Supermarket & Grocery Industry News

HUNT VALLEY, Md. -- Wegmans Food Markets, Inc. said yesterday that it would open a 140,000-square-foot store in this Baltimore area town on Oct. 2, the retailer's first in the state of Maryland.

ZAANDAM, Netherlands and BENTONVILLE, Ark. -- Ahold has sold its indirectly owned stake of 33.3 percent in the Central American Retail Holding Co. N.V. (CARHCO) joint venture to Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., the two companies said. The investment is Wal-Mart's first in the region. The transaction amount wasn't disclosed by either party.

STAMFORD, Conn. -- Global sales and marketing firm Daymon Worldwide here said yesterday it will kick off a high-level international event centered around private label, to coincide with next year's FMI Show in May. Keynoting the event will be Dr. Victor K. Fung, a renowned supply chain management expert.

SALISBURY, N.C. -- Cathy Green, a supermarket veteran who was named an s.v.p. of retail operations at Food Lion here just over a month ago, has now moved even further up the corporate ladder, this time to the role of chief operating officer.

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. -- Broadway Marketplace, a group of independent high-end specialty markets in one location here, will send special savings links to customers' cell phones next week through a customized, cardless loyalty program.

MODESTO, Calif. -- Save Mart Supermarkets here plans to launch a Web-based platform for promotion allowance management to more effectively collaborate with its suppliers, lower process costs, and improve communications with trading partners.

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Natural Products Expo East is returning to its roots next year, as the popular organic and natural products trade show relocates its annual East Coast expo to Baltimore, and simultaneously joins forces with the National Nutritional Foods Association East (NNFA East) to boost natural products retailer presence.

SAN ANTONIO, Texas -- Beginning in February, H.E. Butt Grocery Co. plans to handle it's own in-store food demonstrations, shifting the work from an outsourced marketing services firm to its own employees that it will train for the task.