Personnel Updates

Associated Wholesale Grocers announced that David Smith, will succeed Jerry Garland as President and CEO, effective in January. 

BJ’s Wholesale Club announced that Christopher J. Baldwin has been named President and COO.

Kings Food Markets  announced that Arthur Goncalves has been promoted to VP, Produce and Floral; Scott Zoeller has been promoted to VP of Deli, Meat, and Seafood; and Rick Michener has been promoted to Director of Seafood Sales and Merchandising.

Kroger announced that Dana Zurcher has been promoted to President of the company’s new Dallas Division and Bill Breetz will serve as President of the new Houston Division, effective October 1. The company also announced that Jessica C Adelman will be the company’s Group VP of Corporate Affairs, effective November 1. Effective immediately, Mike Donnelly has been named EVP of merchandising, Chris Hjelm has been named EVP and CIO; Fred Morganthall has been named EVP of retail operations; and Mike Schlotman has been named EVP and CFO. Each leader has been assigned additional responsibilities to streamline decision making under this new organizational structure. Also, Kroger announced the retirement of senior vice president of retail divisions Geoff Covert, and the promotion of Sukanya Madlinger as his successor. Mrs. Madlinger currently serves as the president of Kroger’s Cincinnati/Dayton division. She will be succeeded by Tim Brown, who currently serves as president of Kroger’s Delta division, based in Memphis. Mr. Brown’s successor will be named at a later date.

Mariano’s Fresh Market announced that it has named Ryan LaRoche as Exec Chef and VP of Culinary.

The Fresh Market announced Richard Anicetti has been named CEO and President, effective immediately.

Industry Insight

Hy-Vee announced that it will be opening retail clinics inside two new Twin Cities-area stores opening in September. 

Kings Food Markets launched a line of private label products, totaling 350 items

Kroger Co.  announced that it has created two new supermarket divisions to replace its Southwest Division. There will now be a Dallas and Houston division. The Dallas division will include 105 stores in the Dallas/Fort Worth area, and the Houston division will include 109 stores in the greater Houston area.

The Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Co. (A&P) has filed layoff notices for more than 9,000 of its employees in New Jersey; the end date for most employees will be November 26, Thanksgiving Day.  It has also been rumored that the company could possibly see its pharmacy assets to Rite Aid for $8.1 million.

Mergers and Acquisitions

Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc. will convert the Kangaroo Express stores it acquired from The Pantry Inc. to its Circle K brand beginning in January.

ALON acquired all 14 Roberts Oil and Pump-N Save locations from Roberts Oil Co. All stores will be rebranded to ALON/7-Eleven.

Brookshire Brothers sold 26 of its Polk Pick-It-Up convenience stores to Partners Investors C-stores Ltd. The Lufkin, Texas-based grocer will keep its Polk Pick-It-Up locations in Hudson, Central Heights, Central and Wells, Texas.

7-Eleven Inc. completed its acquisition of approximately 180 Tedeschi Food Shops.

TravelCenters of America LLC announced that it has completed the acquisition of 21 convenience stores in Kentucky from an unnamed seller.

Pico Petroleum and its parent company Westex Capital LTD have sold its 26 convenience stores, as well as its bulk fuel plants and propane storage yards to multiple buyers.

Real Estate

Ahold’s new bfresh concept is expected to open this month in Boston, MA

Aldi Inc. opened a store at 2373 Bypass 35 S, Houston, TX, and will open a store in Woodbury, NJ, and Dubuque, IA.

Bashas’ opened its newly-remodeled grocery store in Chandler, AZ.

Costco will open a store in Richland County, SC.

Fresh Thyme Farmers Market will open in Bloomington, MN.

Giant Food will open a store in Alexandria, VA.

Green Zebra Grocery announced that it plans to open a second 8,000 sq.-ft. store in Portland, OR, in early 2016.

Hy-Vee will open a convenience store in Applewood, NE.

Key Food Marketplace opened a store in New Brunswick, NJ.

Lidl purchased 90 acreas of Land in Alamance County, NC, at 3815 Melville Commerce Parkway, where it plans to build a distribution center.

Lucky’s Market opened it’s a 26,000 sq.-ft. store in MO.

Market Basket opened five new stores and plans to open three more.

Natural Grocers announced that it will open its first store in Minnesota on September 15^th and it will open a location in San Antonio, TX.

Piggly Wiggly opened a location in Spanish Fort, AL.

Publix will open a $34 million distribution center in McCalla, AL. The company will also open a 45,000 sq.-ft. store in Statesville, NC, and a store in Lakewood Ranch, FL.

Raley’s will close its supermarket in Winnemucca, NV.

Raley’s Family of Fine Stores will open a 36,000 sq.-ft. smaller-format concept in Sacramento, CA. It is scheduled for the second quarter of 2017.

Shoprite will open a location in Newark, NJ

SpartanNash will remodel its D&W Fresh Market in Grand Haven, MI.

Sprouts Farmers Market will open a store in Queen Creek, AZ.

Sobeys Inc. announced the grand opening of its new Chalo! FreshCo concept in Brampton, Ontario. This is the Company’s first South Asian focused discount grocery store.

Trader Joe’s will open a location in Fort Lauderdale, FL.

United Supermarkets plans to open a 56,000 sq.-ft. store in Lubbock, TX, at the corner of FM 1585 and Indiana in 2016.

Wawa Inc. opened a location in Bradenton, FL.

WinCo opened a store in New Garland, TX.

Whole Foods will open a location in Mobile, AL.

Wuest’s Inc. will rebrand four of its Pic-n-Pac convenience stores as VP Racing Fuels.