“Kroger names next president and COO” by Alexander Coolidge at Cincinnati Enquirer.  ” Michael L. Ellis will become president and chief operating officer, effective Jan. 1 – replacing Rodney McMullen who is set to become chief executive on the same day…Ellis, 55, has been senior vice president of retail divisions since 2012, where he leads five retail supermarket divisions, plus Kroger’s jewelry and convenience store businesses. He previously served as president of Portland-based Fred Meyer.”  Read more

 

“Walmart to Close 25 Stores in China” by Laurie Burkitt & Shelly Banjo at WSJ.  “Based on its current expansion plans, China would still add more stores than it subtracts. Wal-Mart is set to open about 30 stores this year as part of a three-year, 100-outlet expansion effort, which will continue to 2015. Currently, Wal-Mart has 398 China-based stores.”  Read more

 

“Wisconsin 14th state to add sales tax to Amazon.com shopping cart” at Reuters.  “The new 5-percent “Amazon tax” will add about $30 million a year to state revenue…The 13 states in which Amazon is now collecting sales tax include Arizona, California, Georgia, Kansas, Kentucky, New Jersey, New York, North Dakota, Pennsylvania, Texas, Virginia, Washington and West Virginia.”  Read more

 

“Groceries Become a Guy Thing” by Ann Marie Chaker at WSJ.  “In a survey of 900 meat-eating men ages 18 to 64, 47% were deemed “manfluencers” by Midan Marketing LLC, a Chicago market research group.  Manfluencers are responsible for at least half of the grocery shopping and meal preparation for their households.  Food company executives hope more men shopping means new opportunities for foods some men have traditionally shied away from in this country, including yogurt and hard cider.”  Read more

 

“Supervalu’s Quarterly Profit Beats Wall Street Estimates” at Reuters.  “The company reported net income of $40 million, or 15 cents per share, in the quarter ended September 7. It lost $111 million, or 52 cents per share, in the same quarter last year.”  Read more

 

“Dick’s Sporting Goods to Open third Field & Stream Store” by G. Jeffrey Aaron at Star Gazette.  “The three stores are part of a $1.8 billion, five-year expansion program by Dick’s that calls for building 55 Field & Stream stores across the country. Five stores are on the company’s drawing board as the first phase of the program, said Chemung County Executive Tom Santulli.  “Field & Stream is Dick’s exclusive hunting, fishing, archery and camping supply store,” he said. “The stores are made to compete with Cabela’s, Gander Mountain and Bass Pro Shops.”  Read more

 

“Wal-Mart Is Cleared by India in Probe of 2010 Purchase” by Rajesh Roy at WSJ.  “Wal-Mart Stores Inc. was cleared of allegations that it violated a prohibition on foreign investment in supermarkets, two senior officials familiar with the probe said.”  Read more

 

“Why China is still a foreign territory to Canadian retailers” by Hollie Shaw at Financial Post.  “A key barrier to entry is short retail leasing terms of one to three years on store spaces, he said, compared with much longer leasing periods available in North America.  “You barely have enough time to establish your store. The developer might swap you out for a watch business versus a doughnut shop.” Read more

 

“As U.S. demographics change, so does the menu” by J.M. Hirschsuzette Laboy at AP via Seattle Times.  “Salsa overtaking ketchup as America’s No. 1 condiment in the early ’90s was just the start.  These days, tortillas outsell burger and hot-dog buns; sales of tortilla chips trump potato chips; and tacos and burritos have become so ubiquitously “American” that most people don’t even consider them ethnic.  Welcome to the taste of American food in 2013.”  Read more

 

“Lowe’s Launches Natural Gas-Powered Truck Fleet”  “Lowe’s today announced it has launched a dedicated fleet of natural gas-powered trucks at its regional distribution center in Mount Vernon, Texas. Lowe’s dedicated fleet at Mount Vernon is among the first serving a major retail distribution center in North America to run solely on natural gas.”  Read more

 

Have a great weekend!

 

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