Supermarket, Grocery, & C-Store
• Aldi Inc. announced that it would soon open at least four grocery stores in Arizona: Chandler, Gilbert, Goodyear, and Peoria.
• Amazon.com Inc. has begun hiring 1,500 full- and part-time positions for four new Amazon Fresh stores in Naperville, Bloomingdale, Oak Lawn and Schaumburg, IL.
• Hy-Vee Inc. announced Casey Decker has joined the company as CIO, taking over from Matt Ludwig.
• Loblaw Companies Limited is launching the PC Health app, which provides users with personalized tools and recommendations, giving free access to registered nurses and dieticians and the chance to earn loyalty rewards for reaching their health goals.
• McKesson Corp. announced Nimesh Jhaveri has been named President of Community Pharmacy as well as Senior VP. Additionally, Eyad Farah has been named President of Health Mart and Health Mart Atlas.
• Meijer Inc. recently opened its third Capital City Market in Lansing, MI. The smaller format stores feature an assortment of fresh and prepared foods.
• National Association of Convenience Stores named Kwik Chek CEO Kevin Smartt as Chairman.
• Sheetz Inc. announced it plans to hire more than 3,000 employees companywide.
• Southeastern Grocers has filed for an initial public offering.
• US Foods Inc. announced Bill Hankcock has joined the company as Exec VP and Chief Supply Chain Officer.
Retail
• ABC Supply Co. Inc. announced that it promoted Marc Karmer to the Director of Corporate Development.
• Amazon.com Inc. plans to open two new one million sq. ft. fulfillment centers in 2021, in Kansas City and Park City, Kansas.
• Bed Bath & Beyond Inc. has entered into an agreement to sell Christmas Tree Shops to Handil Holdings. The agreement includes all 80 Christmas Tree Shop locations and a distribution center. Handil Holdings expects to continue operating Christmas Tree Shops as a stand-alone retail brand.
• Do it Best Corp. announced Chris Beach will take on the role of Member Growth Manager.
• Godiva Chocolatier Inc. announced that Annie Young-Scrivner is stepping down as CEO at the end of November. Nurtac Afridi will serve as Interim CEO.
• JCPenney Company, Inc. announced it expects to exit Chapter 11 ahead of the holiday season.
• Levi Strauss & Co. is opening new stores, infusing AI and data analytics technology. Levi’s recently opened its first new NextGen store in Palo Alto, CA, offering customization techniques and enhanced digital features.
• Menard Inc. recently opened two new stores in Barboursville and Triadelphia, WV. They mark the retailer’s first locations in the state.
• Nordstrom Inc. is offering a curated selection of items from L.L. Bean Inc. for the holiday season in 20 Nordstrom stores nationwide and online.
• Russin Lumber Corp. announced it has hired Paul Councill as an outside Sales Representative.
• Smoker Friendly International LLC acquired MSMB Inc., a three-store chain in Hickory, NC.
• Target Corporation announced plans to open two new stores in Long Island, NY.
• ThredUp Inc. has submitted paperwork with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission for an initial public offering.
• Tractor Supply Co. reported that Exec VP, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary Ben Parrish is leaving the company. He has agreed to continue in his role until his successor is found.
• True Religion Apparel Inc. has emerged from Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection for the second time. The plan keeps more than 50 of the retailers stores open.
Restaurant
• Blaze Pizza has opened new locations in Camp Hill, PA and St. George, UT.
• Burger King will begin testing reusable containers for drinks and whopper sandwiches beginning in 2021. The containers are made by Loop and guests will be charged a deposit that will be refunded once the containers are returned.
• Crave Hot Dogs & Barbecue will open a new location in Colorado Springs, CO.
• Dairy Queen has opened a new location in Charlotte, NC.
• Farmer Boys Food Inc. is opening two new locations with one being in Gilbert, AZ and the other in Huntington Beach, CA.
• Fazoli’s has signed six new franchise agreements and they will open 12 locations across 5 states beginning in 2021.
• Marco’s Pizza has opened their 1,000th store in Kissimmee, FL.
• Mountain Mike’s Pizza has opened a new location in Aptos, CA.
• Simply Southern Restaurant Group LLC is opening a new Chicken Salad Chick restaurant in Conway, AR.
• Slim Chickens is opening a new location in Streetsboro, OH.
• The Wendy’s Company has hired Kevin Vasconi as Chief Information Officer.
