Personnel Updates:

C&S Wholesale Grocers has hired Max Henderson as Senior VP, Customer Development.

Gilligan Oil named Neal McDermott Manager of Business Development. McDermott has been in the c-store industry for more than 30 years, working for BP and Lehigh companies.

Kenny Family ShopRites named Chris Kenny President and CEO.

Murphy Oil Corp.’s board of directors has appointed Steve Cossé to serve as the new company President and CEO, effective immediately. Cossé succeeds current President, CEO and board member David Wood, who will resign from his director position and retire following a 17-year career with Murphy. Wood will serve as a consultant to Murphy for one year.

Smith’s Food & Drug Centers selected Colleen Juergensen as VP of Operations and Zane Day as VP of Merchandising.

Topco Associates announced that Andrew Broccolo has joined the company as General Counsel.
Weis Markets promoted Kurt Schertle to Exec VP. He had been Weis’ Senior VP of Sales and Merchandising since 2009.

Wegmans announced that Don Reeve, Senior VP and CIO will retire on 8-3-2012 after 42 years with the grocer. Dave DeLaus will succeed Reeve as CIO.

Financial Focus:

 

Associated Grocers of New England said sales for the fiscal year totaled $458 million, up 20% over the preceding year.

Alimentation Couche-Tardreported total fiscal revenue of $22.997 billion for the year ending 04-29-2012.

Natural Grocers, parent of the 54-unit Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage retail chain, has filed for an initial public offering that it said could raise up to $115 million.


Mergers and Acquisitions:

Belle Foods LLC, a company formed by industry veteran Bill White, completed its acquisition of the Southern Family Markets chain.

LiptonMart Stores purchased three Shell-branded convenience stores and gas stations from Fleming Food Mart Convenience Stores, bringing its store count to 10 and expanding its reach into Vermont. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.


Open Pantry sold 19 convenience stores to 7-Eleven Inc. It will continue to operate eight core sites in southeastern Wisconsin and strategically reposition the Open Pantry brands for a 2013 rollout.

Metropolitan Markets, an independent chain with five upscale stores, said it will purchase the Magnolia Thriftway store.

Valero Retail Holdings announced it purchased 29 stores in the Little Rock and Hot Springs, Ark. areas from The Crackerbox Stores and will convert them to Valero Corner Stores in the coming months.  The purchase price was not disclosed. In addition to the store locations, Valero has purchased rights to the Crackerbox name and will maintain that while the stores are in the process of being converted to Valero Corner Stores.


Industry Insight:

Argo-Trade International announced the first of a planned chain of small discount food stores under the Okey-Dokey banner are set to open in Miami, FL on Sept. 1 2012, marking the U.S. debut of t
he Russian retailer behind Europe’s X-5 Retail Group.



Real Estate:

Kroger Co.‘s CFO spoke at the company’s investor conference and stated that the company might actually add to its net square footage with new stores this year after years of decreasing the company’s store size.


Green Initiatives:

Efficiency improvements at 621 7-Eleven stores in California, Oregon and Washington will cut energy costs by $1.2 million a year.

Brookshire Brothers is using General Electric products for a lighting efficiency upgrade in all 72 of its supermarkets.