MINNEAPOLIS -- Supervalu here is budgeting $440 million for capital expenditures this year, including $45 million for capital leases. The company declined to provide actual capital expenditures for last year. However, this year's cap-ex is down 12% from the $500 million projected for last year, which included a projected $32 million in capital leases.
This year, Supervalu also plans to provide up to $150 million to support store development and financing for its 4,100 independent retailers -- the same amount planned a year ago. It is slated to spend about $243 million for its food distribution segment. Two perishables facility expansions -- 258,000 square feet in Tacoma, Wash., and 90,000 square feet in St. Louis -- for $171 million are planned in this year's budget. Also included are normal replacement spending and $72 million for the company's Advantage project, including construction of a new Midwest regional distribution center. For retail capital expenditures, Supervalu budgeted $166 million this year, which includes at least 29 new corporate retail stores: 19 Save-A-Lot limited-assortment stores, three Shop 'n Save price superstores, three Cub Foods stores (plus one relocation), one Scott's, one bigg's and one Laneco food store.
The company also expects to open 80 licensed Save-A-Lot units and five new franchised Cubs this year; last year, 46 licensed Save-A-Lots and two franchised Cubs were opened. Also last year, four Cub corporate stores were added, and an equal number of Save-A-Lot corporate stores were opened and closed.