Walmart

In the midst of an economic downturn, even more affluent U.S. shoppers are reconsidering grocery and foodservice purchases, according to “Premium Consumers in the New Economy: Food and Foodservice, a recent report from New York-based market research publisher Packaged Facts.

Grocery retailers haven’t been spared the devastating effects of the economic downturn. The March 2009 voluntary Chapter 11 filing by Bi-Lo, a 215-store grocery chain based in Mauldin, S.C., illustrates the extraordinary lengths to which grocery retailers must go to refinance debt and secure their operational positions.

First, the good news: More than half of the nation’s leading supermarkets are making progress with increased sustainability in their seafood operations, according to results of Greenpeace’s latest seafood sustainability scorecard, “Carting Away the Oceans.”

One is the largest retailer in the world, the other a 12-store, northern California independent. But the one thing they have in common is a strong commitment to serve the fast-growing Hispanic community in the United States.

As investors and owners strive to value retail centers, they can draw on a correlation between college education levels, vacancies and gross leaseable area to predict performance.

A recent six-week fundraising campaign between Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. and the Children’s Miracle Network, an international non-profit that raises funds for 170 U.S. children’s hospitals, has raised $15 million.

Visits to two authentic Latino supermarkets and two national retailers with Hispanic-focused stores will kick off this year’s Hispanic Retail 360 Summit, being held Aug. 9 to Aug. 11 in Las Vegas.

Hannaford Supermarkets and Meijer, Inc. were two of the 63 large businesses that the National Business Group on Health (NBGH) honored as “2009 Best Employers for Healthy Lifestyles,” for their commitment to healthier workplaces.