Research & Analysis

ST. LOUIS -- Members of the United Food & Commercial Workers Local 655 will take a strike vote Oct. 7 after rejecting a new contract proposal offered by the three largest grocery chains in the area Tuesday.

The still-developing competitive picture in grocery wholesaling could be rosy for those with imagination and dark for the less creative.

Promotions, new products, improved quality, and a world of different toppings are helping sales of frozen pizzas take off.

ST. LOUIS -- Employees represented by the United Food and Commercial Workers Local 655 from Schnuck Markets, Shop n' Save, and Dierbergs today are expected to announce whether they'll accept a tentative contract with the chains, according to a report that aired on NewsChannel 5 KSDK-TV.

CLEVELAND -- Supermarket competitors Giant Eagle and Tops Friendly Markets launched a price war this week, but many customers failed to notice, according to a story in the Cleveland Plain Dealer.

TRENTON, N.J. - An ex-CEO and chairman of a New Jersey grocery cooperative pleaded guilty Thursday to plotting to cheat it and the Internal Revenue Service by disguising embezzled funds as business expenses, The Associated Press reports.

LONG BEACH, Calif. - Three of Southern California's largest grocery chains face a possible strike by seven locals of the United Food and Commercial Workers when their contracts expire on Oct. 5, according to local reports.

MONTREAL - Leading Canadian convenience store operator, Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc., said this week that its next acquisition would be in the United States, Reuters reports.