Ahold Delhaize

BRUSSELS, Belgium - Global retailer Delhaize Group, parent company of Food Lion, Kash n' Karry/Sweetbay, and Hannaford in the U.S., said yesterday that its U.S. banners experienced strong comparable store sales growth in the fourth quarter and for the year, although its fourth-quarter net profit dipped 2.2 percent to $161.63 million because of the weak dollar.

AMSTERDAM -- The Institute for Investigating Corporate Information, which serves as the disciplinary board of the Netherlands' Institute for Registered Accountants, has formally censured Deloitte & Touche accountant John Van den Vries for failing to fulfill his professional duties during the accounting scandal at Ahold's U.S. Foodservice division, according to published reports.

MONTVALE, N.J. -- The Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Co., Inc. confirmed at a press conference yesterday that it would indeed buy Pathmark Stores for $1.3 billion in cash, stock, and debt assumption or retirement, in a transaction expected to close during the second half of A&P's fiscal 2007 year.

LANDOVER, Md. and QUINCY, Mass. -- Giant Food, LLC and the Stop & Shop Supermarket Co. rolled out lower prices on bleach, laundry detergent, fabric softeners and other cleaning supplies Friday, in the latest phase of the Ahold-owned banners' Value Improvement Program (VIP).

LANDOVER, Md. and QUINCY, Mass. -- Giant Food, LLC and the Stop & Shop Supermarket Co. rolled out lower prices on bleach, laundry detergent, fabric softeners and other cleaning supplies Friday, in the latest phase of the Ahold-owned banners' Value Improvement Program (VIP).

SALISBURY, N.C. - Smart financial moves have earned Delhaize America, Inc. here an upgrade from Standard & Poor's Rating Services, which Friday said it was revising its outlook on Delhaize America to positive from stable.

SALISBURY, N.C. -- Last year was another period of abundant giving for Food Lion here. The Delhaize-owned chain, and its Food Lion Charitable Foundation Inc., raised and donated approximately $9.25 million for non-profit organizations in 2006.

SALISBURY, N.C -- Food Lion said yesterday that it was shifting five of its vice presidents into new leadership roles within the company, as part of an ongoing strategy to provide its executives corporate with "cross-functional development opportunities," and thus enhance its own pool of organizational knowledge and experience.