Thursday's Mid Week One-Liners: Walmart Buys its Way into Africa, Will NYC be next?

"Despite the advent of democracy in 1994, South Africa remains one of the most inequitable societies in the world, said Tyotyo James, deputy-president of the Congress of South African Trade Unions.”The acquisition of 51% of Massmart by Walmart will cut out even more local ownership of one of the major retail players in the country."
After Walmart's 51% bid on the major retailer Massmart was approved this week. "Walmart buys its way into Africa"

In Walmart's latest PR move they've donated a bunch of $$ to Food Bank's and are now offering healthy food, thanks, it's 2011, guess that's a good year to start offering healthy food.

Small business poll finds Walmart is not welcome in NYC. [NY Daily News]

Here's eight reasons we should keep Walmart out of major cities.

Sources say that Stop and Shop is eying a former Shaw's site in New Haven, CT.

John Castimatidis, Gristedes Owner "Walmart is a real danger to the overall economy and character of NYC" read the entire Op-Ed in the NY Daily News.

Blog: Walmart is trying to invade NYC.  

A Walmart grows in Brooklyn, not if we can help it...

ABC News: Report, NYC Walmart would lower wages.

Yahoo! says it's only a matter of time for Walmart in NYC.

More media outlets are covering drug stores, Target and Walmart's desire to sell you groceries.

Walmart may team up with the UDC (University of District Columbia Community College) to combat many concerns with their flawed employment practices.

It's not just a domestic problem with Walmart, across the world they're notoriously known for exploitation of workers, in South Africa they're getting a lot of resistance for buying out the retail chain Massmart and attempting to monopolize the South African retail market.

Now that the Massmart deal cleared all the regulatory hurdles, a massive boycott is being planned for all Walmart/Massmart affiliated stores. [Financial Mail]

Yournabe: Small businesses don't want a Walmart, but are confident in retaining shoppers.

A&P's Q3 Results are "in line" with expectations. [Progressive Grocer]

A mayor in New Jersey has asked to residents to boycott a local (union) ShopRite, and it's flat out wrong.  Read the editorial here.

Target's CEO plans for Canada expansion.

Costco is receiving a $1 million tax break to open a store in Chicago.

A Williamsburg Duane Reade is offering beer on tap, yeah that says Duane Reade.

The Politicker has Mayor Bloomberg's complete 'State of the City' speech here.

Related articles

• The World's Smallest Walmart Opens At The University Of Arkansas (huffingtonpost.com)

Weeks End One Liners: ShopRite may open in Patchogue, A&P Sells Six Properties

Walmart Wage & Hour suit Settled in CA

A U.S. District Court judge in Oakland, CA granted final approval this week to the settlement of a wage-and-hour class-action suit against Wal-Mart's California operations.

The settlement, which provides for a payment of between $43 million and $86 million, concludes more than four years of litigation concerning payment of wages to California workers. As part of the settlement, Wal-Mart also agreed to continue to maintain electronic systems that will protect the rights of workers. 

The Observer reports on Wal-Mart's latest sales pitch to enter NYC...a great read that counters the NY Post's endless Walmart support:

Yet it is just as possible that Walmart could undermine other city retailers who pay better wages, which gives people more money to spend at other stores, which also helps drive the economy. Less disposable income, less taxes, a greater housing burden, more welfare and so on

ShopRite rumored to open in Patchogue:

A ShopRite may be the previously unconfirmed supermarket to be moving in next to the Raymour & Flanagan furniture store that is under construction on the site of the former Home Depot on Sunrise Highway in Patchogue.

The struggling A&P announced on Tuesday they have agreed to sell six Pathmark locations to Winstanley Enterprises in a sale- leaseback transaction for $89.8 million. 

More @ Reuters.

Meanwhile yesterday A&P announced a new in-store marketing partnership.

Wal-Mart Opens New $115M Distribution Center Outside Calgary

Wal-Mart Canada officially opened today its new $115-million fresh-food distribution center in Balzac, which will serve as a hub for its wester Canadian stores. 

City Officials Try to Win Over Walmart Opponents

Baltimore, MD -- A proposed Walmart in the heart of the city is a step closer to becoming reality. The mayor and council said they believe the 11-acre complex will be a valuable economic engine for the for the city and they've managed to win over many community members who initially opposed the project. 

BJ's Wholesale Club is for Sale?[Buisness Week]

BJ’s Wholesale Club Inc. plans to run an auction to sell itself after receiving an offer from private-equity firm Leonard Green & Partners LP in recent months, said three people with knowledge of the situation.

BJ’s hired Morgan Stanley to help sell the company, said two people, who declined to be identified because the matter is private. Morgan Stanley will also offer to provide financing to potential buyers, or so-called staple financing.

More @ Bloomberg

Another report citing Chicago's Food Deserts Shrinking @ SN

Costco Argues Before Supreme Court For Ability to Sell Imported Goods For Less

Did the Issaquah box-store giant go too far by undercutting the manufacturer itself? That was the retailing quandary before the U.S. Supreme Court on Monday in the oral arguments in the copyright feud between Costco and the Swiss watchmaker Omega. 

The Examiner.com thinks Balducci's will return to Manhattan, sooner than later.

Battle between a Duane Reade and a Mom & Pop pharmacy in Williamsburg is growing...

Trader Joe's in Lake Grove (Long Island) will be moving closer to competitor, Whole Foods, into a vacant Toys 'R Us at the Smithhaven Mall plaza, the move will be finished in the coming weeks.

RetailWire: Trader Joe's moves in on Fairway's turf, Upper West Side.

25,00 members of UFCW Local 21 have been voting this week on an offer from four major chains: Safeway, Albertsons, QFC and Fred Meyer. They recently OK'd a Strike.

Friday Morning One-Liners: Stop & Shop coming to Oceanside? Shaw's workers will march...

 “They stalk the workers and attack them. The nephew of an employer knifed one of the employees we assist,” Axt said. She said New York falls behind other states like New Mexico and Arizona, which have better wage enforcement and more strict penalties.
 Deborah Axt, deputy director of Make the Road New York, at on the Wage Theft Prevention Act, in the Queens Chronicle.

The Hartford Courant, covers ShopRite's plans to take over Connecticut.
ShopRite said Tuesday it will open new stores in Canton, Enfield, Stratford and Hamden at former Shaw's locations next week.  The Hamden store will open on May 28; the other three will open May 26.

SEIU, UFCW, lead suit against discriminatory law in Arizona.

Boston.com: Shaw's Strikers Borrow from History, Planning a Five-Day March:
When striking Shaw’s warehouse workers embark on a five-day march this weekend to draw renewed attention to their nearly three-month fight against the supermarket company, they will also be evoking the civil rights and farm workers’ marches of the 1960s.

“You can’t win a strike these days, generally speaking, just walking around on a picket line,’’ said Russ Davis, executive director of Jobs With Justice, which helped plan the march.

Miley Cyrus goes toxic at Walmart:
Via WakeUpWalmart: UPDATE May 20, 9 AM: At approximately 7:45 last evening the AP reported that Walmart was pulling the Miley Cyrus branded jewelry. USA Today says it really well in their headline Walmart pulls cadmium-tainted kids' jewelry it knowingly sold for months.  Check their entire blog post, they've covered the story from front to back.

Also a great headline by the AP: Wal-Mart still selling Miley Cyrus cadmium jewelery.
Testing of 61 samples purchased by AP reporters across the country from a Cyrus line and from a series of make-it-yourself metal bracelet charms indicated that 59 of the pieces contained at least 5 percent cadmium by weight, with 53 of those measuring 10 percent or higher.

Or from the Examiner: Is Walmart Trying to Kill Miley Cyrus Fans?

Walmart's Q1 Numbers: Sales, Earnings Up; Comps Down. [SN]

Target is seeing gains in Traffic and Profits.

And one more on Q1, BJ's Wholesale Club Profits Rise [WSJ]

Supermarket Alert: Stop and Shop is coming to Oceanside [LI Herald]
Plans to develop a 24-hour Super Stop & Shop on the former Camp DeBaun site in Oceanside are in the works, after Town of Hempstead officials approved a design for a project that some residents said would raise traffic and quality-of-life issues in their quiet neighborhood...."This particular Stop & Shop has been designed to blend in with the neighborhood ...," said Steven Krieger, a principal at Engel Burman. "It includes peaked roofs instead of the typical stucco, and looks more like a home. This is really a state-of-the-art store."

ABC filmed their show "What Would You Do?" at Key Food on Montague Street, Brooklyn.  The show aired Wednesday night... [Brooklyn Heights Blog]

Local 1500, along with other labor unions in the Greater NYC area, joined politicians, community activists and workers to support the new proposed Wage Theft Prevention Act. [Queens Chronicle]

Duane Reade, who opened a hit retail food store in Chelsea a few months back, revealed their "Fresh Food Strategy" to the Progressive Grocer, good read.  Q: We read about your Chelsea store debut in March with greatly expanded fresh food — what was the thinking behind it, and why do you think the concept will be a hit in a drug store?

Duane Reade (DR): Our goal for our fresh food program is to make it easy for New Yorkers to access tasty, quality fresh food such as bagged salads and select produce in a convenient and enjoyable way.

Price Chopper is offering a loyalty program in upstate NY.

Detroit's Push for more Green Grocers:
To help independent grocers expand on their fresh food offerings, Detroit Mayor David Bing unveiled a $1 million Green Grocer Project earlier this week.

Fresh Direct is expanding to Connecticut.


Good signs: NYC Unemployment drops four months straight [Crain's]


Thanks a bunch and enjoy your weekend, be sure to check out www.1union1voice.com for the 2010 contract updates! 

Tuesday Morning One Liners...Duane Reade in Chelsea takes Whole Foods customers

image via Wikipedia

Gothamist: The new Duane Reade in Chelsea is surprisingly competing with Whole Foods.

SN: Another study confirms that the recession is continuing to impact food purchasing and consumption behavior, including the meat department.

Shaw's Strike
Progressive Grocer: Stop & Shop, Labor Unions Head off Strike; Shaw’s DC Workers Walk

Boston Globe: Shaw's workers take their strike to local grocery stores.

Nation
In Philadelphia, local stores and community members are appearing on Cheerios boxes. 
Employees at four Burlington County ShopRite stores are being honored on the backs of Cheerios boxes.
According to a spokeswoman, ShopRite sales associates raised almost $500,000 at 43 stores in South Jersey and the Philadelphia area. Chosen by their peers, 86 ShopRite associates appear on a special-edition Cheerios box being distributed throughout the region.

First Aldi stores in Texas to open March 18.

NYT: Obama Turns Up the Volume in Health Care Bid.

Monday Morning One Liners: New England Stop & Shop Members OK Contract

New England Stop & Shop Negotiations:

Hartford Courant: Stop & Shop workers view economic climate, Vote Yes.

Brian Petronella, president of Local 371 in Connecticut, said the contract, which takes effect retroactively to Feb. 21 when the previous agreement expired, maintains a pension plan and keeps a health plan intact with full-time workers paying slightly more for health care.

From: http://www.gazettenet.com/2010/03/08/workers-ratify-stop-amp-shop-contract

Boston.com:“Through the hard work of negotiators, we were able to reach an agreement that maintained our great health and pension benefits and provided general wage increases,’’ said Jim Carvalho, a spokesman for UFCW Local 1445, which represents 36,000 Stop & Shop employees in southern New England.

http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2010/03/08/stop__shop_strike_averted_as_unions_in_southern_new_england_accept_latest_offer/

CBS Coverage with video: http://www.cbs3springfield.com/news/local/86768002.html

Stop & Shop Press Release: http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/stop--shop-and-labor-unions-reach-tentative-agreements-86725007.html

Providence Journal: http://www.projo.com/news/content/STOP_SHOP_CONTRACT_8_03-08-10_0IHMNC2_v17.3eabce1.html

NEWS22 (video):http://www.wwlp.com/dpp/news/local/3-unions-ratify-stop-shop-contract

A Labor Professor analyzes the legitimacy of Strike Threats: http://www.tmcnet.com/usubmit/2010/03/06/4660297.htm

Supermarket News:http://supermarketnews.com/retail_financial/labor_pact_0307/

In a posting on the website of one of the locals, UFCW Local 1445, the union said 84% of the workers had voted in favor of the new contract.

Local reports said the new agreements call for full-time workers to "pay slightly more" for health insurance, which had been one of the sticking points of negotiations.

Employees will also receive a one-time payment up to $750, the reports said, in addition to scheduled raises during the next three years.

Shaw's workers reject final offer...

United Food and Commercial Workers Union Local 791 members overwhelmingly rejected the Shaw's final contract offer over the weekend.   The vote was 228 to 8. Picket lines began outside the Shaw's warehouse in Methuen Sunday. All perishable food – dairy, produce and meat - for Massachusetts and Rhode Island stores come from that warehouse.  

“The members were basically insulted, to say the least,’’ said Peter Derouen, a spokesman for United Food and Commercial Workers Union Local 791, which represents 309 workers at the Methuen facility.

Shaw’s said it “worked hard’’ to try to avoid a strike and is developing a contingency plan to keep the strike from affecting shoppers, according to a statement to NECN-TV.  Local News picked up the story here.

New York

Progressive Grocer: New Duane Reade in Chelsea offers more Grocery,  Fresh Food selections:

Duane Reade’s new location in the Chelsea neighborhood of New York City marks the debut of greatly expanded fresh food and grocery sections offering such items as fresh sandwiches, single-serve entrees, baked goods and freshly packed salads and vegetables. According to the New York-based drug store chain, the new features, which place it even more squarely in competition with nearby grocery and convenience stores, represent the latest phase of the company’s continuing “brand and customer experience transformation,” in fulfillment of its “brand mantra” of “New York Living Made Easy.”

The Daily News reports that the search is on for companies responsible for the pollution of the filthy Gowanus Canal - and it already has yielded some big names.

WNYC: Labor Union Blues

Union organizing drives might sound anachronistic these days -- many people who are working feel lucky to have a job. But unions are still trying to grow in New York City, even in areas where they have struggled to gain ground, such as government contractors. Matthew Schuerman has been following the story of a union-organizing drive at an E-ZPass center in Staten Island. Here’s his first installment.

Isaac Colinares,27, lives in a one-bedroom apartment in a worn-out neighborhood on Staten Island. It’s about a mile from his job, where he works answering phone calls and e-mails from E-ZPass customers. He started there two years ago....Read more by Matthew Schuerman

David Letterman is challenging the 2010 National Grocer Association's 'Best Bagger' on the Late Night Show.

Nation

Walmart exposed for 'Outdated and Sexist" hiring practices, Al Norman @ The Huffington Post.

U.S. Jobless Rate Steadies in February, sign of recovery?

Wednesday Morning One Liners...

Image via Wikipedia

WSJ: Working two jobs and Still Underemployed.

Workers at a Woodman’s Food Market in Wisconsin will vote next week on whether to recover the union representation it lost earlier this year.

Tom Souzzi conceded defeat on Tuesday in the race for the Nassau County executive, a harsh setback for Mr. Suozzi, the Democratic incumbent who was widely regarded as a potential candidate for higher office.

Tom Souzzi: "No one saw this coming."

Labor leaders are heading to a Job Summit at the White House tomorrow, held by President Obama.  The summit is gathering in order to address the urgent need to create jobs for the more than 26 million unemployed or underemployed workers looking for work in an economy in which there are more than six workers for every one job.

UFCW Local 1 began an organizing campaign at Weis Markets in Binghamton.

More on Local 1, who represents close to 3,800 employees of Penn Traffic, announced Tuesday they will be holding meetings about the company’s bankruptcy later in the week.

Fresh and Easy makes their California debut.

Blockbuster Express DVD rental kiosks are invading NYC, Gristedes and Duane Reade to put them up throughout stores.

7-Eleven announced plans for a Manhattan expansion.  The expansion calls for 100 stores ranging from 1,700-3,500 square feet.

A Denver News Blog asks if a mail-in vote increases chances for ratification for members of Colorado's Local 7.

National Association of Broadcast Employees and Technicians says its workers might boycott NBC's "Christmas in Rockefeller Center" special Wednesday.

Amazon dominates Cyber Monday.

Aldi to Queens in 2010, The WFP wins again, Wednesday Morning Read...

Image via Wikipedia

Nearly 300 UNITE HERE members protesting demands from major hotels in Chicago and San Francisco for cutbacks, and the firing of 100 housekeepers in Boston, were arrested in peaceful civil disobedience demonstrations in recent days.

Sign the petition to keep Stella D'oro production plant open in the Bronx!

Whole Foods protests are getting more creative, a musical protest was performed in Oakland this week.

Wal-Mart & K-Mart are targeting recession-weary toy buyers this holiday season, Wal-Mart is planning on offering 100 toys for $10.

Washington Post: From Whole Foods to the Food Bank, Middle Class residents find themselves with hat in hand.

Duane Reade launched a private label food brand.

Aldi Supermarket, [sister of Trader Joe's] will open its' first NYC store in Queens.  Don't expect the expansion to stop, they're plans are much larger than one store. For those new to Aldi, Aldi is known for its store-branded merchandise, with about 95% of the items exclusive to Aldi.  According to the company, Aldi's prices are up to 50% lower than the prices at traditional supermarkets.  Ranked 25th among U.S. grocery chains in gross sales, Aldi's Queens' store is part of a larger expansion plan, under which the company is opening some 80 new stores this year. BNet analyzes the move.

Meanwhile, Trader Joe's is in talks for opening another store, this one in Chelsea on 6th between 21st and 22nd.

Politics 

The turnout was low, but Bill De Blasio (138,736 votes) and John Liu (121,173) were winners in last night's runoff, marking another victory this election season for the Working Families Party, the NY Times City Room has more.
 

Related articles by Zemanta

• Can America's Urban Food Deserts Bloom? (time.com)

Toys 'R' Us selling Groceries, Another Target in Staten Island, Thursday One Liners...

Image by matneym via Flickr

Aisle 4 in Toys 'R' Us: Groceries?, Toys 'R' Us announced they will begin selling groceries in 260 stores.

Kohl's and Target are looking for new stores in Staten Island.

Here's more from the 2009 Staten Island Conference.

A protest is set for tomorrow at Representative Peter King's office in light of his flip flopping views on the Employee Free Choice Act.

A Garment Factory raided by the DOL yesterday had been producing NYPD uniforms.

Supermercado de Wal-Mart, the new Hispanic-focused food concept from Wal-Mart, opened its first location in Houston Wednesday, bringing what Eduardo Castro-Wright, vice chairman of Wal-Mart, called “the most dramatic expression” of its recent efforts to improve fresh food merchandising

Wal-Mart Stores Inc. has given Ohio $1.7 million as repayment for a tax credit on an optical lab that the company closed in March.

Suffolk County makes a deal with union to avoid layoffs.

The Daily News writes on the future of the stores at Atlas Park.

Safeway workers overwhelmingly ratify a contract.

Duane Reade inks another deal in NYC.

NY Times: Cheap meat at the supermarkets.

Foxwoods and UAW talk, for 6-months now.

The group buying Balducci's chose to close the under performing stores.

The record online reports on the UFCW Local 1262 contract.

The city’s 59 community boards face budget cuts of around $7,000 each.

Marty Markowitz threw out plans for 10,000 square-feet of retail space along Surf Avenue, in Coney Island.

And finally a Nintendo DS was sold in a Wal-Mart full of rocks and Newspapers.

Related articles by Zemanta

• Unions push on Wal-Mart (dailyfinance.com)

Friday Afternoon One Liners...

Image via Wikipedia

Wal-Mart "confident" on defeat of Employee Free Choice.

Should America expect more from Wal-Mart? [Bloomberg]

Report: 20 members fired in Arizona for "Union Activity".

Wal-Mart plans a new 'Hispanic' supermarket format.

Duane Reade has some successful 'fresh food' taste tests.

Save Mart Supermarkets in California said it has eliminated a handful of corporate and support staff to eliminate redundancies left over from its 2007 acquisition of 130 Albertsons stores.
Read more of this story

Public outcry on Food Safety and Sanitation increases.

Bruno’s Supermarkets has asked U.S. Bankruptcy Court here to void parts of its contracts with the United Food and Commercial Workers union, saying that successor agreements in the deals are an “impenetrable barrier” to a potential sale and survival of the chain.
Read more of this story

Aldi spends millions to expand to Texas.

Politics

NY Times on Jon Stewart and Jim Cramer, "Economic Meltdown is no laughing matter"

Anthony Weiner takes a step back from the Mayoral race, for now.

Patterson pushes the expansion of COBRA benefits.

Wal-Mart being sued for mind control?, Stop & Shop adds 2 more stores, Morning News

Image by Brave New Films via Flickr

A man in Canada is suing Wal-Mart, Microsoft, and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (the Mounties) for alleged mind control, satanism and witchcraft. The man claims he was "subject to invasive brain computer interface technology, research, experiments, field studies and surgery." He is seeking $2 billion in damages.

Unless your family eats less, Thanksgiving dinner will cost an average 5.6 percent more than last year's, a farmers' and ranchers' trade group said Thursday

UFCW Blog: Employee Free Choice Act is the most Democratic process.

Duane Reade sales are up.

More on Stop & Shop adding 2 Grand Unions in Mass.

Wal-Mart Stores is optimistic about its prospects for the holiday season, based on financial results for the third quarter ended Oct. 31, Lee Scott, president and chief executive officer, told investors yesterday.
Read more of this story

Ninety-three percent of consumers say that fish labeled "organic should be raised while consuming a 100% organic diet, just like other certified organic poultry and livestock, according to a recent survey from Consumers Union, a nonprofit consumer advocacy group and publisher of Consumer Reports magazine.
Read more of this story

Willets Point project is a done deal.

Quinn takes on Bloomberg's plans.

The NY Post writes: Hillary Clinton as Secretary of State

Riverhead Wal-Mart barred, Another Wal-Mart supplier accused of sweatshop conditions & Friday Morning One Liners...

Image via Wikipedia

Newsday covers the barred opening of the Riverhead Wal-Mart.

Another Wal-Mart supplier has been accused of sweatshop conditions, employees were forced into 19 hour work days while being paid sometimes less than $20.00 a month.

Brooklyn Borough President and Atlantic Yards supporter Marty Markowitz has received between $680,000 and $1.075 million from Atlantic Yards-affiliated companies since 2003, via donations to non-profit companies he created

The Environmental Protection Agency said Thursday it and Wal-Mart Stores Inc. have reached a settlement over alleged violations of the Clear Air Act, which prohibits the sale or distribution of nonessential products containing ozone-depleting substances.

In a letter to Deputy Mayor Robert Lieber, City Council member John Liu spoke out against the Willets Point redevelopment plan

Supermarket stocks suffered a tumble along with the broader market Thursday as investors continued to sell.

Read more of this story 

Two owners of an Associated Supermarket in Brooklyn were arrested this week and charged with filing false documents with the state, defrauding employees and paying illegal wages.

Read more of this story

Wal-Mart Stores wants to merge the ideas of price and sustainability in its message to consumers, the executive vice president of the company's grocery division said at a conference here yesterday.

Read more of this story 

The Securities and Exchange Commission yesterday said it has charged two former top executives at drug store chain Duane Reade with accounting fraud, alleging that they executed false-payment schemes that inflated the company's profits.

Read more of this story

Politics

Former Oklahoma Gov. Frank Keating, a McCain campaign co-chairman, edged up to an explicitly racial attack on Barack Obama on Thursday, describing the Illinois Senator as a "guy of the street" before raising his youthful drug use