{"id":4496,"date":"2014-11-17T14:26:40","date_gmt":"2014-11-17T14:26:40","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/newsroom.chainstoreguide.com\/?p=4496"},"modified":"2014-11-17T14:26:40","modified_gmt":"2014-11-17T14:26:40","slug":"industry-update-grocery-supermarket-convenience-stores-november-2014","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.chainstoreguide.com\/offthechain\/2014\/11\/industry-update-grocery-supermarket-convenience-stores-november-2014\/","title":{"rendered":"Industry Update: Grocery, Supermarket & Convenience Stores \u2013 November 2014"},"content":{"rendered":"

Personnel Updates:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Associated Wholesale Grocers<\/strong> announced that effective 10\/5\/2014: Steve Arnold will be promoted to Exec VP Marketing, Dan Funk will be promoted to the position of Senior VP Grocery Products, and Dave Sutton will be promoted to President of Valu Merchandisers Co.<\/p>\n

BJ\u2019s Wholesale Club<\/strong>\u00a0named David Atkins to position of VP Own Brands.<\/p>\n

Food City<\/strong> named John Jones as the company\u2019s new Exec VP Director of Store Operations.<\/p>\n

Meg Ham has been named President of Food Lion<\/strong> effective 11\/01\/2014.<\/p>\n

Smart & Final <\/strong>has hired Joe Van Dette as VP Digital Marketing.<\/p>\n

Financial Focus:
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Dahl’s Foods<\/strong> announced that the company has filed a Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Associated Wholesale Grocers, Inc<\/strong>. has entered into an agreement with Dahl’s to buy the company\u2019s operating assets.
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n

Industry Insight:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Amazon<\/strong> will begin operating its Amazon Fresh service in Brooklyn, NY. Bozzuto’s<\/strong> will be the supplier.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Chevron<\/strong> will make Apple Pay available at more than 3,000 Chevron and Texaco ExtraMile locations.<\/p>\n

Dash’s Market<\/strong> plans to offer a click-and-collect service.<\/p>\n

Instacart<\/strong> added five Sunset Foods<\/strong> to its offering in Chicago.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Kroger<\/strong> is testing out new digital shelf displays at its Cold Spring, KY store. \u00a0The company is looking to hire 500 new part-time employees in the Louisville, KY, due to its expanding stores in the area.<\/p>\n

Loblaws<\/strong> is making 20,000 SKUs available online, and is charging between three and five dollars to use the service.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Price Chopper<\/strong> is changing its name to Market 32 by Price Chopper, will invest more than $300 million over the next five years in a major renovation and re-branding campaign, and has announced 32 projected remodeling\u2019s.<\/p>\n

Crumbs Bake Shop<\/strong> has reached an agreement with Roundy\u2019s Supermarkets Inc<\/strong>. to launch a test pilot in the Mariano\u2019s grocery store in Westchester, IL.<\/p>\n

Whole Foods Market<\/strong> launched its first national advertising campaign, called “Values Matter.” It is also testing interactive installations\u00a0 that will create a more \u201cinformative, entertaining and immersive shopping experience\u2014including connecting shoppers more closely to the farmers who provide the food they eat, and educating them on the sustainable growing practices that Whole Foods Market uses to rate farms in its new produce ratings program.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n

Mergers and Acquisitions:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Apollo Capital Management<\/strong>, the private equity firm that\u2019s the largest investor in Sprouts Farmers Market<\/strong>, is selling portion of its stock. <\/strong><\/p>\n

C&S Wholesale Grocers<\/strong>\u00a0will buy the warehouse and distribution operations of food distributor\u00a0Grocers Supply Co<\/strong>.\u00a0(This purchase will not include any of Grocers Supply\u2019s retail operations. )<\/strong><\/p>\n

Delhaize Group<\/strong> has signed an agreement to sell Bottom Dollar Food’s<\/strong> 66 store\u2019s to Aldi<\/strong> for approximately $15 million.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Empire Petroleum <\/strong>closed on the acquisition of 11 former Corner Store<\/strong> locations in Lubbock, TX.<\/p>\n

Holtzman Oil Corp.<\/strong> will acquire Cline Energy, operator of Valley’s convenience stores, in early 2015.<\/p>\n

Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage<\/strong>\u00a0will acquire Nature\u2019s Pantry<\/strong> on 12\/07\/2014.<\/p>\n

Star Holding LLC<\/strong>, has purchased 13 convenience stores and three quick-service restaurants in Florida from TimeSaver Food Stores Co.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Real Estate:<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n

Aldi<\/strong> will open five locations in Michigan beginning 11\/13\/2014.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Dillon Stores<\/strong> will sell its four stores in the Springfield, MO, market to Price Cutter<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Food Lion<\/strong> has announced the remodel of 45 stores in the greater Greenville, New Bern and Jacksonville, NC, market.<\/p>\n

The Fresh Market<\/strong> opened a 25,000 sq.-ft. store at 3024 Prosperity Church Road in Mallard Creek, NC, on 11\/12\/2014.<\/p>\n

Fresh Thyme Farmers Market<\/strong> will open a location in Fort Wayne, ID, and Milwaukee, WI, by late 2015.<\/p>\n

Gordon Food Service<\/strong> has announced plans to build a $58 million, 300,000-square-foot distribution center in Kannapolis, NC, that will lead to 275 jobs.<\/strong><\/p>\n

GPM Investments LLC<\/strong> is selling 12 convenience stores. This includes eight locations in Virginia, three in Delaware, two in Connecticut and Maryland, and one in New Jersey.<\/p>\n

Harris Teeter<\/strong> opened a location in Maryland and Charlotte, NC.<\/p>\n

Hy-Vee <\/strong>will open a location in Oakdale, MN.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Key Food\u2019s Urban Market<\/strong> concept is set to open its second NYC location in Queens, NY. The store will be 8,000 sq.-ft.<\/p>\n

The\u00a0Kroger Co.<\/strong><\/p>\n