Personnel Updates:
Coborn’s Inc. said that Bob Thueringer, COO, will retire next year after 47 years at the company.
The Cumberland Gulf Group said Joe Petrowski, CEO of is stepping down from his position and moving to a new role as strategic adviser to management and the board of directors. Chairman of the Board Lily Bentas will serve as interim CEO. In her capacity as interim CEO, Bentas will work closely with Ari Haseotes, COO of The Cumberland Gulf Group and President of Cumberland Farms, and Ron Sabia, VP of The Cumberland Gulf Group and President of Gulf Oil LP.
Kroger has announced that Steve McKinney has been promoted to be the President of its Fry’s Food Stores division, succeeding Jon Flora, who recently passed away unexpectedly. McKinney has been VP of Operations at the company’s Ralphs division since 2007, and has been with Kroger for 31 years.
Schnuck Markets announced yesterday that it has hired Anthony T. Hucker, former President of Ahold-owned Giant of Landover, to be Exec VP/Chief Strategy Officer, a new position.
Loblaw Cos. said it has named Grant Froese and Mark Butler to the newly created roles of Chief Administrative Officer and Exec VP, Integration, respectively.
Weis Markets announced that CEO David Hepfinger has left the company. Jonathan Weis will serve as Interim CEO.
Financial Focus:
The parent company of Bi-Lo and Winn-Dixie has filed for an initial public offering of stock under the name Southeastern Grocers LLC. Offices have been moved to relocate in Jacksonville, FL.
Industry Insight:
Lucky’s Market said it would open its first store outside of its home state of Colorado later this month when a new outlet in Columbus, Ohio, opens. The Ohio store, set for an Oct. 23 opening, will be the third for Lucky’s, a concept founded by chefs Bo and Trish Sharon in Boulder in 2003 and led by Pat Gilliland, a veteran of the Wild Oats and Sunflower banners.
Safeway said it plans to dispose of its 72 Dominick’s stores in Chicago and exit the market early in 2014.
Mergers and Acquisitions:
Belle Foods is selling 11 locations to HAC, parent company of Homeland Stores, in Georgia and Alabama and six former Belle Foods stores to Rouses Markets.
Piggly Wiggly Carolina is selling 28 stores to Bi-Lo and Harris Teeter to position itself to be in a better financial position for the future. Following the divestitures, employee-owned Piggly Wiggly Carolina will continue to operate 32 corporately owned stores — primarily in rural markets — and to supply 28 franchise customers.
Walmart is planning on opening several Neighborhood Market stores in the next twelve months, including locations in Rocklin and Clovis, CA and St. Petersburg, FL.
Real Estate:
Bi-Lo and Winn-Dixie parent Bi-Lo Holdings plans to retire the Sweetbay and Reid’s banners. The company will begin converting all Sweetbay stores to the Winn-Dixie name and Reid’s stores to Bi-Lo in 2014, and confirmed the Harveys banner would remain intact.
MOM’s Organic Market is set to open a 15,000-square-foot store in a Baltimore shopping mall, replacing a Giant of Maryland location that closed last year. MOM’s beat out Graul’s Market and The Fresh Market for the space. The mall is expected to be completed in 2015.
Roche Bros. plans to open the first large gourmet grocery in an area of Boston that includes City Hall, the financial district, luxury flats and college dorms, the company said at a ceremony for neighboring Millennium Tower. The 30,000-square-foot store is expected to open in mid-2015.
Technology News:
Sprouts Farmers Market selected Mercatus Technologies, Toronto, to assist in its digital communications, which will help Sprouts relaunch iOS and Android mobile apps and a website that adapts to any web-ready device.
