Supermarket & Grocery Industry News

COLUMBIA, Md. -- Rhode Island resident Brady Schofield, owner of Seafood Marketing Specialists, which supplied Ahold-owned U.S. Foodservice here, yesterday pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in New York to six counts of insider trading and one count of conspiracy to falsify records, according to published reports. After entering his plea, Schofield expressed remorse for his actions.

PITTSBURGH -- Giant Eagle here is beginning a four-week test today of a program that will award additional fuel discounts to shoppers at 81 of its Pennsylvania stores. The new gas discount pilot, Bonus fuelperks, will be layered on top of the regional market leader's existing self-funded fuelperks! rewards program, which gives Advantage loyalty cardholders 10 cents off a gallon gas at Giant Eagle's GetGo c-stores for every $50 spent.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Supervalu is now successfully synchronizing supply chain data with 500 suppliers using the Global Data Synchronization Network (GDSN)-certified 1SYNC Data Pool solution, the company said at the U Connect Conference here yesterday.

ATLANTA -- Now consumers can have a Coke and a breath of fresh air, as The Coca-Cola Company has completed its transition to HFC-Free insulation for 98 percent of all new purchases of refrigerated sales and marketing equipment.

MONTVALE, N.J. -- The Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Co. here has signed a three-year corporate agreement with Minneapolis-based Insignia Systems, Inc. to extend its participation in the Insignia POPSign program.

NAPLES, Fla. -- Need to know the weather in Chile? Got it. What about up-to-date growing conditions for strawberries? Got that, too. Global Berry Farms here, marketer of the Naturipe brand, has launched a new Web site www.globalberryfarms.com -- that will provide retailer customers with a one-stop fresh berry shop.

MINNEAPOLIS -- It's official: Supervalu here has completed the $12 billion acquisition of the premier retail properties of Albertsons, which includes Acme Markets, Bristol Farms, Jewel, Shaw's Supermarkets, Star Markets, and Albertsons banner stores in the Intermountain West, Northwest and Southern California regions. The deal also includes related in-store pharmacies operating under the Osco Drug and Sav-on banners.

EDMONTON, Alta. -- Natural and organic retailer Planet Organic Health Corp. yesterday closed the acquisition of Healthy's Nutrition Centres, a seven store health food store operator in the greater Toronto area.