Retail Daily

United Natural Foods Inc. workers in Atlanta hold a practice picket as they await their first contract. Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc. explores divesting U.S. c-stores to secure regulatory approval for the potential acquisition of Seven & i Holdings. And Sycamore Partners is acquiring Walgreens Boots Alliance for $10 billion.

Seven & i pulls the trigger on several "transformational" initiatives, including a 7-Eleven IPO. BJ’s Wholesale Club continues to thrive following a strong fourth quarter. And Casey’s General Stores has a talking bean-to-cup coffee machine.

CVS Health is laying off 183 workers. The Wills Group will enter its fourth state this year. And Love’s Travel Stops and the American Automobile Association have partnered to offer fuel savings.

Seven & i denies reports that it will reject Couche-Tard’s acquisition proposal. Family Express is erecting its first modularized convenience-store prototype. And Target was hit the hardest by a national boycott last week against retailers who reversed course on their diversity, equity and inclusion.

Kroger ousts CEO Rodney McMullen citing “personal conduct.” Seven & i’s CEO is expected to step down. And Parker’s Kitchen has appointed Brandon Hofmann as CEO.

Amazon’s Alexa is getting a whole lot smarter. U.S. Consumers organize a national boycott. And Walgreens continues talk about going private.

Costco goes into expansion mode. Walmart experiments with gamification. And a takeover attempt of 7-Eleven hits a snag.

Walgreens enters talks with Sycamore Partners to go private. Instacart stock takes a dive. And CSP announces the winners of its 10th annual Category Manager of the Year awards.

HEB opens its ninth ecommerce fulfillment center. Gas Spot convenience stores in Missouri get a makeover. And chewing gum sales dip.

CEO of Albertsons-owned Cerberus Capital Management leaves the board for a post in the Trump administration. Garrison’s Convenience Stores purchases The Hitchin' Post. And the price of gasoline is up.

Family Dollar may have buyers. Majors Management has acquired four Mac’s Food Stores. And Target continues to face lawsuits following the retailer’s decision to scale back its diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives.

Loblaw expects its profit growth to fall below some analysts’ expectations. The New York attorney general is suing 13 e-cigarette manufacturers, distributors and retailers, including convenience stores. And Walmart released its fourth quarter earnings.

CITGO Petroleum is hoping to extend the reach of its CITGO fuel brand. Kroger is growing its delivery business. And beef continued to be inflation-proof in January.

Dollar General reversed course in January, closing more stores than it opened. The Hutchinson family has exited the convenience-store business. And Lisa Marie Dell’Alba, president and CEO of the Square One Markets convenience-store chain, died Sunday.

Food assistance is on the chopping block. Ten state attorneys general target the e-cigarette market. And Dr Pepper Blackberry hits store shelves.

Walmart gives 800 workers an ultimatum–relocate or find another job. Dollar Tree bids on 148 vacant spaces once occupied by Party City. And c-store chains Wesco, EG America and TXB go high-tech.

Stewart’s Shops is seeking a buyer for five convenience stores. Albertsons is reorganizing its corporate structure. And Murphy USA has hired a senior vice president of asset development.

BJ’s plans four new locations for the Dallas-Fort Worth area. NATO begins tracking retail theft in the U.S.  And Walmart collaborates with the agritech startup GreenPod on a pilot program that aims to combat food waste

Kroger eliminates about 200 corporate positions. President Trump puts the brakes on EV charging stations. And Maverik moves forward with its rebrand of Kum & Go stations.

C&S Wholesale Grocers nears a deal to acquire about 350 Winn-Dixie stores from Aldi. Farmers Co-op Oil Co. shares its growth plans. And Albertsons plans to lay off nearly 400 Safeway corporate employees.

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion policies have retailers in the grocery industry taking sides. Energy cooperative Farmers Co-op Oil Co. acquired 10 Cenex-branded FillMeUp convenience stores. And Anheuser-Busch’s CEO wants to change how American-made beer is described.

Erin DaSilva has joined Rovertown. Kroger Co. has entered a new agreement with Express Scripts. And Global Partners has made Fortune’s most admired companies list.

Yesway is selling its stores in Iowa and Kansas. Foxtrot is reopening its second Dallas location. And King Soopers and City Market workers get ready to strike on Thursday.

Retail operations scramble to address the impacts massive tariffs on Canada, Mexico and China will have on their business. Featuring Grocery Industry analyst Phil Lempert comments on the situation. Workers at King Soopers supermarkets in Colorado will start a two-week strike on Thursday. And three new foodservice products recently arrived in convenience stores. Grocery Industry analyst Phil Lemper...

Walgreens suspends its quarterly dividend for the first time since 1933. Costco raises wages to $30 an hour for most employees. And a new report shows the convenience store industry is shrinking.