Walmart

Sam’s Club’s Hispanic-themed Más Club concept will debut July 2 in Houston, offering a variety of products imported from Latin American countries.

Safeway, Wal-Mart, and Rite Aid were among the retailers recognized for their supply chain collaboration efforts during the Voluntary Interindustry Commerce Solutions Association (VICS)/U Connect Annual Conference held last week at the Orlando World Center Marriott Resort.

It’s not a good time to be a mid-tier brand, according to the IRI Times and Trends report entitled “The Value/Premium Dichotomy.” While some shoppers are flocking to value brands, others are still paying top dollar for premium products despite the economy.

Walmart U.S. said yesterday it would create over 22,000 jobs in 2009 to staff new or expanded stores in the United States. The mega-retailer is hiring for a number of jobs, including store management, pharmacists, human resource managers, customer service associates, cashiers and sales associates.

Wolfgang Puck Coffee, a licensed product from Beverly Hills, Calif.-based Wolfgang Puck Worldwide, Inc., has begun its retail launch by rolling out to 2,700 Walmart stores across the country.

The recession is taking a bite out of the once-hot 100-calorie pack business.

Sam’s Club is supporting independent convenience store owners during their busiest time of year through its launch of the “100 Days of Summer” program and a special membership offer, designed to help c-store owners make a profit, the warehouse club said.

Sam Qureshi has joined Williamsville, N.Y.-based Tops Markets, LLC as its new director of produce and floral marketing. In the newly created management post, Qureshi is responsible for the functions of the produce and floral departments relative to procurement, pricing, merchandising, marketing and advertising.