Supermarket & Grocery Industry News

DEERFIELD, Ill. - Leading drugstore chain Walgreen Co. said yesterday it achieved record sales and earnings for the fourth quarter and fiscal year 2004, ending Aug. 31. In addition, Walgreens announced its 30th consecutive year of record sales and profits.

BRISBANE, Calif. -- In an unprecedented effort to communicate the facts about its business and employment practices, Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. yesterday delivered an open letter to the citizens of California.

SALISBURY, N.C. - Responding to an urgent need in flood-ravaged western North Carolina, Food Lion and its vendor partners are donating and delivering a truckload of cleaning supplies and food to an Asheville relief organization.

COLTON, Calif. - Stater Bros. Markets in Colton, Calif., has added 20 tractors to its transportation fleet. The rigs were supplied by Sterling A-Line, a Willoughby, Ohio-based truck manufacturer that now accounts for one-third of the chain's fleet.

CHICAGO - Sales at the nation's restaurants and bars will improve moderately next year, but rising costs will temper the impact on profits, according to a leading forecast recently issued by Technomic, based here.

NEW YORK and LOS ANGELES - Diversified Business Communications (DBC), organizer of Expo Comida Latina (ECL) -- the only major U.S.-based food and beverage trade show for Hispanic foods -- said yesterday that the show will expand to San Antonio, Texas in 2005.

SEATTLE - Today marks the 70th anniversary of the founding of Associated Grocers, Inc. (AG), a full-service wholesaler providing food, general merchandise, and retail services to stores throughout Washington, Oregon, Alaska, Hawaii, and Guam.

Country of Origin Labeling (COOL) for seafood is set to go into effect on Sept. 30 without any further rules published by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, according to a spokeswoman for the McLean, Va.-based National Fisheries Institute. Following are some questions and answers that NFI issued in its member bulletin.