Perimeter

STELLARTON, N.S. -- In what the retailer is touting as a first for Canadian private label brands on a national level, Sobeys, Inc. here yesterday said it had expanded its private label portfolio, Compliments, to include a line of good-for-you products, known as Compliments balance-équilibre. All Compliments balance-équilibre items sport the Health Check symbol under the aegis of the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada.

With Wal-Mart gung ho on organics, suppliers and retailers alike will need to rethink their strategies.

Giant Eagle's evolving cheese shops use sharp assortments to lure customers.

A new program from Glaceau hopes to educate young consumers on the benefits of healthful consumption.

PITTSBURGH -- Giant Eagle, Inc. here debuted a 5,000-square-foot, new concept GetGo "superette" in Wilkinsburg, featuring an expanded selection of more than 100 produce items.

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Food/beverage/grocery online sales are expected to reach $6.2 billion this year -- a 17 percent increase from 2005, according to The 2006 State of Retailing Online, the ninth annual Shop.org study of online retailing conducted by Forrester Research, Inc. That gain is part of a larger trend that will see online sales will top $200 billion this year, Forrester said yesterday.

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Private label sodas from two supermarket chains were among the soft drink products tested over a number of months by the FDA that were found to contain the cancer-causing chemical benzene in some soft drinks, but not at high enough levels to cause harm, the U.S. agency said last Friday.

QUINCY, Mass. -- Faced by days of record rainfall and what's being called the worst flooding in the region in 70 years, Stop & Shop, based here, has remained a steadfast presence: Not one of the retailer's stores have closed since the downpour started, the company reported.