Lynn Perry

Saker Properties expanded their ownership of several ShopRite stores throughout Ocean & Monmouth counties by acquiring the Manahawkin Commons Shopping Center, this past December, for $36.5 million. This acquisition includes the Manahawkin ShopRite located at Stafford Square Mall and extends Saker's ownership to other ShopRite stores in Ocean County that were previously owned by Perlmutter, purchased in 2021. These include locations in Toms River, Lacey, Waretown, Manchester, Jackson, and Bayville. Currently, Manahawkin Commons has multiple vacant spaces, notably the large Kmart store that shut down in 2017. The future plans for the retail center by Saker have not been disclosed, as no official proposals have been filed with the Stafford planning board. Previously, there were discussions about filling the vacancies with major retailers like Burlington Coat Factory, Old Navy, and Ross Dress for Less. Manahawkin Commons continues to house several other tenants, including TJ Maxx/Home Goods, Regal Cinemas 10, Michael's, and Famous Footwear. Photo Creds: MCB Properties #CRE #NJProperties #NJRealEstate #NJRealtor #CommercialProperty

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The Kroger Company has released the locations of the assets they plan to offload to C&S Wholesale Grocers as they look to allay antitrust concerns over their proposed $24.6 billion merger with Albertsons Cos. The assets include 579 Kroger- and Albertsons-owned stores across 18 states and Washington, D.C., including 124 locations in the state of Washington, 1o1 in Arizona, 91 in Colorado and 63 in California. (To see the complete list, click here.) In addition, the list includes six distribution centers (two in Phoenix, two in Colorado and one each in Salt Lake City and Auburn, Wash.) and a dairy plant, in Denver. The companies released list about six weeks before a crucial court hearing is set to begin regarding the grocers’ proposed merger. Earlier this year, the Federal Trade Commission issued an administrative complaint and authorized a lawsuit in federal court to block the proposed merger between the two companies, which was first announced in October 2022. Regulators and unions have expressed concerns that the merger will lead to higher prices, store closures and job losses.

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This is a quick reference by consumer spend from Supermarket News. Across the U.S., the top five retailers for CPG spending are Walmart (21.2%), Costco Wholesale (7.8%), Kroger (6.9%), Amazon (5.3%), and Albertsons Companies (4.3%) This data from Numerator does a deep dive by US Region. https://lnkd.in/eYtynZRm https://lnkd.in/eutpUiku

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Meanwhile in CPG news... Kroger and Albertsons announced the agreement to combine in October 2022 amounting to over 4,000 stores, which would have been one of the biggest US grocery deals in history. Today, both retailers issued statements that will end the over 2-year saga. Albertsons terminated the merger and filed a lawsuit against Kroger for several breaches of the agreement including: refusing to divest necessary assets, ignoring regulators’ feedback, and rejecting stronger divestiture buyers. Kroger issued a response suggesting Albertsons had also breached the contract. #cpg #merger #food #retail #retailers

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Trader Joe's to open 12 new stores, following 13 in December. The Supermarket News Store map shows dollar stores dominated again in December http://ow.ly/pAQP105WeJV

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Kroger is the largest seller of Sushi in the United States, and it isn’t particularly close. Most consumers and many in the industry don’t fully understand the forces driving this business model. The “Sushi Model” in retail grocery is simple: outsource the supply chain and execution to a 3rd party who are experts in their field, and set the program to the closest thing to “autopilot” as possible. Retailers typically take in between 18%-30% of all sales on this model, with no exposure to labor, shrink/spoils or supply expenses. In other words, the gross margin and the net contribution margin are almost exactly the same. This Cost Certainty is worth its weight in gold to a retail grocer. When I was CMO at Lucky Market (before we were majority acquired by Kroger) Sushi was the most profitable category we had on a percentage CM basis, and we didn’t even manage it. We were one of the first retailers to try and actively push for more of this business by promoting $5 sushi Tuesdays and a variety of other dynamic pricing deals. With the rising cost of labor, we’re going to see more and more of this “consignment” model proliferating through retail grocery. In the near future there will be outsourced grab and go “concessions” of salads, wraps, sandwiches, and a wide range of other offerings. We’re also going to see collaborations between retail grocery and restaurant chains in this space, especially with better-for-you product. The likes of Sweetgreen etc. have a huge win-win growth opportunity with the right retailer partners #innovation #sushi #cpg Pod Foods Business Insider Dirty Hands

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Fresh off of its successful block of the Kroger-Albertson's merger, the FTC is taking action against Southern Glazers's on its pricing to Costco and Kroger. We need to be careful what we wish for with this type of enforcement of Robinson-Patman by the FTC. I'm all for supporting small businesses of all kinds, but we have to allow the laws of physics to dictate pricing in a free market economy. When I was a wine buyer for Whole Foods, I got a lower price for buying a pallet of Clos Du Bois Chardonnay than if I bought a single case. When I bought a 40 ft. container of aged Gouda, I got a better price than if I bought a pallet. When we bought a truckload of Georgia blueberries during the flush and sold them at 99 cents at Lucky's, we got a better price than if we bought a few cases. Likewise, when Costco buys many truckloads of a small number of wines from Southern Glazer, they pay less than an independent wine shop who buys single cases. This isn't unfair, and it shouldn't be illegal. Independent businesses and smaller chains can compete on great service, in house production, speed to market, local sourcing, differentiation, and exclusivities to create important niches for themselves and consumers. If we require manufacturers and distributors to deviate from the actual cost basis of delivering products and ignoring scalar economy, this will ultimately dive prices up for consumers and stifle innovation. Pod Foods #innovation #FTC #grocery

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Great summary from WireScreen regarding UFLPA. FloraTrace, Inc. can help you with brining transparency into your supply chain with our mapping so you don't end up on the wrong side with U.S. Customs and Border Protection. #supplychain #mapping #transparencyinsupplychains #UFLPA

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While market dynamics for all grocers are more challenging than ever, consumers are likely to benefit from the improved value, variety, and service offerings as businesses strive to adapt and thrive in a hyper-competitive Connecticut food frontier. 🤠 🛒 🍷 #ShopSmartCT #MarketMakeover #GroceryGameChanger

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When Craveworthy Brands acquired Untamed Brands a couple months ago, culinary and supply chain expert Becca McIntyre got thrown into a "melting pot." Last week, Bret Thorn was on Nation's Restaurant News' Extra Serving podcast with Becca talking how acquisitions impact her areas of the business (https://lnkd.in/erC95cea). And by the way, Craveworthy's #restaurants use Toast. If you have it stacked right, #technology is a major advantage in navigating the complexities of culinary and supply chain management. For #culinary teams, preparing the right amount saves #food costs, and streamlining prep schedules does the same for #labor & #operations. Accurate #forecasting optimizes these things, while maintaining quality. #Supply chain experts ensure that the right ingredients are available at the right time. In cases like this, ordering the right amount can be especially similar to prepping the right amount (again IF you have the right technology). ClearCOGS helps with all of this, by turning data into actionable insights. We bridge the gap between culinary creativity and supply chain efficiency. What strategic advantage is your cutting edge in this rapidly evolving industry?

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Regional grocer Weis Markets Inc. has reported its financial results for the 13-week second quarter and 26-week year-to-date period ended June 29. For Q2, net sales totaled $1.18 billion, only 0.2% up from last year. The company estimated that its net sales were negatively affected by $14.0 million, or 1.2%, because of the Easter holiday occurring in Q1 of 2024 compared with Q2 in 2023. During its latest quarter, Weis Markets’ comparable-store sales rose 0.5% on an individual year-over-year basis and increased 4.0% on a two-year stacked basis. The Mid-Atlantic food retailer’s net income totaled $26.26 million, compared with $34.27 million in 2023, dropping 23.4%. Q2 earnings per share totaled 98 cents, compared to $1.27 per share in 2023.

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The retail industry is undergoing a transformation and Sam's Club is leading the way with AI-powered receipt verification technology. This breakthrough has significant implications for the industry, from enhancing customer experiences to streamlining operations. The success of Sam's Club's implementation is likely to put pressure on other retailers to adopt similar systems. By equipping self-checkout systems with computer vision technology, items can be monitored as they are scanned, ensuring accuracy and reducing the need for manual oversight. This could lead to faster and more efficient self-checkout experiences for customers. Competitors like Costco may feel the need to follow suit in adopting similar technology to remain competitive. Fast exit experiences are a key factor in customer satisfaction, and if Sam's Club's implementation proves successful in improving efficiency and member satisfaction, other wholesale retailers are likely to explore similar solutions. Sam's Club's deployment of AI-powered exit technology is a testament to the potential of AI to revolutionize the retail experience from checkout to supply chain management. As retailers continue to innovate in response to changing consumer expectations, AI is likely to play an increasingly central role in shaping the future of retail. Thanks to The Produce News for the article. This is certainly an interesting development for the industry. Link to the article: https://lnkd.in/ga5hzp3V #produceindustry #producelife #eatfresh #freshproduce #wholesaledistribution #eatyourveggies #freshfood #organics #retailindustry #grocerystores #fruitsandvegetables #thankafarmer #rosstheproduceboss #organics #distribution #food #produce #fruits #veggies #lovewhatyoudo #freshfruits #freshvegetables #eathealthy #groceryretail #foodbusiness

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Will Valentine’s Day Be Void of Chocolate? 🍫 When I was a kid, we would give heart-shaped boxes of chocolate to the people we were pursuing. Chocolates were always the cost-effective gift to say, “I think you are swell.” As you can imagine, I had no game as a teenager. Last year at Expo West in Anaheim, I discussed how the cocoa powder issue wasn’t going to go away, and based on the conversations we have had with industry insiders, 2025 will be worse than last year. Our Pomegranate Extract is a mechanical extract, UpCycle certified, and can replace up to 25% of cocoa in brownies, chocolate cake, chocolate milk, chocolate ice cream, etc. If you are using cocoa and are looking for a solution that reduces costs while adding an ingredient you can feel good about, please reach out to me so we can support your efforts. We don’t want to leave anyone with a broken heart on February 14th. ;-) P.S. ♻️ Repost this so we can all grow faster – together. *This content is for informational and educational purposes only. It is not intended to provide medical advice or to take the place of such advice or treatment from a personal physician. https://lnkd.in/ghKypTN9

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Certain new technology just makes sense and hits one in the face. Consider these new Electronic Shelf Labels for info AND for BOPIS/BOPAC…

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❌ 50% of shoppers have left a store because a product they wanted was out-of-stock ❌ 1/3 of shoppers will leave if 2 items are out-of-stock  ❌ 2/3 of shoppers will leave if 3 items are out-of-stock When shelves are empty, nobody is making money. Inefficient communication systems amongst retailers, distributors, and manufacturers create an out-of-stock problem. Make solving out-of-stock management a thing of the past with Pipeline by Tactiq. For more details, visit the Pipeline page https://loom.ly/BBIpqXU #Tactiqtech #dsdoperations #WinRetail

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Specialty retailer Sprouts Farmers Market delivered impressive financial results for its first quarter ended March 31. Sales grew by 9%, with comparable-store sales increasing 4% and diluted earnings per share jumping 14%, compared with adjusted diluted earnings per share in the same period last year. store growth, the organic grocer opened seven new stores, ending the quarter with 414 locations across 23 states. It's on track to open approximately 35 stores by the end of the year. In June, it will introduce two new stores in Philadelphia, and one in Cliffwood, N.J. new store builds will continue to be based on Sprouts’ smaller-format design concept, measuring approximately 23,000 square feet. the company's gross margin in Q1 was 38.3%, an increase of approximately 80 basis points. “This improvement was primarily due to a significant turnaround in our fresh shrink performance Ryan Gomes Larry Finis Gregory Esslinger Holly Newberry Lauren Anderson Mark Saucedo #nynjfoodguru https://lnkd.in/eAe-y9ET

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Trending: Is 2U Just Another Pets.com In Slow Motion? -- 2U has lost money in each of its nine years as a public company, with its total deficit surpassing $1.2 billion in the last 5 years. In the past ten years alone, 2U spent $2.6 billion on sales and marketing, roughly 49% of all its revenue https://lnkd.in/e2PGTv2b #onlinemba #onlineeducation #OPM 2U

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The payment of impact fees, without any evidence of actual impacts, has been devastating for our business, particularly when the payment of others in Haverhill is not being enforced. One operator has paid zero fees. As Haverhill’s only economic-empowerment operator, I find it astonishing that Stem Haverhill is the ONLY operator that’s paid 100% of these fees. Read more —- Haverhill can and should be following the example of leaders around the state by returning these unjust fees, which represent a pay to play system where only well capitalized, corporate cannabis operators will be able to stay afloat. Melinda Barrett Andy X. Vargas Lori Trahan Pavel Payano Ryan Hamilton Barry Finegold

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KFC’s largest domestic franchisee’s restructuring leads to HQ layoffs. KBP Foods’ footprint has grown to more than 1,000 restaurants, including KFC, Taco Bell, Arby's, and most recently, SONIC Drive-In http://ow.ly/Yg0Z105PcLR

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