Retail

NEW YORK - Dutch supermarkets group Koninklijke Ahold NV was given approval from the Federal Trade Commission on Friday to buy Bruno's Supermarkets Inc., but the company was told it must close two of its own regional groceries stores in two Georgia towns, Reuters reports.

MAHWAH, N.J. - Novadigm Inc., provider of adaptive management solutions for software and content in enterprise and Internet environments, today announced that 7-Eleven Inc. has implemented Novadigm's e-wrap technology to automate the management of server-based software that powers retail systems in its chain of 5,300 U.S. convenience stores.

BOISE, Idaho - Albertson's Inc. today said that it will sell 80 of its Osco Drug stores in New England to privately held Maxi Drug Inc., which does business as Brooks Pharmacy, for $240 million, The Associated Press reports.

NEW YORK - U.S. retailers reported the weakest sales growth for November since the recession of 1990, Reuters reports.

CARTERET, N.J. - Pathmark Stores Inc. today reported results for its third quarter and nine-month period ended Nov. 3, 2001. Sales for the third quarter of fiscal 2001 were $985.9 million, up 5.2% from the $937.1 million in the prior year third quarter.

CITY OF COMMERCE, Calif. - BMK Inc., one of the nation's largest general-merchandise distributors, filed bankruptcy on Tuesday, Reuters reports.

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.

NEW YORK - Internet industry executives said on Tuesday they expect online advertising spending to bounce back next year after a forecast 11 percent drop in 2001, only if companies work hard to win ads, Reuters reports.