Supermarket, Grocery, & C-Store
• Coborn’s Inc. has signed an agreement to acquire Sullivan’s Foods in northern and central Illinois.
• Couche-Tard Inc. finalized the acquisition of Summerwood Partners LLC in Bryant, AR. The retailer has begun rebranding the stores to Circle K at 44 locations across Arkansas.
• H-E-B opened its first H-E-B Fresh Bites convenience store adjacent to an H-E-B grocery store in Leander, TX.
• Imperial Trading reported it has acquired City Wholesale Grocery Co. in Birmingham, AL.
• Loblaw Companies Limited announced Galen Weston will step down as President and CEO and will be replaced with Per Bank.
• Loblaw Companies Limited plans to open 38 new or relocated stores and remodel nearly 600 locations in 2023.
• Pilot Flying J announced it has appointed Adam Wright as its new CEO effective May 30. The company also said Joe Lillo will become the new CFO. They will replace Shameek Konar and Kevin Wills, who will be leaving the retailer after the transition.
• SpartanNash Company announced the promotion of David Sisk to Exec VP, Chief Customer Officer.
• Tri Star Energy LLC has acquired Cox Oil Inc., which operates 54 convenience stores under the Little General Convenience Stores and Maverick Quick Shop brands in Tennessee and Kentucky.
Retail
• Apple Inc. has opened its first store in India, in Mumbai. A second location, called Apple Saket, will open this week in New Delhi.
• The Body Shop Inc. announced that David Boynton is stepping down as CEO. Ian Bickley has been named Interim CEO.
• David’s Bridal has filed for bankruptcy protection.
• Dick’s Sporting Goods Inc. will open a 100,000 sq. ft. Dick’s House of Sport at the Prudential Center in Boston, MA, in spring 2024.
• Sportsman’s Warehouse Holdings Inc. announced that Jon Barker, its CEO, has decided to retire.
• Sportsman’s Warehouse Holdings Inc. reported it plans to open 15 new locations in 2023.
• Tilly’s Co. has appointed Laura Janney as Exec VP, Chief Merchandising Officer.
• Walmart Stores Inc. announced Charles Redfield, its Chief Merchandising Officer, is leaving the company.
Restaurant
• A federal court has overturned the ban on the installation of gas-fueled kitchen equipment in Berkeley, CA. The ordnance went into effect on Jan. 1st, 2020 and it would have prevented new restaurants from installing any equipment that uses gas.
• Checkers plans to launch 40 to 50 new locations in the next year that feature their new, modernized look that debuted at the end of last year.
• Dickey’s Barbecue Pit has become an official partner of the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys.
• Portillo’s has asked the National Labor Relations board to set aside a union election at one of their production facilities in Illinois. The facility voted in favor on unionization last week, but Portillo’s claims it has uncovered illegal conduct by the International Association of Bridge, Structural, Ornamental, and Reinforcing Iron Workers Union with regards to the election.
• KFC has hired Jonathan Ojany as CFO of their U.S. operations.
• YUM! Brands Inc. has completed their exit from Russia with the sale of their KFC business to Smart Service Ltd. Those KFC locations will be rebranded to Rostik’s.
