Monday Morning One-Liners: Aldi, Fresh Market Expansion, Food is up at Target

Giant & Safeway have agreed to 19-month long contracts due to the uncertainty of Obama's health care plan.

[The] unusual duration of 19 months, a period during which both sides hope to gain more visibility into the potential financial impacts of changes set to take place as a result of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA), the sweeping changes in national health care policy approved two years ago.

A nice little commentary in the Washington Post on new laws expanding workers' rights.

The Canadian Heritage minister has ordered a Cultural Investigation into Target, to ensure the company will provide cultural benefits to the country.

Last week Delhaize Group said it would issue $300 million in new debt in part to fund the repurchase of debts in Europe.

Food sales are up at Target.

A new Aldi will be opening in Lindenhurst NY, in 2013.  This Thursday is the grand opening of their Lake Grove-Smithtown shop.

Stop & Shop gives a big passover gift to a Queens pantry.

In Springfield, Mass. the city sent layoff warnings to 13 unions.

American Rights at Work unveiled a new blog, Union Shop- a guide to buy all things union made!

Fresh Market is planing on opening 16 new stores this year expanding as far as California.

Thursday Afternoon News: Waldbaum's Closes Friday, More News from A&P

Waldbaum's in Levittown Closes Friday, Shoppers Forced Elsewhere
Levittown, NY--Though the store's closing has been known for quite some time, there is still no answer as to what will take its place. Rumor of a ShopRite have not been confirmed. 




Wall Street Journal: Grocery Chains Increase Ad Spending Amid Price War
Chains including Safeway and A&P are touting price cuts on thousands of items, a double whammy to profits: spending to entice customers to come in for lower-priced items. 

Meanwhile, Big Y, who purchased seven stores from A&P in Connecticut, is set to reveal their plans for the stores this week.  

Supermarket News covers the possible strike at Food Basics in New Jersey.


A&P Seeks Advice from Wall-Street Journal on Debt.


SN: Wal-Mart Confirms: Smaller Stores in Urban Areas Ahead....


They also announced that they'll spend a modest $13.5-$14.5 billion in capital spending next year, a 3.7% increase from 2010.



Wal-Mart to Boost Locally Sourced Fresh Food
Wal-Mart is planning to double the sales of fresh produce it sources from local farms in its U.S. stores by the end of 2015. 


Daily Finance: 5 Fun Facts About Wal-Mart
The Top-line numbers don't convey just how massive Wal-Mart really is. To further understand this retail giant, here are some fun facts that help illustrate its heft...


Wal-Mart's Holiday Wish: Better Sales
Although the world's largest retailer has been losing sales to its competitors this year, they expects sales to improve in the critical holiday shopping season. "We expect positive sales results in the fourth quarter"- Mike Duke, Wal-Mart's CEO

Whole Foods raises a bunch of cash to improve school lunches.

Tuesday News Before Noon: Riverhead Walmart back on? Obama Official Slams NY Food Stamps

UFCW files a federal suit against Arizona's Anti-Immigration Policy

The UFCW yesterday joined in a lawsuit filed in federal court challenging the constitutionality of Arizona’s recently passed immigration law, S.B. 1070. Other plaintiffs in the lawsuit include the Service Employees International Union and various civil rights organizations.  “We believe S.B. 1070 is unconstitutional, un-American and that it undermines our nation’s rich immigrant history. The law effectively legalizes racial profiling and sanctions harassment and discrimination. We are filing this suit to protect the rights of our members and all workers in the state of Arizona—and to uphold the values and ideals that make our nation strong.

More @ Supermarket News

Riverhead Walmart suit dismissed, plan back on track... {Newsday}

Riverhead Wal-Mart suit dismissed- Panel rules parties can't sue to block construction

A proposed Wal-Mart superstore in Riverhead is back on track, after a decision by an appellate division panel to throw out a lawsuit that had blocked the project.

Read the entire article here(without subscription).

Obama Official Slams NY Food Stamp Policy

A USDA executive says the city and state policy of fingerprinting Food Stamp applicants cost too much and is ineffective.

Whole Foods and Hannaford Bros are seeking answers:

Should supermarkets use a single-queue checkout system like that seen at aiports and banks?

Eating Right and Big Investor Gains with Whole Foods Market

Lifestyles of Health and Sustainablility (LOHAS) Investors- Putting their money where their mouth is.  Moody's has boosted their rating.

Union: Safeway rejects pay raise for Wyo. workers

CASPER,Wyo.- The union representing Safeway workers at 10 Wyoming stores say the grocery chain has rejected to pay raise proposals.

HEB Unveils Grocery Concept Amid Naming Scuffle

One of Texas' best known and largest grocery chains is being challenged by Trader Joe's Co. in what could herald the West Coast grocer's entry into the state.

Price Chopper is joining the fight against Diabetes.

Earnings Preview:BJ'S Wholesale Club

BJ's, like other wholesale club chains, saw its popularity soar when the recession hit as budget-minded consumers shopped its stores for deals on food and other necessities. That popularity has continued, but shoppers are still staying away from nonessential purchases.

Layoffs for state workers remain unclear as budget snarl continues...

ALBANY-Gov.Paterson is, or is not, contemplating laying off thousands of state workers, depending on who is speaking for the administration

Former Penn Traffic Execs are sentenced....[SN]

Two former Penn Traffic executives who had pleaded guilty to artificially inflating the company's financial performance have been sentenced to 14 months in prison, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of New York.

Friday Morning One Liners...

FRESH incentives approved for first two supermarkets
New York City Industrial Development Agency (NYCIDA) this week approved two tax incentive packages to assist in the development of two new supermarkets in the Bronx — the first projects to be given the go-ahead under the Fresh Retail Expansion to Support Health (FRESH) program, which funds grocery stores in so-called “food deserts.” NYCIDA approved about $3 million in real estate and tax for a Foodtown store, and nearly $5.6 million for a Western Beef location.

Wine at Grocery in NY
Patterson proposes a higher fee for wine in supermarkets
New York Gov. David Patterson is recommending that his previous wine-at-grocery executive budget proposal, which would bring in an estimated $92 million to the state in the form of franchise fees, be amended to increase the required franchise fee for retailers with gross sales of over $1 million...Meanwhile proposals for a $1 per pack cigarette tax increase, and a penny per ounce tax on sugared beverages linked to obesity, remain unchanged.

Ahold’s Giant-Carlisle chain here said Monday that it had completed its acquisition of 25 Ukrop’s stores in the Richmond, Va., market, and that those stores would take on the Martin’s banner later this spring.

King Kullen was #2 on Supermarket News' top 50  independents' list.  Kullen's 52 stores accounted for $940 million in sales in 2009.  While Fareway stores (not Fairway), out of Boone, Iowa, ranked 1st and brought in $950 million.  Glass Gardens came in at 19, The list was compiled to determine the largest supermarket operator in terms of volume with sales below $1 billion in the U.S..  The entire list of 50 companies are available here.

The Washington Post remembers the life of the late UFCW International Vice President Beth Shulman.

Approximately 55 janitors who clean Northern California Safeway supermarkets unconditionally returned to work Thursday night after walking off the job Wednesday night, as protracted contract negotiations continued between SEIU United Service Workers West Local 1877 and four janitorial services employed by Safeway.

Kroger and its union employees in Atlanta and Savannah, Ga., have reached tentative agreement on new contracts, the retailer here said.

DNAinfo gives an update on the new upper east side Fairway Market.  The 60,000 square foot proposed site is on 240 E. 86th street.

Wegmans Food Markets and Costco, Inc. have been chosen the best grocery retailers in a consumer survey conducted by global customer intelligence solutions company Market Force Information, Inc., which will present insights from the survey in a webinar co-hosted by the American Marketing Association

Workers join suit over NYC restaurateur's labor practices: Owner and partners accused of stiffing employees on pay. 

NY Times: Immigrants Claim Wal-Mart Fired Them to Provide Jobs for Local Residents
A small group of West African men who came to the Rockies in search of economic opportunity are embroiled in a dispute with Wal-Mart, accusing it of a raft of discriminatory actions. Most say they were dismissed because supervisors wanted to give their jobs to local people in need of work. Wal-Mart, which has a history of discrimination and labor complaints but has increased efforts to promote diversity at its stores, denies the accusations.

NYT: Once Stigmatized, Food Stamps now finds Acceptance.

Gillibrand endorsed by the New York County Democratic party.

New on the bookshelves: Cornered, a new book by Barry C. Lynn, analyzes the new monopoly capitalism and the economics of destruction:

Regular Harpers and Financial Times contributor Barry C. Lynn paints a genuinely alarming picture: most of our public debates about globalization, competitiveness, creative destruction, and risky finance are nothing more than a cover for the widespread consolidation of power in nearly every imaginable sector of the American economy.

Cornered strips the camouflage from the secret world of twenty-first-century monopolies-neofeudalist empires whose sheer size, vast resources, and immense political power enable them to control virtually every major industry in America in an increasingly authoritarian manner. He reveals how these massive juggernauts, which would have been illegal just thirty years ago, came into being, how they have destroyed or devoured their competition, and how they collude with one another to maintain their power and create the illusion of open, competitive markets.

Random Story of the Week
A 23-year-old Georgia man has been charged with walking into a Walmart, picking up a metal baseball bat from the sports department and pummeling 29 flat-screen TVs, the USA Today has more.

Tuesday Morning One Liners...

Image via Wikipedia

Certain bargaining units in Colorado that voted to approve a new union contract with Safeway have signed contracts, a report said Monday.

The Gowanus Canal, once a prospective site for Whole Foods, is now being cleaned up, but may just remain as is, a hole. Brooklyn Paper has more.

The Hannaford Hacker has plead guilty.

A&P is distributing 2010 health-themed calendars packaged with $45 in coupon savings, “Live Better!” calendars — available at the pharmacy departments of the retailer’s A&P, Waldbaum’s, Pathmark and Super Fresh banners

UFCW Local 1 has filed an objection on Price Choppers' bid on the Penn Traffic company.  There is "no assurance that Price Chopper will continue to employ a single of Penn Traffic's employees," says the document filed by the union.

• If a nonunionized company purchases Penn Traffic, it would be required to recognize a store's bargaining unit if it rehires more than 50 percent of a store's former employees.
• Buffalo-based Tops Markets reportedly will join the contest to acquire Penn Traffic's 79 stores, with a bid of more than $90 million.

 
The Jewish Theater of New York announced Monday that anyone on food stamps or Medicaid can attend its upcoming production for just $5. Full-price tickets are $50.

If you haven't read the New Yorker's piece on John Mackey yet.

Wednesday Morning One Liners...Walmart video tapes a restroom?

"I am absolutely and utterly incredulous that any company, especially a company of the size of Wal-Mart, would allow people to do this," McLain said today. "I can't believe that they had the audacity to do this."
-Erv McLain, Attorney representing current and former employees at a Pennsylvania Wal-Mart, alleging that Wal-Mart had authorized surveillance video-taping of an employee/customer uni-sex restroom.

The New Jersey Food Council here has announced opposition to a proposed $0.02 cents per gallon tax on all fluid milk sold in New Jersey. The tax was proposed last week as part of a plan to help the state's dairy farmers, who have struggled this year with a collapse in the wholesale price of milk.

A&P announced they will be offering coupons via www.coupons.com

A Wal-Mart in Pennsylvania secretly video taped employees and customers in the restroom. 

Is Walmart the future of Local Food?
One of the most important historic developments in the food economy is embodied in this statistic: in 1900, 40 percent of every dollar spent on food went to the farmer or rancher while the rest was split between inputs and distribution. Now? 7 cents on the dollar goes to the producer and 73 cents goes just to distribution. That’s worth keeping in mind when you read things like this:

... Wal-Mart, now the nation’s largest supermarket chain as well as retailer, has gotten into the local scene, embarking on an effort to procure more of its produce from local growers...

Read the article here.

Hannaford bought a former Stop & Shop in Maine.

Wine-vending Machines? Really?
Approximately 100 Pennsylvania grocery stores may soon be offering self-service wine-vending kiosks in a new program developed in partnership with the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board.(Image, Right, via ProgressiveGrocer.com)

You can watch Local 1500 President Bruce Both's speech at the Good Food Good Jobs coalition's celebration on FRESH here.

The Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Co., Inc. (A&P) has made a $20,000 donation to the “Table to Table” community-based food-rescue program to help feed the hungry during the holiday season.

Grand Junction Free Press in Colorado writes on some Safeway workers receiving a signing bonus for ratifying the company's 'final offer.'

NY Times: Former New York Times building to become mall, condos, hotel.

Tuesday Morning One LIners...

"Thanks to a classic display of cowardice, lawmakers failed to deliver the most basic labor rights to this chronically exploited work force."

-Editorial, in Yesterday's Daily News on the failure of the Farmworkers Bill of Rights.

Industry

Penn Traffic has named Price Chopper as a potential buyer for a handful of its P&C grocery stores, but Price Chopper says that offer is not current.

More on Penn Traffic: Quality Markets gets Tops' attention.

They're also [Penn Traffic] looking for $36.5 Million in Assets, Supermarket News reports.

Daily News Editorial: "Treated like dirt, again: Lawmakers let down exploited farmworkers for the umpteenth time."

Another report on King Soopers looking for 'replacement workers'.  (King Soopers and UFCW Local 7 are currently negotiating"

Details on UFCW Local 99's negotiations with Fry's and Safeway.

Walgreens' stores are looking to offer beer and wine throughout Kentucky and Indiana.

Walmart proposes more expansion in New Jersey.

Employees at a Wal-Mart location in Jonquière, Quebec who complained their store was shuttered as part of a union-busting effort have had their appeal turned down by the Supreme Court of Canada.

A new study released by the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union (UFCW) examines the Senate health care reform bill, and finds that a provision meant to hold corporations accountable actually encourages companies to duck their fair share of the costs of health care reform.  Read more at Fixthebill.org.

Politics

Same Sex Marriage fight heads to New Jersey. 

Yesterday the Senate Panel in Jersey approved Gay Marriage Bill.

Meanwhile: Joe Addabbo becomes number one target for Gay advocates, due to last weeks vote.

Robert Jackson's push to force a vote on the Small Business Survival Act has failed, the Observer says.

Other and Elsewhere

Martha Stewart will launch her own paint line at Home Depot.

The UFCW Blog highlights some UFCW made toys to give this holiday season.

Millions in U.S. Drink Dirty Water: "Those figures are particularly worrisome, say researchers, because the Safe Drinking Water Act’s limits on arsenic are so weak to begin with. A system could deliver tap water that puts residents at a 1-in-600 risk of developing bladder cancer from arsenic, and still comply with the law."

Monday Morning One Liners....Local 371 protests Fresh Market, more....

Image by Getty Images via Daylife

UFCW Local 371 is protesting a new Fresh Market.

Ray Venezia, a third-generation butcher and meat director for Fairway Market explains how to carve a turkey to FOX 5 here in NY. [video]

Police say a fire broke out in Wal-Mart's Christmas tree section outside their store in Westbury, Long Island.

Canada's top court has ruled in favor of Wal-Mart Stores Inc. in a dispute over union organizing efforts at a store in Quebec. Read More: [Bloomberg], [Marketwire] [Investor]

AP: Year after Stampede, Black Friday gets a makeover.

Newsday says that Security outweighed customers at Walmart in Green Acres mall.

DA: Walmart, peaceful this year on Black Friday.

NY Times Blog: Trader Joe's confirms it is coming to the Upper East West Side.

Apple growers upstate NY are leaving more fruit on trees than usual.

UFCW Local 7 members have began voting on their final contract proposal from Safeway, King Soopers, City Market.

U.S. retail shoppers spent about $41.2 billion over the four-day Thanksgiving weekend, up slightly from $41.0 billion last year, according to the National Retail Federation

Delahize closes on a Greek banner.

Penn Traffic Co. has informed the New York State Department of Labor that it could shutter most of its stores on Feb. 15, although reports said the company is still hoping to find a buyer by that time.

Local 1360 talks resume with Acme, Monday Morning One Liners...

Image by Getty Images via Daylife

Here's a first Grocery chains King Soopers and Safeway offered signing bonuses consisting of gift cards worth up to $1,000 to union workers in Colorado and Wyoming as part of contract proposals.


Local 1360 talks with Acme will resume today, after hitting a stand-still on Friday.

Penn Traffic Co. has sent letters to employees of P&C supermarkets warning of possible store closures. The earliest that could happen is Sunday, Feb. 15, 2010.
 
Wegmans Food Markets next month will open a stand-alone restaurant called the “Next Door Bar & Grill” across the street from its store on Monroe Avenue here, according to a report in the Brighton-Pittsford Post. 

Nearly two dozen eateries throughout Park Slope (Brooklyn), were found underpaying workers in the NY Department of Labor's random sweep of 23 restaurants throughout the area.  In some cases workers were making $2.75 an hour.

Marlene Lang of the Southtown Star thinks Wal-Mart got off easy in 'Black Friday death'.

Sources say Guiliani will seek a US Senate seat (Gillibrand), and if elected a white house run in 2012.

Another suit was filed last week to block the Atlantic Yards development in Brooklyn.

Democrats step up push for votes on Health Care.

New York City shed 15,600 jobs in October—including 12,800 private sector positions across a swath of industries—the worst one-month loss since December 2008, according to an analysis of state Department of Labor data.

UFCW Local 7, Colorado Contract Updates,

Image by Getty Images via Daylife

UFCW Local 7's contract negotiations have been an enormous struggle, going on for several months now, here's the latest news today...Also be sure to support your fellow brothers and sisters in Colorado by heading to their Facebook page and pledging your solidarity!


King Soopers told its unionized employees Thursday it will likely lock them out should grocery workers represented by the same union strike Safeway stores.

More and more reports of a strike looming in Colorado.


Behind the latest breakdown in talks between workers and Safeway.

NYC has new Health Plan, Philly gets four new supermarkets, Obama speaks at AFL-CIO convention, Wednesday Morning Read

“When labor succeeds—that’s when our middle class succeeds. And when our middle class succeeds—that’s when the United States of America succeeds.”
-President Barack Obama speaking at the 2009 AFL-CIO annual convention.

ShopRite, voted one of the best supermarkets in the nation.

New York City sets a new ambitious health plan, targeting smoking, sugary soda's and sports drinks and promoting more exercise... Including a possible ban on smoking in public parks?

Tariffs on Tires: President Obama took decisive action on Monday to provide relief to the domestic consumer tire industry in response to surging exports of tires from China. His actions will bring relief to many workers and their families and reverse course after eight years of neglect of trade laws by the Bush administration.

Steven Greenhouse of the NY Times has more: Tire Tariffs are Cheered by Union.

King Soopers and Safeway workers could go on strike as early as Oct. 6 if the grocery chains do not increase pension and wage offers in contract negotiations that have dragged on for over five months, union officials said Tuesday.

Supermarket News reports that workers will begin voting on Saturday on their "Final Contract Offer"

Meanwhile, UFCW Local 99 [Arizona] will resume negotiations with Safeway, Fry's & Smith's this week. 

The state of Pennsylvania may be supporting the development of four new supermarkets in under-served areas in Philadelphia.

A bill introduced in California would stop the sales of alcohol in self checkout lanes.  The Ventura County Star has a more detailed story.




Politics/Primary

Here is a complete list of results from yesterday's Primary.


Public Advocate: Mark Green and Bill De Blasio will have a runoff vote on September 29th.

Council Member Kendall Stewart is upset by rising star, community activist Jumanne Williams.

Rick Lazio, the former Long Island congressman who ran against Hillary Rodham Clinton for the US Senate in 2000, will formally declare he's a candidate for governor -- potentially putting him on a primary collision course with Rudy Giuliani.

Monday Morning Read,

Image via Wikipedia

"It was labor that helped build the largest middle class in history. So, even if you're not a union member, every American owes something to America's labor movement,"
- Barack Obama, speaking at an AFL-CIO rally in Cincinnati.

A new study revealed retail jobs are expected to grow dramatically over the next few years, which begs the question: will they be good jobs?

A&P plans to split stores into four store types, 
Over the next five years, about 100 stores will be converted to price impact or discount stores. Currently, around 150 locations are operating as price impact stores, with plans to add an additional 50. By 2014, A&P will have 50 or 60 discount stores...The announcement is getting a lot of press.

Workers at Safeway's Edmonton distribution center returned to work Saturday afternoon, ending a six day strike.

UFCW Local 7 in Colorado and King Soopers are still in a deadlock today, as their contract expired at midnight.

The Teamsters call on Whole Foods to support Health Care reform.

Time Magazine: Wal-Mart's new plan to crush competition: Project Impact.

Politics
Crain's looks at the tremendous growth (and power) of the Working Families Party.

Liz Benjamin of the Daily News, says the Working Families Party has a target on their back, as several groups are rallying together to try and reduce their growing clout.

Gov. David Paterson said Saturday that he won't support the Legislature's proposed ethics bill, which he says would be like "rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic.

Remember tomorrow is Primary Day get out and vote!

UFCW 401 workers need your support, Paid Sick Days will alleviate Swine Flu, Thursday Morning Read

"Many, many parents are worried today about keeping their jobs. They cannot also worry about having to stay home with a sick child."
-Councilmember Gale Brewer, calling for passage of a paid sick days bill that would let working parents take a day off to keep sick kids out of school, on CBS News. (From WFP)

CBS News: H1N1 Prompts City Council to pass Paid Sick Days.

WNYC: Officials say paid sick days will alleviate Swine Flu.

UFCW, Industry

More than 350 UFCW Local 401 members from Safeway in Canada have been without a contract since December, and are now bracing for a long lockout as replacement workers cross the picket line.
“This is not about money, this is about job security,” O’Halloran said. “They are looking for job guarantees to the end of this contract, and the company will not give them that.” Local 401 needs your support!

Meanwhile in Denver, Safeway and UFCW Local 7 are continuing their contract negotiations.  UFCW Local 7 rejected Safeway's latest offer yesterday which would not give most workers raises, and the offer does not eliminate a system that offers less pay and fewer benefits to workers who were hired more recently.  The 200 union members who were at Wednesday's negotiations rejected the contract.


The CEO of A&P has some "Fresh" ideas for growth:
Eric Claus sees a divided future in the grocery aisle.
There will be high-end supermarkets and value-priced stores but few midlevel stores, he said.
That's why the chief executive of Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea is gearing up to modernize his stores for price-conscious shoppers who have been stung by the recession.

The Daily News updates the Kings Bridge 'Food Fight', where another hearing took place Wednesday and discussion was dominated by plans for a huge supermarket for the armory, and its impact on the Morton Williams supermarket across the street.

Elsewhere, City

Stella D'oro will move operations to Ohio.

The AP says food prices are beginning to fall.

Whole Foods tries to win back customers by pushing more 'value options' during tough economic times.
New York plans on collecting 5 cents on water bottles next month.

Poll: 1 in 3 Young Workers lives at home with parents.

Curbed looks at the new Brooklyn Nets arena design.

And finally, Tom Suozzi vows not to raise Nassau County taxes.

Local 789 Pickets Trader Joe's, Fresh Direct launches seafood evaluation, Downtown restaurant underpays employees, UFCW contract negotiation updates

Image via Wikipedia

1,500 rally in Arkansas for Employee Free Choice.

Fresh Direct is launching a seafood evaluation system.

State Attorney General Andrew Cuomo says a popular Thai restaurant in Manhattan's financial district underpaid employees by hundreds of thousands of dollars, with some working up 72 hours a week for less than minimum wage.

Acme Markets and its 4,000-member union were back at the negotiating table Monday, three days after Acme backed down from terminating its current contract and implementing portions of its last offer.

A new round of negotiations begins today between Safeway and the UFCW Local 7, while talks with King Soopers and Albertsons remain at a standstill.

The National Retail Federation, the industry's largest trade group, is urging its members to publicly challenge Wal-Mart Stores Inc.'s support for proposals to require companies to help pay for health insurance.

Supervalu gave “false and misleading” financial guidance that helped retailer raise $1 billion through the debt market before a downward revision sent its stock reeling, according to allegations in a lawsuit filed here Monday.

UFCW Local 789 is picketing outside a Trader Joe's in St.Paul Minnesota.

A federal judge has given final approval to a $17.5 million settlement of a discrimination lawsuit that accused Wal-Mart Stores Inc. of not hiring black truck drivers.

Development
King Kullen: Hampton Bays Moratorium extended another six-months.

The Hyde Park Stop & Shop hearing continues Wednesday.

Politics

In a meeting with President Obama today at the White House, top labor leaders pushed for a second stimulus package to create more jobs.

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)

Proposed Wal-Mart in East Patchogue, BJ's to Brooklyn, Monday Morning One Liners...

Protestors slam the proposed East Patchogue Wal-Mart. [Newsday] More information head to the coalition website www.walmartli.org.

There will be a hearing on a proposed Stop and Shop in Hyde Park on Wednesday .Stop & Shop plans to move from its location at the corner of Route 9 and St. Andrews Road into a new building in the mall where the former Ames building is located on Route 9.

In an effort to acknowledge vendors and/or manufacturers for providing outstanding quality, professionalism and exceptional customer service, D’Agostino Supermarkets, Inc. has created the D’Agostino MVP-Most Valuable Partner Award.

BJ's Wholesale Club will anchor a plaza in Canarsie, Brooklyn.

Steve Forbes will be interviewing John Casimatidis this week.

Safeway workers across Manitoba voted 83% in favor of their new contract yesterday.

Politicos

Labor-Backed Contract Rules are renewed and advanced. [WSJ]

Peter King revokes his support of the Employee Free Choice Act.

Coney Island Zoning update.

NYC Mayoral race update, who will the Dems back?

President Obama pushes "Food Safety"

David Patterson's top policy advisor steps down.

Widen the wine sales? [Newsday]

Wednesday Morning One Liners...

Image via Wikipedia

Baron's says an Obama win may be bad for Whole Foods..

Whole Foods Market and Safeway Inc are ranked No. 1 and No. 2, respectively, on the list of "America's Healthiest Grocery Stores" by Health magazine.

The slumping economy is helping Wal-Mart in a bid to overtake Jewel and Dominick's for dominance of the $12 billion Chicago area grocery market, according to a report in Crain's Chicago Business.

Key Food Stores Co-Operative here yesterday said it has named Dean Janeway chief executive officer.
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Sam’s Club’s rotisserie chicken came out on top in a recent review of supermarket and club channel rotisserie chickens by foodchannel.com, the company announced yesterday.
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