Apollo Management L.P., a private investment partnership, for about $812.9 million.

Wal-Mart trims sails.(SPOTLIGHT)(Wal-Mart Stores Inc.)
June 18, 2007... FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. -- Wal-Mart Stores Inc.'s shareholders and competitors got some good news at the company's annual meeting here, as the retail giant announced that it will scale back its expansion plans somewhat in order to improve returns....

Whole Foods plans to take on the FTC.(NEWS)(Federal Trade Commission)(Whole Foods Market Inc.)
June 18, 2007... AUSTIN, Texas -- Whole Foods Market Inc. has announced plans to challenge federal regulators' opposition to its $565 million acquisition of Wild Oats Market Inc. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) said it would file a lawsuit to block the...

Mass retail sales in May paint a happier picture.(NEWS)(Survey)
June 18, 2007... NEW YORK -- After the most horrendous month in recent memory, sales rebounded moderately among the nation's retailers in May. Warehouse clubs and drug stores showed better-than-average results, according to TNS Retail Forward, while department...

A&P to pull plug on Farmer Jack.(Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company Inc.)(Farmer Jack Supermarkets)(Brief article)
June 18, 2007... DETROIT -- A&P says it hopes to liquidate the inventory in 41 Detroit-area Farmer Jack stores and either sell or close the 66-store chain by July 7. Earlier this month the company began advertising sales of 10% to 30% off on all of the...

Rite Aid begins assimilating Brooks Eckerd.(NEWS)
June 18, 2007... CAMP HILL, Pa. -- Rite Aid Corp. has completed its acquisition of 1,854 Brooks Eckerd Pharmacy stores and six distribution centers from the Jean Coutu Group, creating the largest drug chain on the East Coast and significantly strengthening its...

Meijer unit partners with the environment.(NEWS)
June 18, 2007... GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. -- Meijer Inc. has unveiled an environmentally sustainable store in Allen Park, Mich. The unit will be certified as a LEED building (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) by the U.S. Green Building Council. ...

New Target warehouse for imports.(NEWS)(Brief article)
June 18, 2007... SAVANNAH, Ga. -- Target Corp. has opened an import warehouse here to handle overseas cargo for the retailer's stores in the Southeast. The facility, which encompasses 2 million square feet, held its grand opening earlier this month. Target...

Ahold takes stand on DXM.(NEWS)(dextromethorphan)(Ahold USA Inc.)(Brief article)
June 18, 2007... NEW YORK -- The pharmacies at supermarkets operated by Ahold USA have begun restricting sales of cough and cold medicines formulated with dextromethorphan, also known as DXM. "While over-the-counter products containing dextromethorphan are...

Supervalu sets capital spending.(NEWS)(Brief article)
June 18, 2007... Chairman and chief executive officer Jeff Noddle told shareholders at the company's annual meeting that the retailer plans to open 25 to 30 stores this year and do between 100 and 110 major remodels. Capital spending for fiscal 2008 will be...

Electrifying brands.(WAL-MART NEWS)(Wal-Mart Stores Inc. installs electronic products)(Brief article)
June 18, 2007... ELECTRIFYING BRANDS: Wal-Mart is adding new products to its electronics departments, including items from such brands as Samsung, Skype, Vizio and Philips. The retailer also is installing new displays to highlight specific products, including...

Rollback in fashion.(WAL-MART NEWS)(George ME in Wal-Mart Stores Inc.)(Brief article)
June 18, 2007... ROLLBACK IN FASHION: A fashion line by designer Mark Eisen, called George ME, will be sold in fewer Wal-Mart stores by the end of the year. The unspecified reduction will not be as significant as the pullback of Wal-Mart's urban-style Metro 7...

Defamation lawsuit.(WAL-MART NEWS)(Brief article)
June 18, 2007... DEFAMATION LAWSUIT: Minnesota businessman Irwin Jacobs has filed suit against former Wal-Mart marketing executive Julie Roehm, charging defamation. Roehm, who was fired from Wal-Mart in December for allegedly violating the retailer's codes of...

Generics a big deal.(WAL-MART NEWS)(generic prescription drug program)(Brief article)
June 18, 2007... GENERICS A BIG DEAL: Just six months after completing the rollout of its $4 generic prescription drug program, Wal-Mart announced that $4 prescriptions now account for 37.8% of all the prescriptions it fills. Wal-Mart contends that the program...

Questrom's on board.(WAL-MART NEWS)(Allen Questrom appointed at Wal-Mart Stores Inc.)(Brief article)
June 18, 2007... QUESTROM'S ON BOARD: Former J.C. Penney Co. chairman and chief executive officer Allen Questrom has been elected to Wal-Mart's board of directors. Questrom, who retired from Penney two years ago, is credited with leading that retailer's...

Tesco expands plans before get-go.(NEWS)(Brief article)
June 18, 2007... PHOENIX -- Tesco PLC's Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Markets unit has yet to open its first stores in this market, but it already is expanding here. The company previously announced plans to build 20 stores in the Phoenix area. (Fresh & Easy...

Discounter 'helps people live better'.(NEWS)(Wal-Mart Stores Inc. impacts people's life)(Brief article)
June 18, 2007... FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. -- Wal-Mart Stores Inc.'s plans to moderate its expansion pace dominated the news from this year's annual meeting. But the retailer also used the event to suggest that its stores have had a positive impact on people's lives....

H.E. Butt is set to debut seven in-store RediClinics.(NEWS)(H.E. Butt Grocery Co.)(Brief article)
June 18, 2007... HOUSTON -- RediClinic LLC is opening seven new clinics inside H.E. Butt Grocery Co. (H.E.B.) stores. RediClinics are in-store facilities that offer consumers access to high-quality, routine health care services at affordable prices. ...

Scoreboard.(MONEY NEWS)(Statistical table)
June 18, 2007... SCOREBOARD Quarter Dollar % RETAILERS Ended Sales Change Big Lots (1) 05/05 1.19 bil +3.4 BJ's (2) 05/05 2.06 bil +7.6 Costco (3) ...

Biggest gainers.(MONEY)(Statistical table)
June 18, 2007... BIGGEST GAINERS Close Change vs. % Stock 06/01/07 05/11/07 Change A&P 34.70 +4.15 +13.6 Kroger 31.41 +2.56 +8.9 Nash...

Biggest losers.(MONEY)(Statistical table)
June 18, 2007... BIGGEST LOSERS Close Change vs. % Stock 06/01/07 05/11/07 Change Saks 20.01 -2.46 -10.9 Big Lots 31.13 -2.57 -7.6...

Most active.(MONEY)(Statistical table)
June 18, 2007... MOST ACTIVE Vol. (000) As a % Change vs. 1 Wk. Ended of Total 1 Wk. Ended Stock 06/01/07 Shares 05/11/07 Delhaize 334 0.4 +325.0...

A&P closes out transitional year.(SPOTLIGHT)(Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company Inc.)(Financial report)
June 18, 2007... MONTVALE, N.J. -- Although sales were flat, A&P managed to reduce its loss from continuing operations in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2006. Full-year income from ongoing lines plummeted due to tough comparisons against a prior-year gain on the...

CVS/Caremark gets off to fast start.(MONEY)(Financial report)
June 18, 2007... WOONSOCKET, R.I. -- Including 10 days of operations from pharmacy benefits manager Caremark Rx Inc., the newly christened CVS/Caremark Corp. posted a 24.1% bottom-line increase on a 32.1% jump in revenues for the 13 weeks ended March 31. ...

Costco net drops 5% in quarter.(MONEY)(Costco Wholesale Corp.)(Financial report)
June 18, 2007... ISSAQUAH, Wash. -- Net income for the third quarter of fiscal 2007 dipped nearly 5% at Costco Wholesale Corp. due to reserves established to reflect a change in the company's returns policy on consumer electronics products that was implemented...

Results aside, BJ's is optimistic.(MONEY)(sales report of BJ's Wholesale Club Inc.)(Financial report)
June 18, 2007... NATICK, Mass. -- With former CEO Herb Zarkin back at the helm for a full quarter, financial results at BJ's Wholesale Club Inc. remained off course during the 13 weeks ended May 5. However, Zarkin told analysts in a conference call that he...

Safeway builds on momentum.(MONEY)(sales report)(Financial report)
June 18, 2007... PLEASANTON, Calif. -- With sales improving steadily, Safeway Inc. turned in its best first quarter since 2001 as net income for the 12 weeks ended March 24 took a double-digit leap. Despite the impressive outing, though, management declined to...

Wal-Mart vows to focus on mission.(MONEY)(Wal-Mart Stores Inc. Sam's Club)(Financial report)
June 18, 2007... BENTONVILLE, Ark. -- With the help of solid sales growth at its Sam's Club and International divisions and effective cost controls, Wal-Mart Stores Inc. managed to overcome sluggish sales in its core U.S. discount store segment and meet Wall...

Chain drug stocks stand out in May.(MONEY)(Financial report)
June 18, 2007... NEW YORK -- Mass market retailing stocks finished mixed in May. Although Wall Street continues to reach new all-time highs, some investors fear that mass market retailers will be hurt by high gasoline prices and sluggish economic growth. ...

Target profits exceed analysts' expectations.(MONEY)(Financial report)
June 18, 2007... MINNEAPOLIS -- First quarter net income soared nearly 18% at Target Corp., even though revenue growth was limited somewhat by poor retail sales in April. Wall Street was pleasantly surprised and immediately bid up the retailer's share price....

Weis sees earnings drop 10.3%.(MONEY)(Weis Markets Inc.)(Financial report)(Brief article)
June 18, 2007... SUNBURY, Pa. -- Weis Markets Inc. saw first quarter earnings decline in the face of a solid increase in same-store sales. Net earnings for the 13 weeks ended March 31 slipped 10.3% to $13.4 million as the top line increased 4.4% to $571.8...

Higher margins lift Stater Bros.(MONEY)(Stater Brothers Holdings Inc.)(Financial report)(Brief article)
June 18, 2007... COLTON, Calif. -- Improved margins combined with lower interest expense to cause earnings to more than double during the second quarter and first half of fiscal 2007 at Stater Bros. Holdings Inc. Net income for the 13 weeks ended March 26...

Results give SDM reason to be bullish.(MONEY)(Shoppers Drug Mart Corp.)(Financial report)
June 18, 2007... TORONTO -- Shoppers Drug Mart Corp. (SDM) kicked off fiscal 2007 with an 18.7% jump in earnings on a 10% top-line gain. Canada's largest drug retailer saw net income for the 12 weeks ended March 24 reach $85.1 million, or 39 cents...

Winn-Dixie shows signs of progress.(MONEY)(Winn-Dixie Stores Inc.)(Financial report)
June 18, 2007... JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Continuing its comeback, Winn-Dixie Stores Inc. rang up significant improvements in adjusted EBITDA and at the bottom line for the 12- and 40-week periods ended April 4. The slimmed down regional supermarketer, which...

Ingles second half ends on high note.(MONEY)(Ingles Markets Inc.)(Financial report)(Brief article)
June 18, 2007... ASHEVILLE, N.C. -- Buoyed by an income tax settlement, net income for both the second quarter and the first half of fiscal 2007 skyrocketed more than 40% at Ingles Markets Inc. as sales continued to grow at a double-digit pace. The bottom...

Trends in top markets bode well for mass retailers.(TOP 100 MARKETS)(Statistical table)
June 18, 2007... NEW YORK -- The ranking of metropolitan markets by the major mass market trade classes presented on this and the following page illustrates the fundamental strength of the national economy and of most of our regional economies as well. But...

Impact of ethnic diversity can vary in surprising ways.(TOP 100 MARKETS)
June 18, 2007... NEW YORK -- The nation's biggest cities tend to be the most ethnically diverse, but figures from the United States Census Bureau show that significant regional variation in demographic patterns. The top five U.S. cities ranked by their...

Grocers adjust to new realities.(TOP 100 MARKETS)(Statistical table)
June 18, 2007... NEW YORK -- While the overall supermarket industry in 2006 saw its highest sales performance in more than a decade, the competitive landscape has been profoundly affected by food safety scares, escalating energy costs and shifting consumer...

GM momentum shifts to target.(TOP 100 MARKETS)(general merchandise)(Company rankings)
June 18, 2007... NEW YORK -- Market share figures in the top general merchandise arenas reflect the mixed fortunes of the nation's No. 1 discounter, Wal-Mart Stores Inc., as well as the consistent success of rival Target Corp. Wal-Mart, which has been...

Big drug chains show dominance.(TOP 100 MARKETS)(ranking of drugstores)(Company rankings)
June 18, 2007... NEW YORK -- Consolidation continues to alter the nation's chain drug retailing landscape. As a result, the industry's largest chains have come to dominate most of the nation's major markets. CVS/Caremark Corp., which a year ago...

Dallas dominates lone star state's economic landscape.(Market Focus: Dallas)
June 18, 2007... DALLAS -- This city, nicknamed "The Big D," keeps getting bigger. The Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW) metropolitan area added more than 842,000 people to its population between 2000 and 2006, according to data released this year by the Census...

Dallas at a glance.(Market Focus: Dallas)(Brief article)
June 18, 2007... POPULATION: * 1.2 million POPULATION CHANGE, 1990-2000: 18.1% PER CAPITA RETAIL SALES: $11,742 MARKET RANK, SUPERS: 9 MARKET RANK, DRUG: 8 MARKET RANK, GM: 3 MARKET SHARE LEADERS: Wal-Mart (GM and food) ...

In food, there's Wal-Mart and other contenders.(Market Focus: Dallas)(Wal-Mart Stores Inc.)
June 18, 2007... DALLAS -- Wal-Mart Stores Inc. has claimed the top spot in the battle for the hearts of this city's food shoppers. But while the retail giant continues to gain market share on the strength of its Supercenter and Neighborhood Market formats, a...

A retail institution adapts.(Market Focus: Dallas)(Minyard Food Stores Inc.)
June 18, 2007... COPPELL, Texas -- Minyard Food Stores Inc. sees the growing Hispanic population of the Dallas/Fort Worth metropolitan area as offering its best opportunity to survive and thrive in a market increasingly crowded with tough competitors. ...

Competition breeds innovation.(Market Focus: Dallas)
June 18, 2007... DALLAS -- A look at the local food retailing scene provides evidence to suggest that intense competition breeds innovation. Last year Whole Foods Market Inc. opened a store in Dallas that includes a 4,500-square-foot spa called Refresh....

Wal-Mart uses Dallas as retail laboratory.(Market Focus: Dallas)(Wal-Mart Stores Inc.)(Brief article)
June 18, 2007... DALLAS -- Wal-Mart Stores Inc., never known as a tentative competitor, has been particularly aggressive in this major market. The Bentonville, Ark.-based behemoth operates some 111 stores in the Dallas/Fort Worth metropolitan area,...

CVS, Walgreens rise to top of market quickly.(Market Focus: Dallas)(CVS/Caremark Corp.)(Brief article)(Company rankings)
June 18, 2007... DALLAS -- Walgreen Co. and CVS/Caremark Corp., both relatively recent arrivals in this market, are now the dominant drug store operators here. Walgreens actually operated stores in Dallas early in its history, but the chain subsequently...

Automakers' woes create challenges for Detroit.(Market Focus: Detroit)(economic condition of Detroit)
June 18, 2007... DETROIT -- The economy of this metropolitan region, which has long been tied to the fortunes of the domestic automotive industry, has fared poorly over the past few years, and economists have predicted a slow and uncertain recovery. Even a...

Detroit at a glance.(Market Focus: Detroit)(census reports of Detroit)(Brief article)
June 18, 2007... POPULATION: * 951,270 POPULATION CHANGE, 1990-2000: -7.5% PER CAPITA RETAIL SALES: $3,269 MARKET RANK, SUPERS: 12 MARKET RANK, DRUG: 5 MARKET RANK, GM: 6 MARKET SHARE LEADERS: Kroger Meijer CVS

Supermarket sector in transition.(Market Focus: Detroit)(competition between supermarkets and nontraditional food retailers)
June 18, 2007... DETROIT -- Southeastern Michigan is a competitive food retailing market where traditional supermarkets have battled sprawling supercenters for consumer dollars. For the last two years Kroger Co. has been the top grocer in the region, with...

Mass retail taps into Muslim buying power.(Market Focus: Detroit)
June 18, 2007... DETROIT, Mich. -- Retailers in the Detroit area, with its dense Muslim and Arab populations, have been ahead of the curve in marketing to these demographic groups, taking advantage of their considerable economic power. Michigan has the...

Meijer has what it takes to succeed.(Market Focus: Dallas)
June 18, 2007... DETROIT -- Michigan has long been a focal point of discount stores that have battled national chains for the attention and disposable incomes of consumers. Nowhere has this been more evident than at Meijer Inc., a Michigan-based retailer...

Mixed use project to alter landscape.(Market Focus: Dallas)
June 18, 2007... TROY -- Despite its troubled economic picture the southeastern Michigan region has a growing population, and there have been several ongoing efforts to revive the business climate. In a striking example of a regional effort to return vacant...

Nashville provides conducive environment for business.(Market Focus: Nashville)
June 18, 2007... NASHVILLE -- Nashville is hot. The nation's country music capital, situated on the Cumberland River, is drawing major corporations with its pro-business climate and luring potential residents--including many retirees--with its competitive...

Nashville at a glance.(Market Focus: Nashville)(census report of Nashville)(Brief article)
June 18, 2007... POPULATION: * 545,524 POPULATION CHANGE, 1990-2000: +11.7% PER CAPITA RETAIL SALES: $14,176 MARKET RANK, SUPERS: 25 MARKET RANK, DRUG: 36 MARKET RANK, GM: 25 MARKET SHARE LEADERS: Kroger Wal-Mart ...

CVS/Caremark part of robust health care sector.(Market Focus: Nashville)
June 18, 2007... NASHVILLE -- The health care industry has been the fastest-growing sector in and around Tennessee's capital, according to an economic impact study released by the Nashville Health Care Council (NHCC). Health care injects $18.3 billion...

Influence of Wal-Mart is felt beyond retail sphere.(Market Focus: Nashville)(Country Music Television Inc. contract with Wal-Mart Stores Inc.)
June 18, 2007... NASHVILLE -- When it comes to discount retailing, Nashville is, unquestionably, Wal-Mart country. The world's largest retailer holds a preponderant 63% share of the discount general merchandise business in the metro area, while Target Corp....

Shakeout among supers subsides.(Market Focus: Nashville)(market share of supermarkets)(Brief article)
June 18, 2007... NASHVILLE -- The food retailing map of Nashville was redrawn a few years ago when Albertsons Inc. decided in 2002 to exit the market and sell seven supermarkets and a convenience store to Lakeland, Fla.-based Publix Super Markets Inc. The...

Dollar General a hometown success story.(TOP 100 MARKETS)(Brief article)
June 18, 2007... GOODLETTSVILLE, Tenn. -- The early history of the dollar store is closely associated with the rural South, and the nation's largest dollar store chain, Dollar General Corp., is based in the Nashville suburb of Goodlettsville. In 1938 J.L....

Rite Aid to take big leap forward.(Market Focus: Nashville)(Rite Aid Corp. acquisition change market)(Brief article)
June 18, 2007... NASHVILLE -- The drug store competitive map has remained remarkably stable in the Nashville metro area over the last several years. But with the approaching close of Rite Aid Corp.'s acquisition of the Brooks Eckerd Pharmacy chain from Canada's...

New Orleans is still on the long road back from Katrina.(Market Focus: New Orleans)
June 18, 2007... NEW ORLEANS -- As this city braces for another hurricane season, many locals are wondering whether New Orleans will ever recover the population it lost after Hurricane Katrina struck in 2005. New statistics released by the Census Bureau...

Elected officials aim to jump-start retail development.(Market Focus: New Orleans)(retail development in New Orleans)(Brief article)
June 18, 2007... NEW ORLEANS -- A delegation of city officials recently traveled to Las Vegas in a bid to attract more retail development to New Orleans. The group, which included two members of the city council, attended this year's spring convention of...

Frustrated shoppers ask supers, 'where are you?'.(Market Focus: New Orleans)
June 18, 2007... NEW ORLEANS -- Restaurants have reopened in the French Quarter, providing myriad dining options for tourists. But for many city residents who prefer eating at home the pickings are slimmer. That is because many of the supermarkets closed...

Big-box retailers often receive cold shoulder.(Market Focus: New Orleans)
June 18, 2007... NEW ORLEANS -- Consumers in the parts of town hit hardest by Hurricane Katrina are eager for retail development. Other urban and suburban enclaves--like their counterparts in other cities--are less welcoming. Developers seeking to build a...

A&P puts Sav-A-Center on block.(Market Focus: New Orleans)(Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company Inc.)
June 18, 2007... NEW ORLEANS -- This city's supermarket landscape appears headed for another big change. A&P has confirmed that it plans to sell its 21 Say-A-Center stores in Louisiana. The company says it is in advanced talks with prospective buyers and...

CVS/Caremark opens pathways to Rx.(Market Focus: New Orleans)(Brief article)
June 18, 2007... NEW ORLEANS -- CVS/Caremark Corp. is bringing its "Pathways to Pharmacy" internship program to New Orleans for the first time this summer. The program is meant to help disadvantaged youths take a first step toward a career in pharmacy. As...

New York has right ingredients for retailers to flourish.(Market Focus: New York)(cconomic condition of New York)
June 18, 2007... NEW YORK -- With a strong overall economy the New York region offers many opportunities for mass market retailers as well as a number of significant challenges to future growth. The economy in New York City, which encompasses Manhattan, the...

New York at a glance.(Market Focus: New York)(census report of New York )(Brief article)
June 18, 2007... POPULATION: * 8,008,278 POPULATION CHANGE, 1990-2000: 9,4% PER CAPITA RETAIL SALES: $5,677 MARKET RANK, SUPERS: 1 MARKET RANK, DRUG: 1 MARKET RANK, GM: 1 MARKET SHARE LEADERS: A&P Costco CVS * 2000...

Wal-Mart gets thumbs down in effort to gain toehold.(TOP 100 MARKETS)(Wal-Mart Stores Inc.)
June 18, 2007... NEW YORK -- Wal-Mart Stores Inc., which has so far met with mixed success in breaking into urban markets across the nation, has--at least for the time being--given up on plans to open a store in New York City. With a population of more than...

A&P, Pathmark make a match.(Market Focus: New York)(Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company Inc.)
June 18, 2007... NEW YORK -- A&P has announced a merger agreement with Pathmark Stores Inc., in a deal that will bring together two grocery chains with a long history in the New York metropolitan region. When completed the merger will reinforce A&P's place...

Target, Kmart at home in city.(Market Focus: New York)(Kmart Holding Corp.)(Target Stores Inc.)(Brief article)
June 18, 2007... NEW YORK -- Wal-Mart Stores Inc.'s difficulties entering this city notwithstanding, other discounters are thriving across its five boroughs. Target Stores has units in every borough except Manhattan and Staten Island, while Kmart has units...

The Big Apple's a chain drug store town.(Market Focus: New York)(market share of drug store)(Company rankings)
June 18, 2007... NEW YORK -- National drug store chains have long engaged in fierce competition to dominate the lucrative New York region by focusing on the needs of local residents. Four drug chains account for just over two-thirds of the New York market,...

An innovator on threshold of change.(Market Focus: New York)(Pathmark Stores Inc.)
June 18, 2007... NEW YORK -- Pathmark Stores Inc., a familiar supermarket banner in the New York region for nearly four decades, has long been recognized as an industry pioneer in the nation's largest retail market. The chain was an early adopter of an...

Pittsburgh puts a new face forward in order to prosper.(Market Focus: Pittsburgh)(economic condition of Pittsburgh)
June 18, 2007... PITTSBURGH -- This onetime center of the steel industry has successfully reinvented itself as a regional leader in health care, research, hospitality and tourism. The Pittsburgh region has seen a growth in employment related to corporate...

Pittsburgh at a glance.(Market Focus: Pittsburgh)(census reports of Pittsburgh)(Brief article)
June 18, 2007... POPULATION: * 334,563 POPULATION CHANGE, 1990-2000: -9.6% PER CAPITA RETAIL SALES: $7,922 MARKET RANK, SUPERS: 22 MARKET RANK, DRUG: 17 MARKET RANK, GM: 27 MARKET SHARE LEADERS: Giant Eagle Brooks Eckerd ...

Rite aid is now the new big gun in town.(Market Focus: Pittsburgh)(acquisition of Rite Aid Corp.)(Company rankings)
June 18, 2007... PITTSBURGH -- The competition among drug chains in the Allegheny region is set to undergo a significant change with Rite Aid Corp.'s acquisition of Brooks Eckerd Pharmacy stores. Both chains already have a large presence in the Pittsburgh...

Giant Eagle bets on innovation.(Market Focus: Pittsburgh)(Giant Eagle Inc.)
June 18, 2007... PITTSBURGH -- Giant Eagle Inc. has recently taken two separate initiatives that, in different ways, are intended to allow the regional grocer to retain its leadership position. In an experiment with small-store formats, the company opened a...

Wal-Mart anchors 'Opportunity Zone'.(Market Focus: Pittsburgh)(Wal-Mart Stores Inc.)
June 18, 2007... PITTSBURGH -- Wal-Mart Stores Inc. ended an eight-year struggle to redevelop a 44-acre site in East Hills, Pa., a community just outside of Pittsburgh, with a commitment to build a Supercenter on the site in early 2009. Wal-Mart is the No....

Ingenuity pays off in retailing.(Market Focus: Pittsburgh)(Brief article)
June 18, 2007... PITTSBURGH -- Although the western Pennsylvania region is dominated by Giant Eagle Inc. and Wal-Mart Stores Inc., nimble small chains have found ways to compete. Last year, following Supervalu Inc.'s decision to sell its Shop n' Save...

Trader Joe's makes food stores fun.(Market Focus: Pittsburgh)(Trader Joe's Company Inc.)(Brief article)
June 18, 2007... PITTSBURGH -- Specialty food retailer Trader Joe's Co. opened its first store here in October of last year. The popular and rapidly expanding food store set down roots in Pittsburgh's East Liberty neighborhood--not far from the city's only...