Sales & Marketing

Jack H. Brown, chairman, president and CEO of Stater Bros. Holdings Inc. announced financial results for the 13-week third quarter and 39 weeks year to date period ended on June 24, 2001. Sales for the third quarter ended June 24, 2001 increased 5.4% to $639.9 million compared to $607.3 million for the 13 weeks ended June 25, 2000.

While some retailers have yet to embrace 3-D CAD technology, others are quickly becoming dependent on its ability to review colors, materials, fixtures, lighting programs, and even merchandising plans.

PepsiCo and The Quaker Oats Company said today they have received unconditional clearance from the Federal Trade Commission to merge. With the last remaining regulatory hurdle to the transaction removed, they intend to complete the transaction within the next several business days.

Food Distributors International (FDI) and National Grocers Association (N.G.A.) announced today that they are partnering with AmeriQuest, the transportation and logistics company based here, to launch a new buying service that will save member companies that operate truck fleets millions of dollars in lower prices and new efficiencies. The new service, www.foodfleetxchange.com, opened for business today.

The viaLink Company today announced that Unified Western Grocers, Inc., the largest retailer-owned grocery wholesaler in the Western United States, has selected viaLink's syncLink service to synchronize product, price and promotion data with its trading partners.

International Multifoods Corp. today said that it expects the Federal Trade Commission's review of the proposed General Mills-Pillsbury merger and Multifoods' pending acquisition of the Pillsbury desserts and specialty products businesses to extend to the end of September.

Unilever announced today that the sale of the Bestfoods Baking Company to George Weston Limited for $1.765 billion in cash has been completed.

In an unprecedented cooperative effort in health-care, 10 leading pharmacy provider companies have formed a new venture, named ArcLight Systems, LLC, that collects and reports up-to-the-minute information on pharmaceutical prescription trends in America. ArcLight ( www.arclightsystems.com ) is based in Dublin, Ohio and Paradise Valley, Nev.