Supermarket & Grocery Industry News

DALLAS - The Board of Governors of Food Distributors International (FDI) has approved a plan in which the association's wholesale grocery companies will join an umbrella organization with members of the Food Marketing Institute (FMI).

Maximize operational efficiency, consumer value, and employee satisfaction. That's all the Niemanns did in opening 22 successful new stores in the last three years. Simple, right?

QUINCY, Mass./NORTH BRUNSWICK, N.J. - Stop & Shop and Netgrocer, a nationwide online retailer and e-commerce service provider, are partnering to test Netgrocer's "Endless Aisle" program in select stores beginning in March 2002.

DALLAS - People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) launched its boycott against Safeway Inc.'s supermarket chains Monday, the Dallas Morning News reports.

WASHINGTON - A new report conducted for the Institute of Food Technologists suggests America's food supply will be threatened by dangerous bacteria for a long time as new germs arrive in imported products and microbes already here develop in new forms, The Associated Press reports.

MILWAUKEE - Customer satisfaction with the quality of goods and services available to American consumers in the retail, finance and e-commerce sectors rose during the final quarter of 2001, offsetting a drop that began in late 2000, according to the latest American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI).

NEW YORK - Fleming Companies reported improved fourth-quarter earnings on Wednesday, but the distributor said in a conference call that the impact of Kmart's restructuring won't be fully known until the company announces plans for store closings on March 20.

TROY, Mich. - Kmart Corp. is seeking an emergency order from a bankruptcy judge so it can pay companies that supply its stores with alcohol, The Associated Press reports.