Content about General

By Douglas H. Meal, David T. Cohen, and Lisa L. Rachlin, Ropes & Gray LLP

Retailers, like all businesses, constantly seek to learn more about their customers in order to serve them better. In Tyler v. Michaels Stores, however, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court recently ruled that a simple step taken by many retailers to help achieve this goal – collecting the ZIP codes of their customers at the point of sale – can in some circumstances violate Massachusetts’ consumer protection statute.
   

Des Moines, Iowa -- Kum & Go and Casey’s General Stores announced that they have signed an agreement for Casey’s to acquire 22 convenience stores from Kum & Go.

The stores are located in Iowa, Missouri and North Dakota.

By Eileen F. Mitchell, emitchell@rcsrealestate.com

New York -- General economic conditions, U.S. and foreign supplier vendor concerns, and competition/consolidation are the top three risk factors cited by retailers, according to a new study by BDO USA, LLP, a leading accounting and consulting firm. Rounding out the top five: federal, state and local regulations, and terrorism, natural disasters and geo-political events.

Ankeny, Iowa -- Casey’s General Stores said Thursday that it will break ground on its first site in Kentucky later this month. This store will be located in Cadiz, Ky., and will mark the 12th state in which the c-store chain operates.

The Cadiz store is slated to open summer 2012, and will be followed by additional stores in Paducah and Henderson later this year, said the company.

Casey’s said it also has land under contract in Tennessee with plans to break ground next fiscal year as well.

Wilmington, Mass. -- Trinity Building + Construction Management Corp. announced Tuesday that it has formed a new Canadian entity called Trinity Builders + General Contractors, ULC. The new company’s first project is a retail build-out for J. Crew, in Vancouver, British Columbia.

“Canada’s economy is largely driven by energy and natural resources and therefore has not had the tremendous downturn that we have recently experienced in the U.S,” said Paul Mancini, one of Trinity’s founders and VP business development.

Washington, D.C. -- A report released Wednesday by the Commerce Department said that retail sales were flat in August, the weakest showing in three months.

Apparel retail sales fell 0.7% in August, following a 0.3% decline in July.  Department store sales declined 0.3%.  General merchandise stores such as Wal-Mart and Target fared better, with 0.1% gains. Analysts said Hurricane Irene likely disrupted sales in late August along most of the East Coast.

Ankeny, Iowa -- Casey’s General Stores and Kum & Go announced that they have signed a definitive purchase agreement for Casey’s to acquire 22 convenience stores from Kum & Go.

The stores, all of which are located in Iowan, will be immediately rebranded to Casey’s once the transaction is completed.

General Nutrition Centers has dramatically reduced its energy consumption while improving store aesthetics by switching to LED lamps. The chain is in the final stages of completing a retrofit of some 2,700 company-owned North American stores. 


GNC has employed a variety of lighting technologies over the years, always keeping energy consumption in mind. But it came to a point where the chain wanted an even more energy-efficient turnkey solution, one that would reduce costs and add to store appearance. 


Pittsburgh -- General Nutrition Centers said Tuesday that Sam's Club will start selling a few of its products this month.

About 400 Sam's Club locations will start by selling two products, a 2-pound container of GNC Pro Performance whey protein for $18.09 and a 1.7-pound bottle of GNC Total LeanT Lean ShakeT for $22.98. Sam's Club will rotate other products onto shelves throughout the year.

GNC said it will work with Sam's Club to develop products specific to Sam's Club members.

Houston -- Centro Properties Group said that General Nutrition Center has opened a 1,600-sq.-ft. store at Merchants Park, in Houston.

Centro Properties Group, based in New York City, is the owner of Merchants Park.