Mass Market Retailers articles from March 2009

Mass Market Retailers archives from March 2009

Dollar Tree's profits.(INDUSTRY NEWS)(Financial report)
March 9, 2009... DOLLAR TREE'S PROFITs: Quarterly profits for Dollar Tree Inc. increased by a better-than-expected 11%, driven by consumers seeking low prices on food and other consumables. The company reported a profit of $105.2 million for the fourth quarter...

Weis expands Rx plan.(INDUSTRY NEWS)
March 9, 2009... WEIS EXPANDS RX PLAN: Weis Markets has added 50 generic prescription drugs and antibiotics to its 90-day, $9.99 prescription plan. The program, which was introduced in October 2008, now includes more than 400 medications, the company says.

Costco probe closes.(INDUSTRY NEWS)
March 9, 2009... COSTCO PROBE CLOSES: The United States Attorney's Office for the Western District of Washington has concluded its investigation of stock option practices at Costco Wholesale Corp. and is filing no criminal charges. Costco cooperated fully with...

Publix tops in survey.(INDUSTRY NEWS)
March 9, 2009... PUBLIX TOPS IN SURVEY: Publix Super Markets Inc. has again been ranked No. 1 in customer satisfaction among U.S. supermarkets, according to an index compiled by the University of Michigan's business school, the American Society for Quality and...

H.E.B. plans new DC.(INDUSTRY NEWS)
March 9, 2009... H.E.B. PLANS NEW DC: H.E. Butt Grocery Co. has bought land for a planned 400,000-square-foot distribution center near the city of Temple in central Texas. When completed, the facility is expected to serve more than 50 stores.

Tops sponsors bills.(INDUSTRY NEWS)
March 9, 2009... TOPS SPONSORS BILLS: The 71-unit, Buffalo, N.Y.-based Tops Markets chain, a division of Ahold USA, will be the presenting sponsor for the Buffalo Bills football team when the sports franchise celebrates its 50th anniversary next season.

Walgreens names top merchant.(NEWS)
March 9, 2009... DEERFIELD, Ill. -- Walgreen Co. is turning to an executive new to the drug chain to oversee merchandising. Bryan Pugh, who joined the company as vice president of format development in late December, takes the reins from George Riedl, who...

Target vows to remain relevant.(SPOTLIGHT)
March 9, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] MINNEAPOLIS -- Target Corp. felt the full impact of the economic downturn in the United States in the final quarter of fiscal 2008, as net income plunged 41% and same-store sales fell nearly 6%. Total retail...

Sears to close 24 units as earnings fall 55%.
March 9, 2009... HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill. -- Sears Holdings Corp. reported adjusted fourth quarter earnings that beat Wall Street's forecast and announced that it would close 24 additional stores. Sears shuttered 28 outlets in fiscal 2008, which ended January 31....

Byars becomes BiLo president, CEO.
March 9, 2009... MAULDIN, S.C. -- BiLo LLC has named Michael Byars president and chief executive officer, replacing interim CEO Randall Onstead. Byars most recently served as president and CEO of Minyard Food Stores, a regional supermarket chain based near...

CVS puts dispute behind it.(NEWS)
March 9, 2009... WASHINGTON -- CVS Caremark Corp. has agreed to pay $2.25 million to settle a patient privacy case. The agreement with the Federal Trade Commission and the Department of Health and Human Services' (HHS') office for civil rights resolves an...

McCoy, Cognetti, McNulty receive promotions at Kinney.(NEWS)
March 9, 2009... GOUVERNEUR, N.Y. -- Kinney Drugs Inc. has promoted three executives. Vice president of finance and chief financial officer Stephen McCoy has been elevated to executive vice president and CFO, director of retail merchandising Richard...

Insured rate rises.(WAL-MART NEWS)
March 9, 2009... INSURED RATE RISES: Wal-Mart has announced that the percentage of its associates who have health care coverage through its benefit plans has increased to 94.5%. The number of uninsured associates has dropped by nearly 25% in the last year, and...

Generics plan listed.(WAL-MART NEWS)
March 9, 2009... GENERICS PLAN LISTED: The 350 prescription drugs offered by Wal-Mart for $4 for a 30-day supply are now accessible to doctors using decision-support software from Epocrates Inc. "Many of our physician subscribers want to prescribe the most...

Suit to be reheard.(WAL-MART NEWS)
March 9, 2009... SUIT TO BE REHEARD: A U.S. appeals court judge has decided to rehear a ruling that approved class-action status for the Dukes v. Wal-Mart lawsuit, in which Wal-Mart is accused of sex discrimination in pay and promotions. If the class-action...

MoneyCard rollback.(WAL-MART NEWS)
March 9, 2009... MONEYCARD ROLLBACK: With economic pressure mounting on its core low-income customers, Wal-Mart has rolled back the price of its Walmart MoneyCard--a reloadable, prepaid Visa debit card--to $3. The card is designed to help consumers who lack...

Twilight shops debut.(WAL-MART NEWS)
March 9, 2009... TWILIGHT SHOPS DEBUT: Wal-Mart has partnered with Summit Entertainment to establish "Twilight shops" in all of its domestic stores and on Walmart.com. The shops will offer a range of merchandise related to the popular vampire book series and...

Scoreboard.(MONEY NEWS)(Statistical table)
March 9, 2009... SCOREBOARD Quarter Dollar RETAILERS ended Sales % Change CVS Caremark (1) 12/31 24.1 bil +10.0 Lowe's 1/30 10.0 bil -3.8 OfficeMax (2) 12/27 1.9 bil...

Rite Aid gets $225 million loan.(MONEY NEWS)
March 9, 2009... RITE AID GETS $225 MILLION LOAN: Rite Aid Corp. has completed its previously announced second priority accounts receivable securitization term loan for $225 million, which is $25 million more than previously announced. The loan will be used to...

Spartan Stores declares dividend.(MONEY NEWS)
March 9, 2009... SPARTAN STORES DECLARES DIVIDEND: Spartan Stores Inc. has declared a quarterly dividend of 5 cents per common share. The dividend is payable on March 16 to the company's shareholders of record as of the close of business on March 2.

Discounters.(MONEY)
March 9, 2009... DISCOUNTERS Current Previous Close Close % Discounter 2/19/09 2/5/09 Change BJ's 28.35 29.56 - 4.09 Costco ...

Drug stores.(MONEY)
March 9, 2009... DRUGSTORES Current Previous Close Close Drug Store 2/19/09 2/5/09 Change Amerisource 35.55 38.40 - 7.42 Cardinal Health (1) 36.15 ...

Supermarkets.(MONEY)
March 9, 2009... SUPERMARKETS Current Previous Close Close Supermarket 2/19/09 2/5/09 Change A&P 5.08 6.97 - 27.12 Delhaize 60.17 63.44 - 5.15 Kroger ...

Wal-Mart has the momentum.(SPOTLIGHT)
March 9, 2009... BENTONVILLE, Ark. -- A big charge to settle class-action litigation drove down fourth quarter net income at Wal-Mart Stores Inc., but adjusted results exceeded Wall Street's expectations, with the flagship Walmart U.S. division continuing to...

SDM net rises 15.2% in fiscal '08.(MONEY)
March 9, 2009... TORONTO -- Shoppers Drug Mart Corp. (SDM) closed the books on fiscal 2008 with another round of double-digit gains in sales and earnings. Net income for the 53 weeks ended January 3, 2009, climbed 15.2% to $565.2 million (Canadian), or...

Good end to tough year at Weis.(MONEY)
March 9, 2009... SUNBURY, Pa. -- Full-year net income declined 7.8% to $47 million, or $1.74 per share, at Weis Markets Inc., despite a bottom line that nearly doubled over depressed prior-year levels in the fourth quarter. Net sales for the 52 weeks ended...

Fresh & Easy adapts.(Tesco Stores Ltd.)(Viewpoint essay)
March 9, 2009... Tesco has discovered that succeeding in the American market is not as simple as it first envisioned. In November 2007 the British retailer, one of the world's best, launched the Fresh & Easy format with six stores in southern California. The...

New faces come to the fore.(OPINION)
March 9, 2009... Change is in the air. Two major retailers are shifting personnel, rethinking their approaches to core categories and to traditional ways of doing things, rearranging schedules, reordering priorities. The retailers in question are Wal-Mart...

'Downturn creates clarity for retailers'.(OPINION)
March 9, 2009... NEW YORK -- Retailers are struggling in the face of hard economic times, but a new study suggests that for many the real threat to their viability is not the recession but their business strategy. Kurt Salmon Associates (KSA) studied the...

Cencosud net down.(GLOBAL NEWS)(Financial report)(Brief article)
March 9, 2009... CENCOSUD NET DOWN: Chilean retailer Cencosud SA posted a 30% drop in net income to 160.13 billion pesos ($254.5 million) in 2008, due to a onetime gain that boosted 2007 profits. Excluding that item, the retailer's bottom line was nearly flat,...

Changes at boots.(GLOBAL NEWS)(Alliance Boots GmbH appointed Alex Gourlay and Ornella Barra)(Brief article)
March 9, 2009... CHANGES AT BOOTS: Alex Gourlay, who was managing director with responsibility for health and beauty at Boots U.K., has been promoted to chief executive officer of the health and beauty division and appointed to the board of directors of...

New logo for Canada.(GLOBAL NEWS)
March 9, 2009... NEW LOGO FOR CANADA: Wal-Mart Stores Inc.'s Canadian operation has adopted the new logo and colors of the Wal-mart U.S. division as well as the slogan "Save money. Live better." The retailer is also slashing prices on 20% of products related to...

Russia deal in works.(GLOBAL NEWS)
March 9, 2009... RUSSIA DEAL IN WORKS: According to Planet Retail, the Russian press has reported that Carrefour SA, the world's second-largest retailer by sales, has offered to buy a 75% stake in the Russian grocer Sedmoi Kontinent. According to the paper, the...

More moves by Metro.(GLOBAL NEWS)
March 9, 2009... MORE MOVES BY METRO: Metro AG has sold the Adler apparel chain to a private equity fund, BluO, for an undisclosed amount. The chain consists of 120 stores in Germany, Austria and Luxembourg, with 2008 sales of 464 million euros ($590.6...

Casino model in 'alignment with current environment'.(GLOBAL)
March 9, 2009... PARIS -- Net sales for 2008 at Groupe Casino rose nearly 15% to 28.7 billion euros ($36.9 billion) despite negative economic trends. In its home market of France the retailer achieved a solid 3.6% increase that was driven by a 7.5% rise at...

Walmex gears up.(SPOTLIGHT)(Wal-Mart de Mexico S.A. de C.V.)
March 9, 2009... MEXICO CITY -- Wal-Mart de Mexico (Walmex) has unveiled an aggressive expansion plan for 2009 despite the country's current economic crisis. Mexico's largest retailer will invest $11.8 billion pesos ($805 million) to open 252 units, up from 182...

At Loblaws fiscal 2008 ends well.(GLOBAL)
March 9, 2009... TORONTO -- Loblaw Cos. wrapped up fiscal 2008 with its second consecutive quarter of strong financial results, as net earnings for the year soared 65% to $545 million (Canadian) on a 4.8% increase in sales to $30.8 billion. Fourth quarter...

Sears Canada scales back workforce.(GLOBAL)
March 9, 2009... TORONTO -- The Sears Canada unit of Sears Holdings Corp. has eliminated about 300 jobs in the face of weaker sales and sagging consumer confidence. About haft of the cuts, which represent less than 1% of the chain's total workforce, were...

Carrefour Energie touts savings.(GLOBAL)
March 9, 2009... PARIS -- Carrefour SA has partnered with Poweo, France's leading independent electricity and gas supplier, to offer electric and gas service to French consumers at competitive prices. According to the company, Carrefour Energie by Poweo...

Body and mind games.(SUPPLY SIDE NEWS)(Wild Planet Entertainment Inc.)(Brief article)
March 9, 2009... BODY AND MIND GAMES: Wild Planet Entertainment Inc. has announced plans to introduce this fall two games for children--1-2-3 Stomp and Hyper Blast--that encourage their physical and mental activity. Stomp, for preschoolers, and Hyper Blast, for...

Manicure/pedicure.(SUPPLY SIDE NEWS)(Paris Presents Inc.)(Brief article)
March 9, 2009... MANICURE/PEDICURE: Paris Presents Inc. has redesigned and relaunched its Ms. Manicure and Ms. Pedicure collection. The do-it-yourself nail care line includes pink, white and black packaging as well as such new product names as Smooth Steppin'...

Sunlight sunglasses.(SUPPLY SIDE NEWS)
March 9, 2009... SUNLIGHT SUNGLASSES: IMT Accessories has introduced SunLights sunglasses for children and young adults, including ultra UVA lenses and lights that flash or blink. The items are licensed with a variety of popular themes for both girls and boys....

Kashi TLC snack bars.(SUPPLY SIDE NEWS)
March 9, 2009... KASHI TLC SNACK BARS: Kashi Co. has expanded its TLC line to include Fruit & Grain Bars, which come in three flavors--dark chocolate coconut, pumpkin pie and raspberry chocolate. Each bar features a layer of granola, soft fruit and nuts. Kashi...

Tiny Tillia bath mitts.(SUPPLY SIDE NEWS)
March 9, 2009... TINY TILLIA BATH MITTS: Allegro Manufacturing Inc.'s Tiny Tillia line of character-based bath and body items for children includes paraben-free bath mitts, selling for a suggested $4.99. The mitts include the character Duncan Dog. Allegro...

Febreze destinations offers consumers a way to 'escape'.(SUPPLY SIDE)
March 9, 2009... CINCINNATI -- Procter & Gamble Co. has launched a new collection of home fragrances with an exotic travel theme under its Febreze brand. The Febreze Destinations collection contains three scents--Hawaiian Aloha, Brazilian Carnaval and...

Housewares equation changes.(SPOTLIGHT)
March 9, 2009... NEW YORK -- Understandably, the housewares industry is feeling the impact of a recession that a few economists are daring to call a depression. But mass market retailers have, thus far, done a good job of maintaining their share of the...

Mars moves to pump up marketing.(SUPPLY SIDE)(Mars North America)(Mars Snack-food US)(Brief article)
March 9, 2009... HACKETTSTOWN, N.J. -- Mars North America and Mars Snack-food US have launched several recent marketing initiatives. First, in California exclusively the company has introduced Fling, a chocolate finger coyly touted as "naughty but not that...

Out of Africa line extended.(SUPPLY SIDE)
March 9, 2009... VENICE, Calif. -- Out of Africa, which is distributed by California Inside & Out, is introducing several new products as well as new packaging and prices on certain items. The new products are: * Shea Butter Body Lotions (9 ounces),...

Moisturizer latest item for Cetaphil.(SUPPLY SIDE)
March 9, 2009... FORT WORTH -- Galderma Laboratories has introduced a new SPF 50 facial moisturizer under its Cetaphil brand. Cetaphil UVA/UVB Defense SPF 50 contains a blend of four filters and micronized titanium dioxide that screen both UVA and UVB rays....

Campbell cuts sodium in soups.(SUPPLY SIDE)
March 9, 2009... CAMDEN, N.J. -- Campbell Soup Co. is expanding its lower-sodium soup offerings as part of its effort to advance wellness. For starters, the company is adding lower-sodium natural sea salt to its iconic Campbell's tomato soup, first...

Key indicators point to growth.(HOME HEALTH CARE)
March 9, 2009... NEW YORK -- Demographics are making home health care a growth category for many mass market retailers, particularly those with pharmacy operations. The main growth driver, of course, is the aging of the baby boomers, who by some estimates...

New technology facilitates home health care.(HOME HEALTH CARE)
March 9, 2009... NEW YORK -- While demographics are the biggest growth driver for home health care products, consumers are responding positively to a steady flow of innovative items that deliver better solutions to some age-old health problems. In many...

Adult incontinence is on the rise.(HOME HEALTH CARE)
March 9, 2009... NEW YORK -- The number of older Americans is expanding steadily, and the trend is reflected in the sales growth of adult incontinence products. According to Information Resources Inc. (IRI), category sales increased 4.4% during the 52...

Mix gets more digital-friendly.(CONSUMER IMAGING)
March 9, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] NEW YORK -- The digital revolution has remade the mass retail photo category. Sales of film have plunged in recent years, and digital camera owners also tend to make fewer prints of their images. But retailers...

Camera sales stuck in doldrums.(CONSUMER IMAGING)
March 9, 2009... NEW YORK -- The recession is taking its toll on digital camera sales, according to the Photo Marketing Association (PMA). The faltering economy hurt sales this past November and December, when holiday gift giving would normally provide a...

Prints haven't gone out of style.(CONSUMER IMAGING)
March 9, 2009... NEW YORK -- More digital camera images are being printed, creating more volume for retail minilabs and kiosks. According to the latest Photo Marketing Association (PMA) monthly printing and camera trends report, the number of prints (of all...

NGA presents awards.(PEOPLE NEWS)
March 9, 2009... NGA PRESENTS AWARDS: The National Grocers Association and its president and chief executive officer Thomas Zaucha presented Gary Phillips with the Clarence G. Adamy Great American award at last month's 2009 NGA Annual Convention and Supermarket...

Additions at RILA.(PEOPLE NEWS)(Retail Industry Leaders Association appointed Jim Neill and John Emling)(Brief article)
March 9, 2009... ADDITIONS AT RILA: The Retail Industry Leaders Association (RILA) has named Jim Neill vice president for product safety. He will oversee the new RILA/British Retail Consortium global safety standard for consumer products. Separately, RILA...

Marc Anthony change.(PEOPLE NEWS)
March 9, 2009... MARC ANTHONY CHANGE: Marc Anthony Cosmetics has appointed Art Nemeth as senior director of global sales. In his new role Nemeth will be responsible for business sales strategies and tactical development while directing global sales efforts...

Just born director.(PEOPLE NEWS)
March 9, 2009... JUST BORN DIRECTOR: Just Born Inc. has named Josh Halpern director of domestic customer development. His responsibilities include managing the divisional sales team and assisting in the development and implementation of domestic sales...

Markwins departure.(PEOPLE NEWS)
March 9, 2009... MARKWINS DEPARTURE: Markwins International Corp. has announced the departure of Liz Gill from her post as vice president of sales and marketing for prestige and specialty channels cosmetics collections. She had served for 12 years in her role...

Personal vision proves durable.(SPOTLIGHT)
March 9, 2009... MEDINA, Ohio -- The success of Discount Drug Mart Inc., which celebrates its 40th anniversary this year, shows the value of having a unique business model as well as a community-oriented approach to retailing. Company founder, chairman and...

GMDC taps chairman for council.(PEOPLE)
March 9, 2009... COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. -- The Global Market Development Center (GMDC) has named Lou Martire chairman of its Education Leadership Council. Martire is vice president of trade development at Energizer Holdings Inc., a position he has held...

Sears' West honored at RAMA event.(PEOPLE)(Conference news)
March 9, 2009... LAS VEGAS -- Sears Holdings Corp. divisional vice president Ric West has been inducted into the Retail Advertising Hall of Fame. West was honored at the recent Retail Advertising and Marketing Association (RAMA) conference. West has...

Ex-Wal-Mart exec joins Microsoft.(PEOPLE)
March 9, 2009... REDMOND, Wash. -- Former Wal-Mart Stores Inc. executive David Porter has been tapped to head a new retail operation at Microsoft Corp. Porter, who has been named vice president of retail stores, comes to Microsoft from DreamWorks Animation...

Meijer succeeds Martin in pivotal role at Giant.(PEOPLE)
March 9, 2009... CARLISLE, Pa. -- Giant Food Stores LLC has appointed Casper Meijer executive vice president of format and merchandising for the chain. Meijer succeeds Jeff Martin, former executive vice president of sales and merchandising, who recently...

Meetings shows.(TOPICS)(Calendar)
March 9, 2009... MARCH 2009 18-20--AMERICAN WHOLESALE MARKET-ERS ASSOCIATION: Real Deal Expo, Las Vegas Hilton, Las Vegas. 22-25--ECRM: Baby Products, Renaissance St. Louis Hotel Airport, St. Louis. 23-25--IRI: Reinventing CPG and 2009 Retail...

The recent executive changes at Wal-Mart and Walgreens.(HEARD AROUND)
March 9, 2009... The recent executive changes at Wal-Mart and Walgreens, which will have a major impact on merchandising among other areas, are the talk of the mass market retailing community.

In light of the faltering economy.(HEARD AROUND)
March 9, 2009... In light of the faltering economy, questions about the level of attendance at the NACDS Annual Meeting have emerged.

Guarding against fraud a must.(SPOTLIGHT)
March 9, 2009... With March recognized as Fraud Prevention Month, retailers have an opportunity to examine the operations and policies that protect their bottom lines in today's tough economy. It's no secret that sales are down; however, what many retailers...

Wal-Mart No. 1 in H&BA arena.(TOPICS)
March 9, 2009... COLUMBUS, Ohio -- WalMart Stores Inc. has become the leading retailer for health and beauty aids, according to a recent survey. A third of consumers say they shop Wal-Mart most often for their health and beauty purchases, according to a...

Creation of Global CPG standards sought.(TOPICS)
March 9, 2009... ARLINGTON, Va. -- The Retail Industry Leaders Association (RILA) has teamed up with the British Retail Consortium (BRC) in a bid to promote a global standard for consumer goods. The move comes as new federal legislation goes into effect in...

GMDC study to eye buying habits.(TOPICS)(Global Market Development Center)(Brief article)
March 9, 2009... COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. -- The Global Market Development Center (GMDC) is launching a research project to find out more about the spending habits of consumers who are concerned about issues of health and environmental sustainability. The...

Ackman vies for seats.(INDUSTRY NEWS)
March 23, 2009... ACKMAN VIES FOR SEATS: Hedge fund manager William Ackman will attempt to have five independent directors, including himself, elected to the board of Target Corp. in May, according to a Reuters report. Ackman, whose Pershing Square Capital...

New generics plans.(INDUSTRY NEWS)
March 23, 2009... NEW GENERICS PLANS: A number of regional supermarket chains are expanding their discount generic drug plans. Williamsville, N.Y.-based Tops Friendly Markets has expanded its program, which offers a 30-day supply of more than 350 common generics...

Food Lion award.(INDUSTRY NEWS)
March 23, 2009... FOOD LION AWARD: Food Lion LLC will receive its eighth EnergyStar award from the Environmental Protection Agency this month, making it the only grocer to receive eight of the awards. The company is being honored for its energy conservation...

Execs get new roles.(SPOTLIGHT)
March 23, 2009... BENTONVILLE, Ark. -- Wal-Mart Stores Inc. went outside its ranks and tapped an executive with extensive food industry experience to lead its Sam's Club division. Brian Cornell is set to assume the posts of president and chief executive...

Kroger performance remains 'solid'.(NEWS)
March 23, 2009... CINCINNATI -- Kroger Co. saw a healthy profit gain in the fourth quarter despite flat sales, and posted robust earnings and revenue gains for its 2008 fiscal year. For the quarter ended January 31, Kroger's earnings climbed 8.1% to $349.2...

February sales top expectations.(NEWS)
March 23, 2009... NEW YORK -- February brought a glimmer of hope for the retail industry, as same-store sales dipped 0.1%, better than the 0.4% slide anticipated by economists. And excluding automobile sales, which depressed the overall number, volume rose 0.7%....

Merck set to acquire Schering.(NEWS)
March 23, 2009... WHITEHOUSE STATION, N.J. -- Merck & Co. and Schering-Plough Corp. have announced a merger agreement. The companies will combine under the name Merck in a stock and cash transaction. Merck chairman, president and chief executive officer...

Bruno's seeks concessions from union.(NEWS)(Bruno's Supermarkets Inc.)(Brief article)
March 23, 2009... BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- Bruno's Supermarkets LLC says it has had talks with potential buyers and needs to restructure agreements with union workers to move these talks forward and avoid liquidation. In a filing in U.S. Bankruptcy Court here...

Sam's second wine.(WAL-MART NEWS)
March 23, 2009... SAM'S SECOND WINE: Sam's Club has added a second Fair Trade Certified wine as part of its commitment to "Simple Steps to Saving Green." The membership warehouse club is offering a merlot and pinot grigio under the Solombra Reserva label, which...

New China format.(WAL-MART NEWS)
March 23, 2009... NEW CHINA FORMAT: According to Planet Retail, Wal-Mart has been opening a new discount grocery format in China under the Smart Choice banner. According to the global market researcher, there are so far three outlets, all in Shenzhen, where...

EHR push at Sam's.(WAL-MART NEWS)
March 23, 2009... EHR PUSH AT SAM'S: This spring Sam's Club will offer a low-cost package that bundles practice management software and Dell computers with installation service to enable physicians with small practices to implement electronic health records and...