Fry's Food to open six large-scale Marketplace stores in 2016

Fry's Food is a division of Kroger, the largest grocery retailer in the US, and one of the largest in the world.
The grocery chain plans to expand its presence in Arizona with six new large-scale Marketplace stores in 2016.

The expansion will create more than 2,000 jobs, and will require an investment of $260 million

"Fry's is a company that is focused on smart, strategic growth and providing a highly-satisfied customer shopping experience," Steve McKinney, president of Fry's. "We've operated here since 1960. In that period, we've grown our footprint to 119 stores and 82 fuel centers. Fry's successfully reached this point by closely monitoring the unique needs of this market and evolving to meet the requests of our customers.

The new Fry's Food locations will open in: Mesa, Phoenix, Litchfield Park, Chandler, and Peoria.

The Marketplace stores at Peoria and North Valley Parkway will feature Power Parasol parking areas shaded by solar energy collectors.

McDonald’s to add 1,000 restaurants in China

McDonald’s aims to have 3,500 restaurants by 2020 in China, up from 2,200 now, Chief Executive Steve Easterbrook said in an interview with The Wall Street Journal.

The expansion plans came after McDonald’s announcement last year that it was closing 350 restaurants in China, Japan and the US.

The fast food restaurant chain wants to add more than 1,500 restaurants in China, Hong Kong and South Korea.

McDonald’s is the largest fast food chain in the world, with locations in about 120 countries. McDonald’s menu prices are very competitive, starting from $1 a piece for its value menu.

Target plans to sell more food in its stores

Target CEO Brian Cornell said that the retailer was "doubling down" on efforts to transform its food business, but cautioned it would be a long ride.

Food is a $18.5 billion business for Target, which has more than 1,800 stores, and has a huge potential for growth.

The retailer will focus first on expanded assortments of natural, organic and fresh foods, and also improving the supply chain to ensure fresher items at stores. More food offers will be showed in Target Weekly Circular, where Target features its best deals for the week.

Comparable store sales in grocery had outpaced the total store growth in Target's two most recent quarters.

Meijer plans to invest $400 million

Meijer plans to spend $400 million in 2016 to grow the Midwest retailer's presence. The investment includes the construction of nine new Meijer supercenters and 32 store remodel projects. The new stores will go up in Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky and Wisconsin.

"We are pleased to continue to grow and invest in the Midwest communities that have supported us for so long," co-Chairman Hank Meijer said. "By keeping prices low and ensuring a great shopping environment, we are keeping our promise to our customers that we will provide the best one-stop shopping solution."

The company plans to hire 3,000 new employees to staff the nine new stores.

Meijer new supercenter locations: Owensboro, KY; Evansville, IN; Indianapolis, IN; Round Lake Beach, IL; Flossmoor, IL; Sturgis, MI; Flat Rock, MI; Sussex, WI; Waukesha, WI.

Meijer currently operates over 220 locations across Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky and Wisconsin.

Food Lion and Hannaford to sell 100% cage-free eggs by 2025

Food Lion and Hannaford stores will sell 100% cage-free eggs by 2025. The first step will be to transition private label shell eggs, which account for the majority of category sales.

“Delhaize America supports continuous improvement in animal welfare practices through its comprehensive approach to sustainability,” J.J. Fleeman, chief strategy and development officer at Delhaize America, said. “Today's cage-free egg announcement is another step we are taking to ensure the humane treatment of animals while also reinforcing a number of strong sustainability practices we have implemented across our organization.”

Other grocery retailers that made similar commitments are: Albertsons, Trader Joe’s, Target, ALDI, Bashas'.

ALDI opens its first grocery stores in Southern California

Aldi opened its first stores in California on March 24, 2016, with 17 more stores to be opened by mid-year.
By the end of the year the company announced that a total of 45 ALDI stores will be opened in California.
ALDI has a strategic plan to open 650 new stores in the US over the next five years.

By the end of 2018 Aldi expects to operate nearly 2,000 stores nationwide, from 1,500 at the end of 2015. At the end of 2015 the retailer sales reached $11 billion.

The first ALDI stores in California are located in: Beaumont, Fontana, Lake Elsinore, La Quinta, Moreno Valley, Palm Springs, San Bernardino and Yucaipa.

Aldi will host three days of grand-opening events, with the first 100 shoppers at each store receiving a golden ticket redeemable for gift certificates in varying amounts. In addition, all shoppers will be eligible to enter an on-site sweepstakes for a chance to win produce for a year.

ALDI, Bashas', Fresh Market stores to offer only cage-free eggs

Aldi will work with its suppliers that by 2025 all eggs sold in-stores will be cage-free. As a first step toward its goal, all ALDI stores will carry a cage-free shell option by the end of the year.

Also, Bashas' says that all of its private label eggs would be cage-free by 2017. The Chandler, Ariz.-based retailer said it is working with supplier Hickman’s Family Farms to begin transitioning its eggs starting in November

The Fresh Market, which already offers only cage-free eggs for its private brand, said all eggs in its stores would be cage-free by 2020.

ALDI is a leader in the grocery retailing industry, ALDI operates nearly 1,500 US stores in 32 states. More than 30 million customers each month save up to 50 percent on their grocery bills, benefiting from the ALDI simple and streamlined approach to retailing.

ALDI Weekly Ads advertise offers for the most frequently purchased grocery and household items, primarily under its exclusive brands, which must meet or exceed the national name brands on taste and quality.

Stater Bros. to open a new store in Rancho Cucamonga

Stater Bros. plans to build a new Blue Ribbon supermarket at the northwest corner of Baseline Road and Day Creek Road in the city of Rancho Cucamonga, California.

This new 44,000 sq. ft. full service supermarket is being developed by Lewis Retail Centers in the Day Creek Marketplace, which will also include a full service drug store as co-anchor.

With wider, customer-friendly aisles, in-door dining, and a new décor scheme, this new Stater Bros. supermarket will offer an extensive assortment of fresh and healthy products advertised in Stater Bros. Weekly Ad Specials.  It will also include all the full service departments found in its newer supermarkets and incorporate many energy saving and environmentally friendly practices.

This will be the third Stater Bros. supermarket in the City of Rancho Cucamonga. This new supermarket is scheduled to open later this fall and will be almost double the size of the company’s two existing Stater Bros. Rancho Cucamonga supermarkets which are located at 8770 Baseline Road and at 9750 Nineteenth Street.

Stater Bros. Markets was founded in 1936 in Yucaipa, California, and has grown steadily through the years to become the largest privately owned Supermarket Chain in Southern California and the largest private employer in both San Bernardino County and Riverside County.  The Company currently operates 168 supermarkets, and there are approximately 18,000 members of the Stater Bros. supermarket family.

Whole Foods to sell slow-growing chickens

Whole Foods Market announced it plans to change its sourcing for chickens. The retailer plans come after Global Animal Partnership’s standards, a non-profit animal welfare organization said it will require only slower-growing chicken breeds by 2024 for certification in its 5-Step Rating Program, which Whole Foods uses in its stores to rate meat and poultry.

“Since 2011, Whole Foods Market has used Global Animal Partnership’s 5-Step Rating system to provide our customers with standards and information around how the animal was raised for the meat they buy,” said Theo Weening, global meat buyer for Whole Foods Market. “Supporting this additional commitment to improve chicken welfare is a step forward in continuing to provide our customers with products of the highest quality and flavor.”

According to GAP, 98% of all commercially available chicken meat in North America comes from fast-growth chickens.

Source: Whole Foods Market

McCaffrey's to open 2 stores in Pennsylvania

McCaffrey’s Food Markets, announced that he will open his newest store in late spring in Blue Bell, PA, and the other will be open in Doylestown. The McCaffrey’s Food Markets Blue Bell location previously operated as SuperFresh.

Located in the Center Square Plaza on Skippack Pike, the new Market is the sixth location for McCaffrey’s, a family-owned business that currently operates four, additional Markets in Pennsylvania and New Jersey.

“We will strive to provide exceptional quality, value and customer service – as we do in all of our Markets – and hope to become an integral part of the esteemed Blue Bell community,” said Mr. McCaffrey.

The new McCaffrey’s Food Market store will have 50,000 square foot, and will be staffed by food experts and offer what McCaffrey’s is famous for: exceptional produce, meat, seafood, cheese deli, bakery and floral, along with chef-inspired, gourmet prepared foods.

Some highlights of the store include: freshly prepared artisan pizzas, a crepe station, a gourmet sandwich station, hundreds of cheeses from around the globe, custom cakes, a gourmet coffee bar, a comfortable, intimate seating area and hundreds of organic and exotic product offerings. An on-site catering coordinator will be available to help customers with their party planning. And, customers can food shop from anywhere – order online with pick up at the store.

Albertsons to acquire 4 Paul’s Markets locations

Albertsons had purchased four Paul’s Markets stores, located in Boise, Homedale, Kuna and McCall, Idaho. The retailer plans to open them under the Albertsons banner.

Paul’s Markets will close the remaining locations in Caldwell, Mountain Home and Nampa. Albertsons intends to acquire those properties.

Paul’s opened its first store in 1955. Stan and Steve Zatico, co-owners of Paul’s, said, “We know the folks at Albertsons share our values and commitment to providing the best to our communities. We look forward to watching how these stores evolve to serve their customers for the future.”