BATAVIA, Ill. — Aldi’s highly anticipated foray into Southern California has a launch date: Grand openings for its first eight stores in the region are set for March 24. By year’s end, Aldi expects to have 45 stores in the region. The expansion is an integral part of Aldi’s five-year plan to open 650 stores
ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Consumer satisfaction with the retail experience declined for the second consecutive year in 2015, according to American Customer Satisfaction Index LLC (ACSI). The management consulting company maintains a barometer called the American Customer Satisfaction Index, measuring customer satisfaction on a 100-point scale, with 100 as the highest possible score. Last year’s
HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill. — Kmart announced that the company’s Strategic Merchandising Group is actively sourcing extreme-value deals by purchasing the inventory of liquidated companies and other opportunistic situations. “The path to making Kmart great again starts with sourcing truly brag-worthy deals,” Alasdair James, the company’s president and chief member officer, said in a statement last
MINNEAPOLIS — Target Corp. said it held the first of the “demo days” it has planned for this year to help its innovation team find start-up businesses capable of developing new products for sale in Target stores and on its website. The team invited a dozen companies to the Target Technology Innovation Center in San
CINCINNATI — Kroger Co. announced last month that Jay Cummins, president of its Smith’s division, was retiring from the company after 44 years. No replacement was named. Cummins began his career with Kroger as a clerk in Huntington Beach, Calif., in 1972. He worked his way up the ladder at the company’s Food 4 Less
BOISE, Idaho — Albertsons Cos. has agreed to acquire and rebrand four Paul’s Market stores in Idaho. The stores, which will be converted to the Albertsons banner, are located in Homedale, Kuna, Boise and McCall, Idaho. Paul’s Market also said that it will close its three other stores, which are located in Caldwell, Mountain Home
MINNEAPOLIS — Target Corp. has promoted Stephanie Lundquist to executive vice president and chief human resources officer. In that position, Lundquist will be responsible for driving the human resources strategy for Target’s 347,000 team members globally, the company said. Lundquist will report to Target chairman and chief executive officer Brian Cornell. “Stephanie has played a
WASHINGTON — Steve Anderson, president and chief executive officer of the National Association of Chain Drug Stores, has been honored as the 2016 Trade Association CEO of the Year by an independent panel of association leadership experts. NACDS said that Anderson is just the third CEO to receive the award, which is presented by CEO
TOLLESON, Ariz. — Fry’s Food Stores on Friday announced plans to spend $260 million to add seven new stores in Arizona this year. The chain, a division of Kroger Co., currently operates 119 stores in Arizona. Six of the planned new stores will be Fry’s Marketplace outlets; the larger format (averaging 124,000 square feet) stores
ALEXANDRIA, Va. — The National Association of Chain Drugs is promoting its Product Showcase as a good way for suppliers to get their merchandise in front of retailers at this year’s Total Store Expo. The Product Showcase will be prominently located adjacent to the exhibit floor at the TSE 2016, which is set for August
ST. LOUIS – Following its launch last year of what were billed as the first AA batteries made with recycled battery material, Energizer Holdings Inc. is now introducing recycled batteries that can make the same claim. Energizer Recharge batteries, introduced on Tuesday, are billed as the first rechargeable AA and AAA batteries made with 4%
LONDON — Amazon.com Inc. has signed a deal with Morrisons, Britain’s No. 4 supermarket chain, to sell food to U.K. customers via the Amazon Prime Now and Amazon Pantry services. Amazon Pantry launched last year in the United Kingdom, but only with nonperishable food. The deal calls for Morrisons to supply fresh and frozen food,