Supermarket & Grocery Industry News

ASHEVILLE, N.C. -- Southeastern chain Ingles Markets, Inc. said late last week that its net income jumped 72.5 percent to $9.4 million for the three months of its second quarter. Net sales were up 8.9 percent, while comparable store sales grew a healthy 8.0 percent.

WASHINGTON -- The board of directors of the Food Products Association (FPA) and the executive committee of the Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA) said Friday that they have agreed in principle to merge the two organizations as of Jan. 1, 2007.

ASHEVILLE, N.C. -- Ingles Markets, Inc. here said yesterday it has reached a settlement agreement with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) over accounting fraud charges. Ingles did not admit or deny the SEC's allegations, but consented to the entry of injunctions against future violations of certain provisions of federal securities laws.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- The Ohio Food Industry Foundation (OFIF) here has been named to the 2006 Associations Advance America Honor Roll, a national awards competition sponsored by the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE), Washington, D.C. The foundation received the award for its Retail Food Defense Preparedness Guide and CartSmart program.

AUSTIN, Texas -- Whole Foods Market here said yesterday it is getting involved in several AIDS relief efforts in the greater Boston area, where it operates 15 stores.

QUINCY, Mass. -- The Stop & Shop Supermarket Co. here said yesterday that it has rolled out its "Triple Winner Game," a program with the goal of raising $5 million for the Jimmy Fund and Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center to fight childhood cancer.

KANSAS CITY, Kan. -- Associated Wholesale Grocers, here has selected Edict Systems, Inc. as its electronic data interchange (EDI) supplier.

NEW YORK -- When the going gets tough, Americans stop going for take-out, according to a new survey conducted by ACNielsen.