Finance & Capital Management

Local 1564 of the United Food and Commercial Workers Union today announced that it had negotiatedto retain nine former Furr's supermarkets under union contract. Union President Diane Vigil-Kimberle said that Smith's Food and Drug had agreed to union contracts for seven former Furr's stores. Raley's markets has agreed to twostores under contract.

Ahold, the international food retail and foodservice company, todayannounced its intention to appoint Dr. Cynthia P. Schneider, the former U.S. ambassador to The Netherlands, to its SupervisoryBoard. An Extraordinary Shareholders Meeting will be convened on Sept. 20, 2001, during which stockholders of Royal Ahold willhave the opportunity to approve the nomination.

Delhaize Group (Euronext Brussels: DELB; NYSE: DEG) will release its second quarter earnings on Thursday,September 6, 2001 at 2:00 p.m. CET (8:00 a.m. EST) for the thirteen weeks ended June 30, 2001. Immediately following, Delhaize Group will conduct an investors'conference call at 3:00 p.m. CET (9:00 a.m. EST) on Thursday September 6, 2001. The Delhaize Group management team will be discussing the financial results forsecond quarter 2001.

Flooz.com, a purveyor of online currency used as electronic giftcertificates, officially ceased operations over the weekend,according to its chief executive, Robert Levitan. It fell victim to asoftening economy and a sour investment atmosphere. But Internetfraud may have sped its demise, a person close to the company said.

Laurel Grocery Company announced their continued expansion into Eastern Ohio with the agreement from several IGA retailers to form an ad group and be supplied by Laurel.

Candy producer Brach's Confections Inc.is starting the phased shutdown of its Chicagomanufacturing plant, sending pink slips to 29workers who must leave the company by Oct. 20.

IBM announced that supermarket chain Raley's expects to save $3 million over the next five years by standardizing its next-generation applications on IBM's e-infrastructure technology.

PublixDirect, the online order and delivery unit created by Publix, plans to start service next month in Florida and plans a launch in north metro Atlanta next spring, according to an article in the Atlanta Journal Constitution.