Top Retailers

CINCINNATI & CHICAGO -- Kroger has reached a long-term agreement with IRI that will enable the firm to provide the nation's largest grocery chain with market measurment serices that further enhance its "Customer 1st" strategy.

NEW YORK – Target is expanding its "connected living" offerings with the addition of wearable breathing and rollover monitor MonBaby. 

Manufactured by MonDevices Inc., MonBaby is a baby monitor in the form of a smart button that sends a baby’s stats to parents via a complementary smartphone app.

Walgreens' flagship Hawaii store in Honolulu is back on the market, months after a Los Angeles-based investment bank and wealth management firm paid $54 million to buy the property. (Pacific Business Journal).

SAN FRANCISCO -- Just in time for summer's long days full of sun and sand, Method is launching a new product to help consumers beat the heat.

Method Products has unveiled a new line of gel body wash. Enriched with avocado extract + vitamin E, the biodegradable formula lathers into velvety suds. Boasting four vivid fragrances—including longtime hand wash favorites waterfall (blue), green tea + aloe (green) and mandarin mango (orange) plus new addition lilac blossom (purple)—refreshing body wash is now available for $5.99 at Target and target.com.

Supervalu Inc. on Wednesday lower-than-expected profit for the first quarter amid ongoing efforts to spin off its Save-A-Lot division.

The supermarket operator reported a profit a profit of $46 million for the quarter, down from $61 million, in the year-ago period. Adjusted for charges related to the potential separation of Save-A-Lot and other factors, earnings declined to $53 million from $65 million last year.

Supervalu’s net revenue fell 3.9% to $5.20 billion.

Kroger is opening a larger format, called Kroger Marketplace, in the Memphis area. According to the Commercial Appeal, the Marketplace model adds departments for home fashion and design, bed and bath, kitchen and small appliances, apparel and shoes, and a Baby World. (Commercial Appeal)

The Minneapolis Star Tribune reports that Target and United Healthcare are among a slew of companies that are leaning on younger employees to keep veteran workers knowledgeable about technology, social media, and other evolving aspects of the marketplace in order to better engage and reach consumers. (Star-Tribune)

TAMPA, Fla. -- Independent chain Benzer Pharmacy has opened three new stores through its franchise model.

Franchisee Hetal Patel is opening a new pharmacy in Clermont, Fla., while franchisee Harry Patel, Siddharth Patel and Chetna Patel are opening another pharmacy in Immokalee, Fla. The third store is being opened in Poteau, Okla., by Jinal Desai.