Personnel Updates
• Ahold Delhaize operating division Stop & Shop named Dean Wilkinson Senior VP Fresh Formats succeeding Scott Miller, interim Senior VP of Operations at Fresh Formats, who is leaving the company.
• Raley’s added the title of President to COO Keith Knopf.
• Supervalu’s Cub Foods division President Eric Hymas is leaving the company succeeded on an interim basis by Chad Ferguson, Supervalu VP of Marketing and Consumer Insights.
• SpartanNash announced that current President and COO David Staples will succeed CEO Dennis Eidson when he retires in late May while Pat Weslow, VP National Accounts, has been promoted to the role of Senior VP Distribution Sales.
Financial
• Loblaw announced fiscal 2016 sales of $46.3 billion.
• Sprouts announced fiscal 2016 sales of $4.05 billion.
• Kroger announced fiscal 2016 sales of $115.3 billion.
• Publixannounced fiscal 2016 sales of $33.9 billion.
• Ahold Delhaize announced fiscal 2016 sales of $42.9 billion.
• Smart & Final announced fiscal 2016 sales of $4.34 billion.
• Sunoco LP announced fiscal 2016 sales of $7.7 billion.
Industry Insight
• Albertsons LLC will combine two of its three divisions in Texas in an effort to strengthen its buying power and increase focus on stores in Houston and Louisiana.
• Meijer and Shipt will combine for home delivery service to markets in Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky and Wisconsin.
• Weis Markets is testing a new store design named Community Market in Enola, PA that features an in-store organic and gluten-free shop, a pub, ice cream shop, juice bar and a large food court with hand-rolled sushi, an Asian food wok station and a Chobani-branded yogurt bar.
• Whole Foods Market is testing self-serve Juicero cold-pressed juice bars at 11 Southern California locations.
Mergers & Acquisitions
• Stinker Stores Inc. acquired Bradley Petroleum Inc. and Sav-O-Mat Inc. in a transaction that includes 40 convenience stores throughout Colorado and Wyoming.
• Generative Growth LLC, owner of Fresh Encounter, acquired Remke Markets. The 10 Remke’s locations in Ohio and Kentucky will continue operating under their existing brands, while CEO Bill Remke will retire.
Real Estate
• Lucky’s Market is increasing its presence in Florida with six new store openings in Sarasota, Fort Lauderdale and St. Petersburg over the next 18 months. Lucky’s currently operates eight stores opened in the state last year.
• Food Lion announced a $178 million investment to remodel 93 stores in the North Carolina market; remodeled stores will include a design focus on easier navigation, expanded product variety and healthier snack options.
• Publix plans to spend $1.9 billion in 2017 to open new stores, remodel existing stores, acquire shopping centers where Publix is the anchor tenant and introduce or enhance information technology hardware and applications, the company announced following its year-end sales results.
