Market Trends

KANSAS CITY, Kan. - Kansas City-based Associated Wholesale Grocers, which owns Food 4 Less, has said it will buy five Albertson's stores in Kansas, The Wichita Eagle reports.

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. and WILMINGTON, Del. - EarthShell Corporation and DuPont have expanded their relationship to a strategic alliance. Initially, the companies will focus on the $1 billion global food service wraps market.

ROCHESTER, N.Y. - Wegmans Food Markets recently unveiled plans to broaden their marketing area with stores in Virginia and Maryland.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - Winn-Dixie Stores Inc. on Wednesday announced that Frank Lazaran will be joining the company as executive vice president and chief operating officer.

CINCINNATI - The Kroger Co. today announced it has reached an agreement to purchase 17 supermarkets and two vacant parcels of land located primarily in the Houston area from Albertson's Inc.

PEWAUKEE, Wisc. - Milwaukee wholesale cooperative Roundy's Inc. on Tuesday announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement with Willis Stein & Partners, a Chicago-based private equity investment firm, for the acquisition of Roundy's.

AUSTIN, Texas - Whole Foods Market will receive a Regional Excellence award from the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), The WILD Foundation and the host sponsor Animal Planet for its 2001 "Fish for Our Future" educational awareness campaign.

NEW YORK - U.S. bottled water volume and dollar sales increased even more vigorously last year than they did in 2000, according to new data from New York-based Beverage Marketing Corporation.