Mass Market Retailers articles from September 2003

Mass Market Retailers archives from September 2003

CVS biggest store.(Industry News)(Brief Article)
September 8, 2003... CVS' BIGGEST STORE: CVS Corp. has opened the largest store in its history, a 19,000-square-foot outlet in South Kingston, R.I. The unit is nearly twice the size of a typical CVS store. Competition in the area is fierce: A Brooks Pharmacy and an...

Shaw's nears 200.(Industry News)(Brief Article)
September 8, 2003... SHAW'S NEARS 200: Shaw's Supermarkets Inc. is nearing the 200 mark in store count with the opening of a unit in Mansfield, Mass. The unit, the 191st for the chain, features such large service departments as deli, produce and seafood and an...

BJ's appoints exec.(Industry News)(Brief Article)
September 8, 2003... BJ'S APPOINTS EXEC: Jeff Patterson has been appointed assistant vice president and manager of produce for BJ's Wholesale Club Inc. Patterson has been involved in the retail produce business for three decades and has held positions of increasing...

Taggart named CEO.(Industry News)(Brief Article)
September 8, 2003... TAGGART NAMED CEO: Richard Taggart, a 29-year veteran of the supermarket industry, has been appointed president and chief executive officer of Dick's Supermarkets Inc., a subsidiary of Fresh Brands Inc. He succeeds Robert Brodbeck, who resigned...

Safeway hits Yucaipa Cos. with lawsuit.(Brief Article)
September 8, 2003... LOS ANGELES -- The legal battle between Safeway Inc. and Yucaipa Cos. is intensifying. Late last month the supermarket and food/drug combination store operator filed a lawsuit in Los Angeles County Superior Court charging the investment firm...

Ahold hunkers down.(Brief Article)
September 8, 2003... ZAANDAM, the Netherlands -- Ahold NV its continuing its efforts to pare down its $13 billion debt and concentrate on its core food businesses. The retailer's most recent action consisted of reaching an agreement in late August to sell its...

Walgreens does the unexpected.(Brief Article)
September 8, 2003... DEERFIELD, Ill. -- Walgreen Co. is departing from a long-established strategy of internal growth with the purchase of 16 units from Hi-School Pharmacy Inc. The outlets are in the Portland, Ore., and Vancouver, Wash., markets. "Acquisitions...

ShopKo deal.(Brief Article)
September 8, 2003... GREEN BAY, Wis. -- ShopKo Stores Inc. has received a four-year extension of its $450 million senior secured revolving-credit agreement. "This financing provides the company with more attractive borrowing terms and increased flexibility,"...

Dollar General COO.(Spotlight)
September 8, 2003... GOODLETTSVILLE, Tenn. -- Dollar General Corp. has named Lawrence Jackson, who previously held executive positions at both Safeway Inc. and Pepsi-Cola Co., president and chief operating officer. The company has also reorganized the...

It's closeout time at Bonus Stores.(News)(Brief Article)
September 8, 2003... CHICAGO -- Going out of business sales have started at 214 Bonus Stores and Bill's Dollar Stores following a decision by Bonus Stores Inc. to sell or shutter part of its store portfolio. The stores being closed are in Alabama, Arkansas,...

Trader Joe's wins.(News)(Brief Article)
September 8, 2003... NEW YORK -- Trader Joe's Co. received the highest score (85) for places to shop for groceries in Consumer Reports' survey of 25,000 readers. According to the magazine, the ratings are based on responses to its 2002 annual questionnaire....

Eagle Food units find buyers.(News)(Brief Article)
September 8, 2003... MILAN, Ill. -- Eagle Food Centers Inc., looking to sell off its stores after going bankrupt earlier this year, has come to an agreement with several companies to acquire outlets in Illinois and Iowa. The transactions must be approved by the...

Bryant takes the reins as chairman at Longs.(News)(Brief Article)
September 8, 2003... WALNUT CREEK, Calif. -- Longs Drug Stores Corp. has chosen president and chief executive officer Warren Bryant to succeed Bob Long as chairman of the board. Bryant, who joined Longs in October as president and chief executive officer was...

Correction.(News)(Brief Article)(Correction Notice)
September 8, 2003... Because of a production error, a photograph of Kowalski's Market in Woodbury, Minn., was included on page 55 of the August 25 issue of MMR along with photographs of a Target Stores outlet that is situated in downtown Minneapolis.

Scoreboard.(Money News; retail trade financial analysis)
September 8, 2003... SCOREBOARD RETAILERS Quarter Dollar % Net Ended Sales Change Income (Loss) Big Lots (1) 08/02 949.3 mil +8.0 (7.97 mil) BJ's (2) ...

Moody's cuts Marsh Supermarkets rating.(Money News)(Brief Article)
September 8, 2003... MOODY'S CUTS MARSH SUPERMARKETS RATINGS: Moody's Investors Service has lowered all ratings of Indianapolis-based Marsh Supermarkets Inc. The company's 8.875% senior subordinated notes due in 2007 have been lowered from B2 to B3, while its...

Merrill Lynch boosts rating on Albertsons.(Money News)(Brief Article)
September 8, 2003... MERRILL LYNCH BOOSTS RATING ON ALBERTSONS: Merrill Lynch & Co. has raised its rating on the stock of Albertsons Inc. to "neutral" from "sell," citing what appears to be improving fundamentals in the supermarket industry. In a research note,...

Family Dollar announces quarterly dividend.(Money News)(Brief Article)
September 8, 2003... FAMILY DOLLAR ANNOUNCES QUARTERLY DIVIDEND: The board of directors of Family Dollar Stores Inc. has declared a regular quarterly cash dividend on the company's common stock of 7.5 cents per share, payable October 15 to shareholders of record at...

Duane Reade feels impact of Blackout.(Money News)(Brief Article)
September 8, 2003... DUANE READE FEELS IMPACT OF BLACKOUT: New York drug chain Duane Reade expects to record a third quarter charge of about $700,000, or 3 cents per share, as a result of sales lost during the recent power blackout in New York. The company lost an...

Biggest gainers.(Money; retail trade stock activity)(Brief Article)
September 8, 2003... BIGGEST GAINERS Close Change % Stock 08/22/03 08/08/03 Change drugstore.com 5.90 +1.35 +29.7 Longs 21.95 +3.90 +21.6 Staples 23.23 ...

Biggest losers.(Money; retail trade stock activity)(Brief Article)
September 8, 2003... BIGGEST LOSERS Close Change % Stock 08/22/2003 vs. 08/08/03 Change Smart & Final 5.70 -0.31 -5.2 Delhaize 37.54 -1.44 -3.7 Cardinal...

Most active.(Money; retail trade stock activity statistics)(Brief Article)
September 8, 2003... MOST ACTIVE Vol. (000) As a % Change vs. Stock 1Wk. Ended of Total 1Wk. Ended 08/22/03 Shares 08/08/03 Dillard's 7,799 8.5 +214.1 Longs 5,077...

ShopKo cuts outlook.(Spotlight)
September 8, 2003... GREEN BAY, Wis. -- Despite ongoing sales erosion at its largest division, ShopKo Stores Inc. managed to register a modest bottom-line gain during the second quarter thanks to lower interest costs. However, with little indication that the...

Eckerd operating earnings off 26%.(Money)
September 8, 2003... PLANO, Texas -- In spite of a weakening performance at its Eckerd Corp. unit, J.C. Penney Co. managed to top analysts' predictions in shaving its second quarter loss. LIFO operating profit for the Clearwater, Fla.-based drug chain for the...

BJ's profits fall despite sales gain.(Money)(Brief Article)
September 8, 2003... NATICK, Mass. -- BJ's Wholesale Club Inc. saw earnings sink nearly 40% despite double-digit sales growth during the 13 weeks ended August 2. Second quarter net income fell 38.2% to $22 million, as net sales climbed 13.8% to $1.64 billion....

Big Lots falls into the red.(Money)
September 8, 2003... COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Squeezed by shrinking margins and increased expenses related to marketing and store-development initiatives, closeout retailer Big Lots Inc. swung into the red in the second quarter of fiscal 2003. However, the company...

Fred's generates double-digit gains.(Money)
September 8, 2003... MEMPHIS -- Even with difficult comparisons against a stellar prior-year performance, Fred's Inc. chalked up double-digit increases in both sales and net profit for the second quarter and the first half of fiscal 2003. Net income for the 13...

Longs net plunges 52% in quarter.(Money)(Brief Article)
September 8, 2003... WALNUT CREEK, Calif. -- Though efforts to improve operations led to strong gross margins in this year's second quarter, Longs Drug Stores Corp. continued to experience bottom-line erosion. Net income for the 13 weeks ended July 31, plunged...

For supers, drug chains it's time to play catch up.(Opinion)
September 8, 2003... Kurt Salmon Associates has published Blood in the Aisles: Surviving the Grocery Shakeout. The report assesses the prospects of conventional supermarkets in the face of the assault on their core business by super-centers, warehouse clubs and...

Everyone does dumb things.(Opinion)
September 8, 2003... The New York Times recently ran a story under the headline "Wal-Mart, Aware Its Image Suffers, Studies Repairs." The article revealed that the world's largest retailer, concerned about an increasingly negative reputation, had hired a consultant...

Even the well-off shop dollar stores.(Opinion)(Brief Article)
September 8, 2003... SCHAUMBURG, Ill. -- The rapid emergence of dollar stores as a mainstream retail channel is continuing, according to research recently released by ACNielsen. While that is not news to people following the industry, what may come as a...

Morrison cuts bid.(Global News)(Brief Article)
September 8, 2003... MORRISON CUTS BID: William Morrison Supermarkets PLC is considering lowering its takeover bid for Safeway PLC if it is given clearance by the United Kingdom Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) to proceed with an offer. The possible action...

Carrefour expansion.(Global News)(Brief Article)
September 8, 2003... CARREFOUR EXPANSION: Carrefour SA expects to have 10,000 stores around the world by year-end. The chain's expansion plans in China are expected to help it reach that goal. It now has 12 discount stores in Shanghai under the Dia brand and it...

Ahold tabs counsel.(Global News)(Brief Article)
September 8, 2003... AHOLD TABS COUNSEL: The supervisory board of Dutch supermarket and food service operator Ahold NV has named Peter Wakkie chief corporate governance counsel. He will assume the position on October 15 and will supervise the worldwide legal...

Colgate Asia chief.(Global News)(Brief Article)
September 8, 2003... COLGATE ASIA CHIEF: Colgate-Palmolive Co. has appointed Fabian Garcia president of its Asia-Pacific division. He will be responsible for the firm's growing business operations through Asia, including China, India and Australia. He succeeds...

CBD seeks Bompreco.(Global News)(Brief Article)
September 8, 2003... CBD SEEKS BOMPRECO: Brazil's largest supermarket company, Companhia Brasileria de Distribuicao SA (CBD), is seeking to acquire the Bompreco chain that is being auctioned by Ahold NV Bompreco is the biggest supermarket chain in northeastern...

Tesco continues to test RFID chips despite protests.(Global)(Brief Article)
September 8, 2003... LONDON -- Tesco Stores Ltd. says it will continue to test radio frequency identification (RFID) chips on products, despite recent protests from privacy campaigners. The company recently ended a trial on Gillette Co.'s Mach 3 razors at a...

Woolworths momentum grows.(Spotlight)
September 8, 2003... SYDNEY, Australia -- Australian retailer Woolworths Ltd. turned in a profitable year, executives at the 1,145-store company said late last month. For the year ended June 29, they said, Woolworths saw its net profit increase by 16% to...

In China a union is required.(Global)(Brief Article)
September 8, 2003... BEIJING -- The Chinese government is demanding that Wal-Mart Stores Inc. establish a trade union for thousands of its employees, the country's official news agency reports. The government-controlled All-China Federation of Trade Unions...

Sainsbury gives up on Somerfield.(Brief Article)
September 8, 2003... LONDON -- United Kingdom supermarketer J. Sainsbury PLC said late last month that it was abandoning plans to get regulatory clearance to buy 171 stores of rival Somerfield PLC if they eventually come up for sale. Sainsbury executives say the...

Ito-Yokado cuts profit forecast.(Global)(Brief Article)
September 8, 2003... TOKYO -- Japan's unusually cool summer has hurt sales of clothing and household goods at Ito-Yokado Co., forcing Japan's largest retailer in terms of sales to lower its earning projection for the first half ending in August. Ito-Yokado...

Waitrose to renew 113 stores.(Global)(Brief Article)
September 8, 2003... LONDON -- John Lewisowned Waitrose PLC will spend 134 million Euros ($146 million) to renovate 113 stores over the next three years, the biggest such investment in the supermarket chain's history. Waitrose plans to improve the stores by...

Soy-based smoothie.(Merchandising News)(Brief Article)
September 8, 2003... SOY-BASED SMOOTHIE: Pulmuone U.S.A. Inc. has launched Furee, a soy milk-based fruit smoothie that comes in three flavors--strawberry banana, raspberry and tropical blend. The drink contains 12 grams of soy protein and more than 22 vitamins and...

New Aquafresh item.(Merchandising News)(Brief Article)
September 8, 2003... NEW AQUAFRESH ITEM: GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare has expanded its Aquafresh brand to include Extreme Clean toothpaste containing dual stripes of orange gel and white paste. Available in 4.3-ounce and 5.6-ounce tubes that sell for $2.64...

Organics beauty care.(Merchandising News)(Brief Article)
September 8, 2003... ORGANICS BEAUTY CARE: Levlad Inc.'s Nature's Gate Organics brand has introduced a line of fragrance-free hair and body care products containing soy. Ranging in price from $2.99 to $8.99, the collection includes soy milk fragrance-free lotion,...

O-T-C allergy tablets.(Merchandising News)(Brief Article)
September 8, 2003... O-T-C ALLERGY TABLETS: Leiner Health Products has introduced Loratadine 10-mg. tablets, the generic equivalent of Claritin, to nearly 30 retailers across the country. The private label version of the over-the-counter allergy drug has received...

Rayovac enters razor market with Remington acquisition.(Merchandising)(Brief Article)
September 8, 2003... NEW YORK -- Another battery company has bought into the razor market. Rayovac Corp., the No. 3 battery maker in the United States, will buy Remington Products Co. for $165 million, plus the assumption of $157 million in debt. The...

No middle ground.(Spotlight; housewares industry analysis)
September 8, 2003... ROSEMONT, Ill. -- Retailers and suppliers of midprice housewares are facing a challenge these days as consumers increasingly "shop up" for quality and specialty products or "shop down" for lower prices and wider selections, a recent report from...

Natural cures for headaches.(Merchandising)(Brief Article)
September 8, 2003... SAN DIEGO -- Clear Products Inc. has extended its line of natural remedies with Clear Headache and Clear Migraine. The products are designed to relieve headache pain quickly and safely with a blend of homeopathic ingredients and 14 Chinese...

Grey to help Kmart get word out.(Merchandising)(Brief Article)
September 8, 2003... TROY, Mich. -- Kmart Corp. has enlisted the support of Grey Global Group in its efforts to rekindle the interest of shoppers. As the discount store operator's primary advertising agency, Grey will be responsible for television, radio and...

Similasan.(Merchandising)(Brief Article)
September 8, 2003... BRECKINRIDGE, Colo. -- Similasan Corp., a unit of Similasan Switzerland, is extending its line of homeopathic medications into new over-the-counter categories. The company, which offers the top-selling line of homeopathic eye drops in the...

Newest monitors are very user friendly.(Merchandising)
September 8, 2003... NEW YORK -- Those with diabetes must frequently monitor their glucose levels at a variety of places and times. To make this easier, innovative devices with technology-based features continue to be developed. For example, Medtronic MiniMed,...

A problem that keeps growing.(Diabetes Care)
September 8, 2003... NEW YORK -- More than 17 million Americans, or 6.2% of the population, have diabetes. That number is expected to soar to about 50 million by 2050. The current overall cost of treating the disease was around $132 billion in 2002. Of that...

Special skin care needs get attention.(Merchandising)
September 8, 2003... NEW YORK -- Skin disorders can be a real problem for those with diabetes. As many as a third of these people will have such a disorder during their lives, according to information on the American Diabetes Association's web site. The skin...

Sufferers find help on Internet.(Merchandising)(Brief Article)
September 8, 2003... SUNNYVALE, CALIF. -- Yahoo! Inc. has partnered with iMetrikus, a health information services firm, to provide diabetes patients with on-line information about their conditions. The coupling enables access to iMetrikus' MediCompass, a...

Mass retailers do their part.(Diabetes Care)
September 8, 2003... NEW YORK -- The rise in the volume of diabetes cases as well as in the number of products needed to help deal with the disease have generated a plethora of merchandising and educational initiatives among retailers and suppliers alike. ...

National campaign targets diabetes.(Merchandising)(Brief Article)
September 8, 2003... WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The United States has launched its first national diabetes program, called "Small Steps, Big Rewards," to expand awareness of the diabetes problem and steps that can be taken to prevent the disease. "Diabetes is taking an...

Wal-Mart makes it easy for patients.(Merchandising)(Brief Article)
September 8, 2003... BENTONVILLE, Ark. -- Wal-Mart Stores Inc. has taken a special step to service customers who have diabetes. Wal-Mart Pharmacy Mail Services, a mail-order service that is run by the giant chain, now has a section on the retailer's web site...

An answer for those with a sweet tooth.(Merchandising)
September 8, 2003... NEW YORK -- Vendors are coming up with a wide assortment of items to address diabetes patients' taste buds as well as their nutritional and weight concerns. One company that has particularly gone after their tastes is Carbolite Foods Inc....

PL's bigger role in liquid soap.(Merchandising; private label products)
September 8, 2003... NEW YORK -- The liquid hand soap category continues to hold its own in the personal cleansing market, helped by the strong sales of several private label introductions. Evidence of private label's expanding role in the category can be seen...

Intros, changing attitudes transform personal cleansing.(Merchandising)
September 8, 2003... NEW YORK -- Personal cleansing product marketers have been working for several years to change the attitudes of America's consumers toward bathing Traditionally viewed as little more than a chore in this country, personal cleansing has long...

New technology packs wallop.(Personal Soap & Bath)
September 8, 2003... NEW YORK -- Personal cleansing is a huge and generally mature business in mass market retailing, but change is ongoing among the individual segments that make up the overall category. In general bar soap sales continue to lag, liquid soaps...

Licensing plays crucial role in children's products.(Merchandising)(Brief Article)
September 8, 2003... NEWYORK -- As in many other children's health and beauty aids categories, licensing plays an important role in children's bath. One of the most successful licensed items in this segment is Minnetonka Brands Inc.'s Sesame Street, a true...

Specialty bath's for every day.(Personal Soap & Bath)
September 8, 2003... NEW YORK -- One indication that specialty bath has successfully established itself as an important component of the mass market merchandise mix is the change in consumer attitudes toward such items as loofahs and pumice stones. "We've been...

RC International line plays trends.(Merchandising)(Brief Article)
September 8, 2003... OMAHA, Neb. -- A new product line in the bath category that is catching the attention of mass market retailers is RC International's a.k.a./also known as. The line of shower gels, body creams and bubble baths is positioned to leverage off the...

The MMR/IRI health and beauty aids report.(Special Report)(Editorial)
September 8, 2003... On the following pages MMR presents both retail sales and consumer data compiled by Information Resources Inc. (IRI) on 18 major health and beauty aids categories. The data falls into three main areas. First, dollar and unit sales and...

Adult incontinence.(MMR/IR H&BA Category Performance Study)
September 8, 2003... ANALYSIS An aging population has been good news for the makers of adult incontinence products, as demand for such products has increased as more Americans enter their senior years. Sales advanced 4.3% in the 52-week period ended June...

Analgesics (External).(MMR/IRI H&BA Category Performance Study)
September 8, 2003... ANALYSIS Sales of external analgesics have benefited from the fact that baby boomers are getting older and yet remaining active. The result is increased numbers of people nursing sore and aching muscles and joints. In fact, weekend...

Analgesics (Internal).(MMR/IRI H&BA Category Performance Study)
September 8, 2003... ANALYSIS Medical research may provide a boost to mass retail sales of internal analgesics. Some studies have suggested that the regular use of ibuprofen-based products lead to reduced risk of Alzheimer's disease. Ibuprofen appears to...

Baby needs.(MMR/IRI H&BA Category Performance Study)
September 8, 2003... ANALYSIS Baby care is a critical part of any mass market retailer's merchandise mix. While it generates sales on its own, the product segment is also an important traffic generator and can lead to register rings in other areas....

Cosmetics.(MMR/IRI H & BA category performance study)
September 8, 2003... ANALYSIS Aging baby boomers and style-conscious teens and "tweens" are helping make the cosmetics business a healthy one for mass retailers. Consumer research (backed by sales figures) suggests that the baby-boom generation has...

Cough/cold remedies.(MMR/IRI H&BA Category Performance Study)
September 8, 2003... ANALYSIS The arrival of a new generation of nonsedating antihistamines has shaken up the cough/cold/ allergy category. The ingredient, loratadine, was approved for over-the-counter use by the Food and Drug Administration last year,...

Deodorant.(MMR/IRI H&BA Category Performance Study)
September 8, 2003... ANALYSIS Deodorant sales slipped in the 52-week period tracked in this report, with dollar sales declining 3.3%. The category's performance cannot be blamed on a lack of innovation, however, as a number of vendors continue to launch...

Diet aids.(MMR/IRI H&BA Category Performance Study)
September 8, 2003... ANALYSIS Americans continue to gain weight as their food portion sizes grow and they exercise less. The North American Association for the Study of Obesity estimates that about one-third of all adults in the United States can be classified...

Eye/contact lens care.(MMR/IRI H&BA Category Performance Study)
September 8, 2003... ANALYSIS Multipurpose products that allow contact lens users to clean their lenses without wiping them have helped raise consumer interest in the eye/lens care solutions category. These products have the added benefit of boosting...

Feminine needs.(MMR/IRI H&BA Category Performance Study)
September 8, 2003... ANALYSIS The feminine needs and protection business, which addresses a broad swath of product segments ranging from pain relievers to personal lubricants, has experienced flat sales and some private label incursion in the past year. ...

First aid.(MMR/IRI H&BA Category Performance Study)
September 8, 2003... ANALYSIS The first aid category--comprising mainly adhesive bandages end wound dressings--tends to be seasonal and somewhat weather dependent. That is because the majority of cuts, scrapes, bruises and other minor injuries result from...

Foot care.(MMR/IRI H&BA Category Performance Study)
September 8, 2003... ANALYSIS The foot care market has been a tale of two segments. Sales of foot care devices have been off sharply, but volume of athlete's foot medication has inched up. The trends may reflect the different demographics for the two...

Fragrances (men's).(MMR/IRI H&BA Category Performance Study)
September 8, 2003... ANALYSIS Grooming is increasingly important to young males, providing a boost for the men's fragrance category. Sales of shaving lotion and men's fragrances increased 4.8% in the 52-week period ended June 15, a result that stands in...

Fragrances (women's).(MMR/IRI H&BA Category Performance Study)
September 8, 2003... ANALYSIS The numbers tell only part of the story with fragrances. Sales figures for women's scents show a category in decline, with sales down more than 10% in the 52-week period tracked in this study. What the figures do not show...

Hair care.(MMR/IRI H&BA Category Performance Study)
September 8, 2003... ANALYSIS New launches from Unilever and Maybelline/Garnier prevented the hair care business from sliding further than it did, say market watchers. Category sales slipped 1.5%, but Unilever's Dove and Maybelline/Garnier's Garnier...

Oral care.(MMR/IRI H&BA Category Performance Study)
September 8, 2003... ANALYSIS Perhaps no other mass market category has been shaped by technology as has oral care. The proliferation of low-price power-assisted toothbrushes over the past few years has shaken up the toothbrush segment by offering...

Skin care.(MMR/IRI H&BA Category Performance Study)
September 8, 2003... ANALYSIS Innovative products are the lifeblood of any health and beauty aids category, and skin care is no exception. Some industry observers, with this in mind, are blaming the category's slow growth on a lack of major product launches....

Vitamins and supplements.(MMR/IRI H&BA Category Performance Study)
September 8, 2003... ANALYSIS The vitamin and nutritional supplement category, which experience a big boom followed by several years of annual sales declines, may be poised for a comeback. Sales of vitamins and minerals are up 4.1% for the 52-week period...