EQUITY RETAIL BLOG

Primark's First U.S. Stores

Five of the first seven stores are revealed in this article.  CoStar Article Primark: The retail sensation that’s cheaper than H&M “We want to be known first and foremost for amazing prices,” says John Bason, finance director of Primark’s parent company Associated British Foods (ASBFY). Prices in Primark stores may be similar to what you find in Walmart (WMT). […]

FTC approves Safeway - Albertsons merger

On Tuesday the Federal Trade Commission approved the Safeway – Albertsons merger, setting the stage for the deal to close in a matter of days. In order to gain approval, both parties agreed to divest 168 stores in eight states. None of the stores slated for closure are in Pennsylvania or New Jersey. The combined […]

Walmart leads list of top 75 food retailers

The Supermarket News released its annual list of the top 75 food retailers in the United States and Canada. Here’s a summary: The top 10: 1.  Walmart *2.  Kroger3.  Costco *4.  Loblaw (Canadian grocer)5.  Safeway6.  Publix7.  Ahold (Giant et al)8.  C&S Wholesale Grocers9.  Albertsons (Acme et al)10. H-E-B * includes sales of consumable items only […]

Whole Foods celebrates five years at Plymouth Meeting Mall

It’s been five years since Whole Foods Market opened its 65,000 square foot store at the Plymouth Meeting Mall. Although Mall stalwarts Macy’s and Boscov’s are three times the size of the supermarket, the store’s popularity make it a safe bet to refer to the mall as “Whole Foods – anchored.” Although I don’t have […]

Family Dollar approves deal with Dollar Tree

It was announced this morning that Family Dollar shareholders approved the proposed $8.5 billion merger with Dollar Tree, ending months of speculation over whether Dollar Tree or Dollar General would merge with Family Dollar. According to reports, the combined companies will operate more than 13,000 stores in 48 states and Canada, with sales of more […]

Dollar General may be out of the bidding for Family Dollar

It was reported earlier this week that analysts believe Dollar General may be dropping its bid for Family Dollar. The reason cited is the Federal Trade Commission’s requirement for up to 4,000 store divestitures as a result of a deal between the two companies. A deal between Family Dollar and Dollar Tree would require only […]

Target Done in Canada

Good article on Target’s experience in Canada. NY Times Article From stores to mannequins: Target’s post-Canada wish list It’s going to cost a big chunk of change, but less than two years after opening its first store in Canada, Target has decided to close the profit-sucking operation there. While the news will initially be a blow to the big-box […]

Supervalu experiencing growth, ready to take on Aldi

Last week Supervalu announced that all three business segments – wholesale, Save-A-Lot and traditional food retail – grew in the company’s fiscal third quarter. Overall, the company had $4.2 billion in sales, a 4.8% increase over the same quarter last year. Net earnings were $79 million. Supervalu’s wholesale business plans for growth in the near […]

Analyst predicts Whole Foods to go on buying spree

Stock analyst Charles Grom of Sterne Agee said last month that he thinks “conditions are ideal for Whole Foods to go on an acquisition spree in 2015.” According to Supermarket News, he cited the growing number of competitors, the falling valuation of Whole Foods stock in recent years, and the company’s strong balance sheet. Grom […]

Aldi testing credit cards in select markets

Aldi announced last month that it is testing credit cards in several U.S. markets, including Minnesota and Syracuse, NY. The test includes the acceptance of Visa, MasterCard, Discover and American Express. Aldi’s parent company is already accepting credit cards in England, Scotland and Wales. Analysts believe the change is an attempt by Aldi to increase […]