DATATRAC
Personnel Updates
• Albertsons promoted Christine Wilcox, current VP of Corporate Communications, to the role of VP, Communications & Public Affairs succeeding Brian Dowling, who retired earlier this year.
• Associated Wholesale Grocers announced effective January 1, 2017, David Gates, VP of Sales and Merchandising for the Southaven Division in Memphis, Tennessee, will become Senior VP and Division Manager of the Kansas City division succeeding the retiring Bob Pickerill.
• United Natural Foods, Inc. announced that current President and Chief Executive Officer Steven L. Spinner, was appointed Chairman of UNFI’s Board of Directors, effective following the Company’s Annual Meeting of Stockholders in December 2016. Mr. Spinner will succeed Michael S. Funk, the co-founder, former Chief Executive Officer and current Chairman of UNFI, who will remain a director.
• Whole Foods announced that co-CEO Walter Robb will leave the company at the end of the year. Founder John Mackey will transition from co-CEO to CEO.
Industry Insight
• America’s Food Basket has entered into a long term wholesaler agreement with grocery supplier SUPERVALU.
Real Estate
• Weis Markets recently reopened five of the former Food Lion stores in Delaware and Maryland it acquired under its own banner. All of the 38 acquired stores will be converted by November 2016; a notable store format change under the Weis banner is wider selections of fresh produce offerings.
• The Fresh Market unveiled a refreshed company image with a new logo, 1,300 new products and hundreds of price cuts at three stores in North Carolina’s Charlotte and Raleigh/Durham. The new format is planned to be expanded into 13 more stores in November with an entire chain transformation by 2018.
• Winn-Dixie renovated a store Tampa, FL that features one of the five new formats the company is using to cater to different demographic groups in the markets it serves; the overhauled Tampa store stresses organic and local foods to help compete with the growing number of fresh retailers in the market.
• Wegmans’ first North Carolina store will open in Raleigh in 2018 as the anchor of a new shopping center. Plans call for two other stores in the Research Triangle area (Cary and Chapel Hill) expected late 2018 or 2019.
Mergers & Acquisitions
• SUPERVALU entered into an agreement to sell Save-A-Lot to private equity firm Onex for $1.365 billion.
• Nouria Energy Corp. completed its acquisition of 26 convenience stores in Massachusetts and Connecticut from F.L. Roberts.
• Safeway acquired G&G Supermarkets; the two G&G stores in Santa Rosa and Petaluma, CA will be rebranded as Safeway locations.
• Safeway has also agreed to acquire Andronico’s Community Markets. The chain’s five stores will close briefly in December 2016 and reopen as Safeway Community Markets, according to the company.
