Supermarket/Grocery

STELLARTON, NOVA SCOTIA and TORONTO, ONTARIO - Sobeys Inc., Canada's second largest retail grocer and distributor, announced today that it has entered into a definitive agreement to sell substantially all of the assets of its SERCA foodservice operations to SYSCO Corporation, the largest foodservice marketing and distribution company in North America.

BANGKOK - A Tesco Lotus supermarket in Bangkok was hit today by an anti-tank rocket that exploded in a nearby building housing the office of El Al Israel Airlines, Reuters reports. Police said the incident did not appear to be related to the conflict in the Middle East. No one was killed or injured in the blast, police reported.

PLEASANTON, Calif. - Safeway Inc. announced today the promotion of Bruce Everette to corporate executive vice president. Everette will have corporate responsibility for executing a range of business strategies and initiatives across Safeway's 10 retail divisions.

EASTON, Pa. - A real estate heir fugitive was arrested Friday after trying to shoplift a sandwich, a bandage and a newspaper from a Wegman's store in the Allentown suburb of Hanover Township, The Associated Press reports.

OKLAHOMA CITY - Homeland Holding Inc. announced on Monday its plans to sell 10 stores and close 16 stores as part of its reorganization initiative. The decisions are pending court approval and transaction finalization.

BOISE, Idaho - Albertson's Inc., the No. 2 U.S. supermarket chain, today reported sales of $9.4 billion for the third quarter ended Nov. 1, 2001, a 4.1 percent increase vs. the prior year.

LONDON - Online shopping in the UK grew 142 percent in 2001, according to research published today by retail consultancy Verdict, Reuters reports.

SALT LAKE CITY - Smith's Food & Drug Stores and Fred Meyer Stores have installed electronic shopping cart containment systems that create invisible "fences" around parking lot perimeters at their Salt Lake City stores.