Market Trends

ORLANDO, Fla. - Fresh Brands' executive vice president Michael Houser and Wal-Mart's senior vice president of food merchandising John Westling will headline next week's inaugural SAMMY reception here.

MINNEAPOLIS - Supervalu Inc. has reached an agreement to acquire Deal$ - Nothing Over a Dollar, LLC, a 45-store general merchandise retailer specializing in single price point merchandise with current annualized revenues of approximately $75 million.

LONDON - Shareholders in fast-food chain McDonald's will soon be given the chance to vote on whether the company should introduce animal welfare standards worldwide, the BBC reports.

Three major chains plan to save big with centralized perishables buying, but will their fresh departments start to look like clones?

LOS ANGELES - Ralphs supermarkets and Food 4 Less stores have partnered with the Girl Scouts -- Mt. Wilson Vista Council to help "Build Bright Futures" for girls in Los Angeles County's San Gabriel Valley affected by the instability and insecurity of homelessness.

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - Progressive Grocer magazine and General Merchandise Distributors Council (GMDC) will honor merchandising excellence in the General Merchandise categories with the second annual Pinnacle Awards.

LONDON - The Coca-Cola Co. is planning to launch a new vanilla-flavored Coke drink, the Financial Times reported on Monday.

CHICAGO - With assistance from supermarket industry experts, the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation (NRAEF) has expanded the ServSafe program to include a new line of training materials developed specifically for the supermarket industry.