Research & Analysis

NEW YORK - Dutch supermarkets group Koninklijke Ahold NV was given approval from the Federal Trade Commission on Friday to buy Bruno's Supermarkets Inc., but the company was told it must close two of its own regional groceries stores in two Georgia towns, Reuters reports.

NEW YORK - U.S. retailers reported the weakest sales growth for November since the recession of 1990, Reuters reports.

STELLARTON, NOVA SCOTIA and TORONTO, ONTARIO - Sobeys Inc., Canada's second largest retail grocer and distributor, announced today that it has entered into a definitive agreement to sell substantially all of the assets of its SERCA foodservice operations to SYSCO Corporation, the largest foodservice marketing and distribution company in North America.

BOISE, Idaho - Albertson's Inc., the No. 2 U.S. supermarket chain, today reported sales of $9.4 billion for the third quarter ended Nov. 1, 2001, a 4.1 percent increase vs. the prior year.

NORCROSS, Ga. - Tyco International said today its health care division is buying Paragon Trade Brands Inc., the largest generic maker of disposable diapers in the United States and Canada, for $565 million, The Associated Press reports.

INDIANAPOLIS - Marsh Supermarkets Inc. on Tuesday reported results of operations for the 16 weeks ended October 13, 2001.

LONDON - British supermarket group Safeway Plc is terminating its online order and collect shopping service, Reuters reported today.

ZAANDAM, The Netherlands - Ahold, the international food retail and food service company, today released third quarter 2001 net earnings of Euro 333.1 million, an increase of 28.3% from the third quarter in 2000. Sales rose 12.6% to Euro 15.5 billion, and operating earnings increased by 21.7% to Euro 667.2 million.