Content about Jewel

BOISE, Idaho — With its acquisition of five retail grocery banners from Supervalu now complete, Albertsons LLC has outlined its new executive management team.

MINNEAPOLIS — Supervalu on Thursday announced the completion of the sale of its Albertsons, Acme, Jewel-Osco, Shaw’s and Star Market stores and related Osco and Sav-on in-store pharmacies to AB Acquisition LLC, an affiliate of a Cerberus Capital Management-led investor consortium, in a stock deal valued at $3.3 billion, including $100 million in cash and $3.2 billion in debt assumption. 

MINNEAPOLIS — Upon the closing of Supervalu's sale of five pharmacy banners to Albertsons LLC, Dan Salemi will assume the role of president of pharmacy at the new Albertsons LLC, DSN has learned.

Salemi will succeed Supervalu president pharmacy operations Chris Dimos. Dimos will remain in his current role until the transaction closes. Supervalu has not named a pharmacy head for the 191 retail operations that will remain with Supervalu.

When Supervalu announced this past summer a review of strategic alternatives, its goals were to improve its business, better position the company for the future and create the best opportunity to deliver shareholder value. This effort has led to the sale of 877 stores to AB Acquistion.

Following the sale, Supervalu will consist of its wholesaler business, which serves 1,950 stores across the country; Save-A-Lot with approximately 1,300 stores across 35 states; and Supervalu's regional retail food banners Cub, Farm Fresh, Shoppers, Shop 'n Save and Hornbacher's.

ITASCA, Ill. — Evander Holyfield, the only five-time world heavyweight champion, will greet Supervalu's Jewel-Osco customers and boxing fans during appearances at two of the retailer’s Chicago stores. Holyfield will be the special guest at free food sampling events on Feb. 16 and 17 that will be held as part of Jewel-Osco’s ongoing “A Taste of Black History” program, a month-long initiative that recognizes the retailer’s African-American vendor partners. 

ITASCA, Ill. — Jewel-Osco is shipping "thousands" of extra doses of flu vaccine amid a flu season that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has labeled an epidemic, the retail chain said.

The company plans to ship 7,000 doses to its pharmacies starting Tuesday and continuing into Wednesday, with about 170 pharmacies set to receive some of the doses.

MINNEAPOLIS — The sale of 877 stores to Cerberus Capital Management will help Supervalu re-energize its remaining three businesses, current Supervalu president and CEO Wayne Sales told analysts Thursday morning. "What this means … is the company is smaller," Sales said. "And we exit with a much smaller balance sheet to ensure liquidity going forward," he said. This sale will not be followed by any further divestitures, Sales said. "We're not shopping any other assets."

ITASCA, Ill. — Fans of "Zombieland" take heart — should the world come to an end, the last Twinkie will be available at a Chicago-area Jewel Osco. 

Jewel-Osco, a Supervalu company, on Monday announced that beginning Tuesday morning the retailer will begin selling what are believed to be the last shipments of Hostess products. More than 20,000 boxes of Twinkies will be sold at regular price through select Chicago-area Jewel-Osco stores, the company stated. "Customers looking for Ding Dongs, Zingers and Orange Cupcakes will also be in luck."

NEW YORK — The jewel in the Supervalu crown — Save-A-Lot — may be up for bid by investment firm KKR, according to a Wall Street Journal blog post published Thursday. 

Also in the hunt is Cerberus Capital Management, which is weighing a bid for all of Supervalu, WSJ reported, citing persons familiar with the matter. However, Cerberus may also look at bidding for only pieces of the grocer. 

Reportedly in the bid for the wholesale end of Supervalu's business is C&S Wholesale Grocers.   

ITASCA, Ill. — Jewel-Osco on Friday announced that the company is observing Hunger Action Month this September with an aggressive campaign to raise food and funds for food banks and food pantries in the retailer's service area.

WHAT IT MEANS AND WHY IT'S IMPORTANT — The journey to a complete turnaround begins with the first step. Supervalu's restructuring, refocusing and revitalizing the executive team may have been the first step, but it's been quickly followed by the second — culling out underperforming stores and reinvesting those saved dollars into that refocused, revitalized business. The question, really, is this: Is 60 enough? Is closing out 60 underperforming or nonstrategic stores out of the company's total 2,400-plus store base (including Save-A-Lot), enough?

MINNEAPOLIS — As several suitors eye individual parts of the Supervalu business, Bloomberg reported that Supervalu is seeking buyers to bid for the entire business.

The news sparked a rise in Supervalu shares on Friday. As of press time, shares of Supervalu were up more than 9% to $2.32.