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NASHVILLE, Tenn. — To deliver the value of a supercenter with the convenience of a drug store — that is the essence of the Dollar General strategy.


PLEASANTON, Calif. — Safeway announced that its stores raised $1 million for the Wounded Warrior Project, an organization that exists to honor and empower military men and women who incurred service-related injuries on or after Sept. 11, 2001.

The money was raised during Veteran's Day weekend by all Safeway, Vons, Pavilions, Dominick's, Randalls, Genuardi's, Tom Thumb and Carrs stores in the United States

PLEASANTON, Calif. — Sales at Safeway are looking up thanks in large part to fuel gains, but the grocer's loyalty card program is expected to continue driving that sales momentum into next year as the company rolls out its Just for U digital marketing platform and explores health-and-wellness initiatives.

PLEASANTON, Calif. — Safeway on Monday named Portland, Ore., as the winner of its "America's Most Natural City" contest and will donate $20,000 and 25 picnic tables constructed from the Guinness World Record holder for the world's longest picnic table.

The contest was inspired by Safeway's commitment to 100% natural products with its new Open Nature line, the grocer stated.

PLEASANTON, Calif. — Safeway on Tuesday announced its offering of flu shots in its grocery stores — positioning its flu season inoculation as more convenient to drug stores.

"Safeway makes getting a flu shot more convenient than most other retailers offering immunizations, because consumers visit grocery stores on a regular basis," the supermarket chain stated. "In an average month, 49% of those surveyed said they visit grocery stores most often, compared [with] 8% who said they visit drug stores most often."

NEW YORK — A recent consumer survey released by AlixPartners found that a little more than half of all consumers (51%) identify a traditional grocery retailer as their point of destination when making a grocery trip. Such mass merchants as Walmart are capturing 30% of those trips, and the continued emphasis on fresh in the drug channel has drawn 5% of those trips into the mainstream pharmacy.

Dollar stores, another channel that has in the past few years made a significant push into food items, also draws 5% of all grocery trips.

PLEASANTON, Calif. — Safeway reported net income of $145.8 million, or 41 cents per diluted share, for second quarter 2011, compared with $141.3 million, or 37 cents per diluted share, during the year-ago period.

The company reported that total sales increased 7.1% to $10.2 billion in second quarter 2011 from $9.5 billion in second quarter 2010. Identical-store sales, excluding fuel, saw a 0.5% increase.

PLEASANTON, Calif. — Safeway on Thursday announced the resignation of Don Keprta, president of its Chicago-area Dominick's Finer Foods division. 

"Don has contributed significantly to the Dominick's stores. His commitment and innovation helped the stores evolve to best serve the Chicagoland customers,” stated Steve Burd, Safeway chairman, president and CEO. “We are fortunate that he has produced a team that is prepared to continue to build on our current momentum.”

PLEASANTON, Calif. — Safeway celebrated National Picnic Day on Saturday by breaking the Guinness World Record for longest picnic table and debuting its new private-label brand.

The record-setting picnic, held at the Marina Green in San Francisco, featured Safeway's Open Nature, a newly launched line of all-natural foods that includes meat and poultry, bread, yogurt, ice cream and salad dressing products, that were prepared by Food Network chef Tyler Florence. Safeway also succeeded at building a table exceeding 305 ft.

GOODLETTSVILLE, Tenn. — Sales and profits continued to pile up at Dollar General during the first quarter as shoppers sought value at the retailer’s 9,500 stores.

The company reported a 5.4% increase in same-store sales and said total sales increased 10.9% to $3.45 billion during the quarter ended April 29. Profits adjusted to account for several one-time items increased 14% to $166 million, while earnings per share of 48 cents were 2 cents shy of analysts’ consensus estimate due to gross margins pressures.

The brand-new Fresh Health Prescription Plan from Brookshire Grocery was rolled out on March 10. It’s a comprehensive prescription plan that shoppers in the chain’s new Fresh by Brookshire’s store, which opened in March 2010, can purchase for a $10 membership fee. 


“The program covers generic and brand prescriptions at very competitive pricing compared to what they’d pay with insurance and third-party plans,” said Jim Cousineau, Brookshire SVP pharmacy operations.


NEW YORK — Target expects sales from its upcoming Canadian stores to total more than $6 billion by 2017, Dow Jones reported.

Speaking to Wall Street analysts, CFO Douglas Scovanner said Tuesday that Target expects to have more than 200 stores in Canada within the next five to 10 years, with the stores generating about $6 billion Canadian ($6.27 billion in U.S. dollars based on Tuesday’s exchange rate).

Target’s initial group of stores will open through the chain’s purchase in January of up to 220 leases held by Hudson's Bay Co.'s Zellers stores.