Research & Analysis

BOISE, Idaho -- Albertsons, Inc. here today said its second quarter sales reached $9.053 billion, an increase of $112 million over the $8.941 billion for the same period last year. However, comparable store sales declined 0.9 percent, while identical store sales declined 1.3 percent. During the period earnings per diluted share were 44 cents, exceeding the First Call Consensus of industry analysts.

WAUKESHA, Wis. -- The former Fleming Cos. warehouse here will likely close this month after the facility is sold to Supervalu, a union official has told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

ZAANDAM, The Netherlands -- Royal Ahold is scaling back on its global ambitions, working to rebuild its tarnished U.S. Foodservice unit, and concentrating on achieving synergies in its supermarket operations, Anders Moberg, Ahold's c.e.o., told shareholders at today's annual meeting.

Rochester, N.Y. -- Wegmans Food Markets, Inc. has stopped accepting computer-generated coupons because of fraud concerns. "In recent months, this problem has surfaced and grown rapidly across the country," said Wegmans spokeswoman Jo Natale.

BOISE, Idaho -- Office Depot, Inc., a Delray beach, Fla.-based reseller of office products, and Albertsons today announced a retailing agreement in which Office Depot initially will provide office and school supplies to 18 Albertsons stores in three markets (Chicago, Los Angeles, and Phoenix).

BRUSSELS, Belgium -- Delhaize Group, the Belgian international food retailer, announced today it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire 43 Harveys supermarkets located in central and south Georgia and the Tallahassee, Fla. area.

St. Paul, Minn. -- SPS Commerce, a provider of hosted supply chain integration services for the retail industry, today announced continued growth in the grocery sector with the addition of 10 grocery retailers to its network during the third quarter of 2003.

NORFOLK, Neb. -- After more than a half-century with Affiliated Foods Midwest, Virgil Froehlich, c.e.o., has announced his plans to retire effective Jan. 1, the Sioux City Journal reports.