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GIANT TO GO C-STORE TO DEBUT CARLISLE, Pa. Giant-Carlisle's new convenience store concept, called Giant to Go, is scheduled for its grand opening this week in Lancaster, Pa. The 4,422-square-foot store will offer a new kind of convenience store experience, Giant said in a statement, combining an emphasis on the fresh items and the quality of its Giant supermarkets with savings from its Bonus Card

‘GIANT TO GO’ C-STORE TO DEBUT

CARLISLE, Pa. — Giant-Carlisle's new convenience store concept, called Giant to Go, is scheduled for its grand opening this week in Lancaster, Pa. The 4,422-square-foot store “will offer a new kind of convenience store experience,” Giant said in a statement, combining an emphasis on the fresh items and the quality of its Giant supermarkets with savings from its Bonus Card loyalty program. The store will include an eight-pump fuel station and will offer the brand's Gas Extra Rewards program, which provides gas discounts for qualifying purchases at Giant or Giant to Go stores.

BI-LO GETS $125M IN FINANCING

GREENVILLE, S.C. — Bi-Lo here said it had received court approval for a revised $125 million in debtor-in-possession financing facility from GE Capital. The company said it had reviewed “several” DIP financing proposals from different lenders since filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection three weeks ago. “We are pleased to have reached this agreement,” said Michael Byars, president and chief executive officer of Bi-Lo, in a prepared statement. “The revised agreement we have reached with GE Capital provides us with more liquidity on better overall terms than originally proposed.” Several creditors, including Ahold, the former owner of Bi-Lo, had filed objections to the retailer's original plan.

PENN TRAFFIC CLOSING TWO STORES

SYRACUSE, N.Y. — Retailer Penn Traffic here will close two stores early next month, a company spokesman told SN last week. Employees at the stores — a P&C Foods location in Clyde, N.Y., and a Bi-Lo supermarket in Hollidaysburg, Pa. — were informed that the stores will close by May 2. With the closures Penn Traffic will operate 80 stores. The company earlier this year announced eight store closures.

MAGAZINE RANKS WEGMANS NO. 1

YONKERS, N.Y. — Wegmans Market, Trader Joe's and Publix Super Markets ranked as the top three supermarket chains in customer satisfaction, according to survey results released last week by the publishers of Consumer Reports magazine here. The survey revealed higher scores for service, checkout speed and store-brand quality than the last time the magazine ranked food retailers, in 2005, but consumers still logged complaints about long checkout lines, congested aisles and out-of-stocks, the magazine said. Other supermarkets in the Top 10 included Raley's, Harris Teeter, Fareway, Costco, Whole Foods Market, Demoulas Market Basket, Winco and Stater Bros.

BALDUCCI'S TO SHUTTER FOUR SITES

BETHESDA, Md. — Balducci's plans to shutter four of its 10 locations in the coming weeks, including both stores in New York City, a company spokeswoman told SN. “We are restructuring the company and going through a reorganization, and we decided to close these four underperforming stores,” said Jennifer Barton, marketing director for the chain. In addition to the two Manhattan locations, stores are also slated for closure in Ridgefield, Conn., and Washington, D.C. The six remaining stores include two each in Connecticut and Virginia, one in Scarsdale, N.Y., and another in Bethesda. Balducci's merged with Sutton Place Gourmet in 1999, and was acquired in 2003 by Bear Stearns Merchant Banking, a private equity fund now known as Irving Place Capital.