Meijer, Inc.

DEERFIELD, Ill. -- Walgreen Co. said yesterday that it had named company president Jeffrey A. Rein to the additional position of c.e.o., effective July 12, coinciding with the company's next board of directors meeting. Rein will retain his title as president, while current c.e.o. and chairman David W. Bernauer will remain as chairman. The executive moves are part of Walgreen's long-range leadership succession planning.

HOUSTON -- The Network of Executive Women (NEW) based here and Western Michigan University's Food Marketing Program are teaming up again this year to present an executive lunch program, "Becoming a Phenomenal Woman Leader," that will include a leadership workshop and an executive women panel.

NEWARK, Del. --Through a sponsorship from Try-Foods International, Inc., up to 10 retailers will receive $1,000 towards their expenses to attend the 2006 PMA Retail Produce Solutions Conference (RPSC) to be held March 9 to March 11 in Houston.

GRAND RAPIDS Mich. -- Meijer Inc. here is among the finalists for two gold awards, in the Retail Advertising & Marketing Association's (RAMA) 2006 Retail Award for Creativity innovation and excellence (RACie).

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. -- Meijer, Inc. here is apparently adding financial smarts to the executive suite, selecting former state treasurer Mark Murray to take over as its president, effective in August.

Progressive Grocer places bets on which operators will merit headlines in 2006.

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. -- Let the 2006 mergers begin. Spartan Stores, Inc. here said it plans to acquire D&W Food Centers, Inc., also based here, in a deal that could add $200 million a year to Spartan's sales revenue.

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich.--In a possible harbinger of what many observers expect to be a wave of M&A deals in the retail food sector in the coming year, reports circulated in the British and American business press yesterday that Tesco PLC, the U.K.'s largest grocer, is poised to take a 49 percent stake in Meijer Inc., based here.