Research & Analysis

LANDOVER, Md. - In the aftermath of an accounting scandal that has rocked its Netherlands-based corporate parent, Ahold NV, Giant Food LLC, has sold a package of seven premier strip shopping centers, each anchored by a Giant supermarket, to Edens & Avant for an undisclosed price.

MINNEAPOLIS - PM Beef has selected Digital Angel Corp. and IMI, Platte City, Mo., as a new information alliance partner to capture data from proprietary RFID and software products for use on cow/calf farms, feedlots, and PM's harvest and fabrication facility in Windom, Minn.

SAN FRANCISCO -- Heartland Soups, based here, and South San Francisco-based Marsha's Marvelous have entered into a strategic alliance to combine sales, marketing, and distribution of their fresh soups in the San Francisco Bay area.

FREEPORT, Maine -- Shaw's Supermarkets is asking the town of Freeport to change its 14-year-old ordinance prohibiting plastic foam packaging at retail stores.

BUENOS AIRES -- The International Finance Corporation (IFC) is considering putting up as much as 25 percent of the cash needed to buy Disco SA, the Argentine unit of troubled Dutch supermarket chain Royal Ahold NV.

ATLANTA -- Federal prosecutors have begun a criminal investigation into fraud allegations against Coca-Cola Co., including claims that the beverage giant rigged a market test at Burger King outlets to inflate the popularity of its slush drink Frozen Coke.

MINNEAPOLIS -- Nash Finch Co. posted a drop in second-quarter earnings, hurt by weak retail sales and fierce competition in the supermarket sector.

HARRISBURG, Pa. -- Gov. Ed Rendell has enlisted the support of several retailers across the commonwealth to participate in what he calls a "Golden Opportunities Challenge" to stimulate Pennsylvania's state lottery program.