Supermarket & Grocery Industry News

WASHINGTON - For the fourth consecutive time, Worldwide Food Expo, a trade show sponsored by several leading food industry associations, has been accepted into the prestigious International Buyer Program, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Commerce.

NEW YORK - Grocery distributor Fleming Cos., which has seen several top executives depart in recent weeks as it rides out a federal investigation of its accounting practices, declined to comment Thursday on speculation that it may soon file for bankruptcy, Dow Jones Newswires reports.

LONDON - Ahold announced on Friday that it has no fixed deadline for an internal investigation of its accounting.

LAWRENCEVILLE, N.J. - UCCnet announced on Thursday that Albertsons will begin implementing the organization's item registration and data synchronization services for its more than 2,300 retail stores in 31 states nationwide.

CHICAGO -- Shares of Nash Finch Co. rose more than 59 percent on Wednesday after the food distributor said U.S. regulators would not object to how it accounts for certain vendor charges.

MINNEAPOLIS - Nash Finch Co. said on Tuesday the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission will not object to how the company accounts for certain vendor charges, based upon the food retailer and distributor's oral and written representations.

AMSTERDAM - Ahold USA Inc., the parent company of six U.S. supermarket chains, has mounted a campaign to reassure suppliers and customers in the wake of a major accounting scandal at parent company Royal Ahold NV, according to an article in the Washington Post.

WASHINGTON - Reflecting continuing concerns over the direction of the U.S. economy, consumers are twice as likely to consider price as a reason for purchasing a brand-name product as they were a year ago, according to a survey released Friday by the Grocery Manufacturers of America.