We go outside the U.S. to Ireland and the Netherlands for the next two contestants in the RetailWire Christmas Commercial Challenge 2021. What is your critique of the Christmas spots from SuperValu and Bol.com?

The word “believe” is central to the theme of two separate video spots featured today in the latest installment of the RetailWire Christmas Commercial Challenge. Should selling hope be an important element of Christmas advertising this year?

On Monday, Supervalu announced that it had reached a definitive agreement to acquire Unified Grocers in a deal valued at $375 million. Will adding Unified Grocers make Supervalu a stronger wholesaler?

Save-A-Lot may yet be a player in the hard discount grocery market in the U.S. The chain announced that it has hired Kenneth McGrath, former CEO of Lidl Ireland and Lidl USA, to lead its business. Can Kenneth McGrath transform Save-A-Lot into a force to be reckoned with in the U.S. hard discount grocery market?

The word innovation has become almost meaningless in the grocery business. So what exactly would a grocery executive do if given the title of chief innovation officer? Pay attention to Supervalu because we may be about to find out. What are the keys to achieving true innovation in established businesses such as grocery wholesaling and retailing?

Supervalu has named Mark Gross as its new president and chief executive, succeeding Sam Duncan who will retire from the company at the end of the month. What do you expect Mark Gross to do at Supervalu aside from seeing the Save-A-Lot spinoff through?

Last summer, Supervalu CEO Sam Duncan said Save-A-Lot, his company’s answer to Aldi, had “great growth prospects” and that he thought the business was most likely to achieve those on its own. Yesterday, Supervalu filed plans with regulators to spin Save-A-Lot off as a public company. Do you agree with Sam Duncan on the growth prospects for Save-A-Lot?

Target isn’t the only retail store operator in Minnesota with data security issues. Eden Prairie-based Supervalu announced it too suffered a “criminal intrusion” into its computer network somewhere between June 22 and July 17. How do you expect consumers who shop at Supervalu-owned or franchised stores to respond to the news of the criminal intrusion into the company’s computer network?

Back in March, Supervalu made clear that its focus going forward would be primarily on its wholesaling operations, which serve roughly 1,900 independently owned and operated stores. That commitment was reinforced by the company at its recent shareholder meeting when discussing its recent acquisition of 10 Rainbow Foods stores in the Twin Cities area from Roundy’s. Is Supervalu headed in the right direction with its focus on grocery wholesaling?

Now that Supervalu has completed a spate of sales and acquisitions, the question is: what comes next? The company, which had shifted most of its focus to retail operations in recent years, has now returned to its roots in grocery wholesaling. What does the future hold for Supervalu?

Supervalu announced yesterday that it has agreed to sell its Albertsons, Acme, Jewel-Osco, Shaw’s and Star Market grocery chains along with its Osco and Sav-on in-store pharmacies to AB Acquisition LLC, an affiliate of a Cerberus Capital Management investor consortium. What do you think will happen with the chains and the new Supervalu following the deal?

When Craig Herkert arrived as CEO of Supervalu in 2009, he pledged to cut costs. Ultimately, however, the former Walmart exec failed. Now in comes another CEO, Supervalu chairman Wayne Sales who also happens to be the former top executive at Canadian Tire. Did Supervalu make the right decision in replacing Craig Herkert?

Grocery giant Supervalu is exploring a sale of all or parts of the company following on the heels of a quarter where same-store sales fell 3.7 percent and earnings declined 45 percent. Do you expect that the entire company will be sold or just parts of it? What companies are likely to be doing the buying?

According to a Wall Street Journal story, fresh often equates to high-margin in the area nearest the store entrance where shoppers often spend most of their budget and that “stores are finding that consumers consider even packaged foods placed there to be fresher and higher quality.” Have consumers changed their definition of fresh foods?

When it comes to private label packaging, white is the new white. White is also the new black, and the new yellow. In short, white is everywhere on new private label packages. Is signaling value over attributes such as quality becoming more important for private label brands?

In the tradition of restaurant chain dollar meals, Supervalu has launched $1 individual-size beef, chicken and pork items under its Shoppers Value private label. What do you think of food retailers adopting their own version of dollar meals? Will there be others rushing to emulate what Supervalu is doing?

With a new focus on the company’s private label program, Supervalu will replace individual brands for each chain with a single label under the Essential Everyday name. Is Supervalu’s approach to private label the right one?

Supervalu, which once had a laser-like focus on its business model with a “total commitment to serving customers more effectively than anyone else could serve them” seems unsure of what it is today. What must Supervalu do to grow successfully between now and 2015?

It’s no longer a question of paper or plastic at Supervalu. It’s strictly plastic at the chain’s stores unless customers bring their own bags or specifically request paper. What do you think of Supervalu’s plan to save costs on bags at the checkout?

Finding more heavy-handed price promotions and price cuts failing to drive traffic, Supervalu last month reported a “well under plan” comp decline in its third quarter, its 11th-straight quarter of declining same-store sales. What should Supervalu be focusing on to turn around its traditional retail banners?

When it came to the crucial but outmoded center of their stores, Supervalu executives realized that shoppers were drowning in merchandising messages, price promotions and other communications. What do you think of Supervalu’s attempts to de-clutter messaging around the center store?

In its inaugural Snack Down Survey, Supervalu found that nearly 90 percent of American football fans say they “never” or only “sometimes” feel guilty about what they eat when watching football games. How does the food opportunity around the Super Bowl differ from other holidays?

During the past couple of years, many retailers have invested serious time and money in private label product enhancements and innovation. The national brands, meanwhile, have been losing more and more sales…. Should national brands be helping retailers grow their private label offerings?

As a former executive with Wal-Mart Stores, Supervalu CEO Craig Herkert knows what low prices and a tightly-controlled selection can do. So, there shouldn’t be much surprise that his plans include a rapid expansion of the company’s limited assortment Save-A-Lot format. What do you think of Craig Herkert’s plans for growing Supervalu?

Many stores with fresh meat cases have instructed staff in proper methods of preparation and provided easy-to-prepare recipes for shoppers to follow. Are meat cutters a difference-maker in the competition between traditional supermarkets and discounters that sell only case-ready cuts?

Supervalu has named Craig Herkert, currently president and chief executive officer of Wal-Mart’s Americas’ operations, as its new CEO. What does Supervalu’s hire of Craig Herkert say about where the company is at the moment and where it would like to be in the future?

Last year, retailers fell over each other offering special deals for consumers who brought their tax refunds and/or stimulus checks to the store. Many were dubious, but based on the announcement that Supervalu is running a similar program this year, it must have worked…. Will the bonus of an extra 10 percent be enough for large numbers of consumers to bring their tax refunds to chains owned by Supervalu this year?

If we’ve heard it once, we’ve heard it a couple of dozen times. If gas was the reason manufacturer prices went up in 2008, retailers and wholesalers are wondering why they haven’t come back down. How is the economy affecting the relationship between retailers/wholesalers and their vendors?

The high price of gas and fewer dollars in their pockets has consumers eating at home more often while eating out at restaurants less frequently. Now, Supervalu is looking to give consumers 150 new reasons to eat at home more often with a line of restaurant-quality foods under the Culinary Circle brand. Is it a good time to reinvigorate meal solutions programs in supermarkets?

Why do it yourself if someone else can do it cheaper, better, etc.? That appears to be the rationale behind recent announcements from Supervalu and Procter & Gamble to go outside to have important functions within accounting and information technology (IT) handled by a third-party. Do you expect to see the percentage of companies outsourcing IT, HR, accounting functions, etc. begin to pick up? Will more of these outsourcing deals mean sending jobs overseas?

Supervalu has joined Safeway, Kroger, Publix, et al. to become the latest mainline grocer to announce it was coming out with its own line of natural/organic food products under the Wild Harvest brand. Is Supervalu too late to the natural/organic store brand party to gain market share? Are there banners operated by Supervalu that are a better or worse fit for the Wild Harvest line?

Supervalu was the target of an email scam that resulted in the company sending just over $10 million to bank accounts it believed belonged to American Greetings and Frito-Lay. What do you make of this story and what are its implications for the broad retailing community? Also, what do you see as the implications for suppliers arising out of this case?

Supervalu knows it has a problem. Too many consumers are choosing to shop at stores other than those it owns. According to a Star Tribune article, the company has pegged its recent un-Supervalu-like performance on outdated stores. The result is that the company has budgeted $1.2 billion to fast-track remodels and new unit openings to make it more relevant to shoppers currently in its stores and those going off to shop at the competition. Is Supervalu unique in its need to reinvent its stores?

Data synchronization is key to the efficient operation of the supply chain. In recent years, progress in the vision and scope of data sharing is driving a demand-based planning model as opposed to the more traditional push-based model. What do you think of the ideas presented in the article to improve data accuracy and overall data synchronization between retailers and suppliers? What hurdles still need to be overcome?

A year after acquiring Albertsons, Supervalu’s numbers are looking good and indications are that better times lay ahead. So, what is Supervalu’s secret? According to a report by the Minneapolis Star Tribune, Supervalu has succeeded in merging Albertsons into its business by going in with a game plan for integrating new stores and making sure it bought stores that were at or near the top of the market. What is your assessment of the job Supervalu has done in integrating the businesses acquired by Albertsons?

Thanks to the acquisition of Albertsons last year, Supervalu is the No. 3 grocery retailer in the United States, behind only Wal-Mart Stores and Kroger. Among the pillars driving its business development is having a superior own-brands offering. What do you see as the biggest challenges going forward for Supervalu in its private label program?

At least part of the question as to what Jeff Noddle, chairman and CEO of Supervalu, would do with the stores acquired from Albertsons has now been answered. Yesterday, Supervalu announced a $1 billion capital expenditure programs to custom remodel existing stores and build new ones under a new program it is calling Premium Fresh & Healthy. The Premium Fresh & Healthy program/design concept sounds similar to others’ efforts to upscale their stores. What makes it more or less likely to succeed considering it is a Supervalu program?

Glenn Backus, the general manager of Supervalu’s Sunflower Market business, knows it is no longer possible to fly under the radar when it comes to opening a store that sells organic and natural foods. Even with clear competitive hurdles to overcome, Mr. Backus and Supervalu are convinced Sunflower Market is the right concept at the right time. Do you see the niche of consumers who want to buy organic but find price to be a barrier as sizeable enough to provide a reasonable expectation of success for Sunflower Market?

In general, the food marketing industry has experienced sweeping changes in the last 20 years but, with the exception of food brokers, no segment has experienced more change than the general line or broadline distributors. Do food wholesalers, as we know them, have a future? If so, what form and function will they assume?

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has approved the $9.7 billion sale of Albertsons to a group of investors including Supervalu without requiring any assets be sold off. Supervalu’s end of deal will be completed once it is approved by shareholders of the two companies. What will Supervalu need to do once it takes possession of Albertsons’ stores?

Sunflower Market, Supervalu’s discount organic food concept, is looking to bloom in Central Ohio by building as many as seven stores in the Columbus area. The decision to open in Columbus, home of Ohio State University, is part of the company’s plans to open up to 50 stores in Big Ten towns over the next five years. Has Supervalu got a winner on its hands with Sunflower Markets?

Supervalu appears to be going the way of Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods, Wild Oats and others with a new organic and natural foods store concept under the Sunflower Market banner. The first unit is scheduled to open in January in Indianapolis. What is your reaction to Supervalu’s announcement that it will launch the Sunflower Market banner?

While it’s the nature of independent grocers to switch wholesale suppliers, the cases of two grocers demonstrate that finding the right trading partner can go a long way in determining success and failure. When Supervalu announced that it was seeking buyers for its corporately run Shop ‘n Save locations in the Pittsburgh area, the company said it was hoping that most of the locations would be purchased by current independents doing business with the company. How important is finding the right wholesaler for an independent grocer’s success?

Ask Jeff Noddle what he thinks about Supervalu’s prospects and he’ll tell you that the company is “very well positioned for the long term.” It’s dealing with more immediate issues that has his attention at the moment. Yesterday, Mr. Noddle and company announced that it would sell 20 corporately owned grocery stores operating under the Shop ‘n Save banner. From your vantage point, what has been Supervalu’s response to the challenging sales environment the company and its competitors face?

Welcome to Mr. Anderson’s retail neighborhood. The lesson for today, children, is don’t bet against Supervalu’s chief executive officer Jeff Noddle. As a piece in the Minneapolis Star Tribune points out, ever since Mr. Noddle took over the company from Mike Wright in 2001, he has made decisions that have been questioned by members of the financial analyst community. Who gets your vote for the best chief executive in the retail business? Why?

Supervalu has decided to exit the Denver market, selling off its distribution center and nine retail store locations, reports Reuters. What are your thoughts on Supervalu leaving the Denver market?

The Pioneer Press reports Cub Foods will open six new stores in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area by 2005. The new locations will bring Cub Foods’ total to 50 stores. The retail subsidiary of Supervalu is the largest grocer in the Twin Cities area with approximately 40 percent of the market. What are Cub Foods strengths and weaknesses?

Reuters reports Supervalu has reached an agreement to purchase assets of Fleming from C&S Wholesalers, pending that company receiving approval from a bankruptcy court to buy Fleming’s wholesale grocery business. What will the grocery wholesale scene in the US look like after the acquisition is completed?

Grocery Headquarters has named Supervalu Retail Company of the Year in its May issue. Jeff Noddle, chairman, president and CEO of the wholesaler/retailer told the trade publication, “We think that the diversity of the company is often an asset”. Who would you name grocery retailer of the year?

Supervalu improved earnings per share 16 percent in the second quarter of 2002 compared to the same period a year earlier. The earnings improvement was largely due to cost reductions and improved operating efficiencies. Are Supervalu’s grocery wholesale and company-owned retailing operations in a strong position, considering the uncertainty of the economy and the competitiveness of the supermarket industry?