Tuesday Morning One Liners: Wal-Mart's Newest NYC Push, Polling

Wal-Mart

Join the Wal-Mart Free NYC Coalition on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Wal-Mart-Free-NYC/151784818201968

Crain's updates the 'Wal-Mart Comes to Town' hearing which was originally scheduled for today, and has been rescheduled to January 12.  More @ Brooklyn Eagle.

Walmart has yet to decide if it will send a representative to address the city council, but its director of community affairs, Steven Restivo, told Crains’s New York Business last week the company would do what it can to help inform the discussion but he did not see the need for a council hearing.

AP: Fail twice, try again [Walmart & NYC].

NYC Council Speaker Christine Quinn told Walmart they're not welcome in NYC, citing underpaying their employees. 

NY Daily News: Wal-Mart may land in East New York, Community braces for Big Box retailer.

Wall Street Journal: Wal-Mart seeks Union Support for NYC Store.  Here's a WSJ Poll if Wal-Mart should open a store in NYC or not.

ABC News: Wal-Mart courts Building Trade Unions for NYC Store.

New York Times: Wal-Mart tries again for a NYC store.

Forbes reports that analysts love Walmart's potential expansion in and NY and that they're leaving Moscow.


Conveniently, Walmart (Wal-Mart) conducted a poll which found that 'small businesses want Wal-Mart'. NY Mag was the only media outlet to call Wal-Mart's poll out (for conducting their own poll).

Last night, Richard Lipsky from the Neighborhood Retail Alliance joined Neil Cavuto on Fox News to discuss Wal-Mart and NYC. [YouTube]

A&P

Supermarket News: A&P’s last-ditch effort for additional funding fell short when supplier C&S Wholesale Grocers refused to provide cost concessions, leading in part to the retailer’s Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing, A&P said Monday.

Crain's is also reporting that A&P will likely retain their NYC stores.  Citing that their 58 city supermarkets are among their strongest and have always attracted buyers.

Bankruptcy puts 5,500 Philly jobs in jeopardy.

Bloomberg News summarizes details of the bankruptcy.

WHY IT HAPPENED: The company, which owns A&P, Pathmark, Super Fresh and other grocery stores, has struggled for years with heavy debt and sinking sales. Its problems were compounded when the recession hit and consumers cut back spending and competition among grocery stores, discounters and other retailers intensified. The grocer is also struggling with pension costs, leases for closed stores, a troublesome contract with a key supplier and a roughly $13 million payment for interest on a debt that is due Wednesday.

Progressive Grocer: A&P Files for Bankruptcy


Elsewhere...

UFCW Local 27 has been protesting a ShopRite in Bel Air.