Equipment & Design

CARLISLE, Pa. -- With one-stop shopping quickly becoming a growing trend, Giant Food Stores here and its Williamsville, N.Y.-based Tops Markets sister division are embarking on two new ways to add even greater value for customers: a new "Guaranteed Value" grocery and household product line and a new "Your Neighborhood Drugstore," concept for its heath and beauty care and sundries categories.

WASHINGTON -- The commonly used Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) will allow manufacturers and others to meet the record-keeping requirements specified in the Bioterrorism Act of 2002, which go into effect on Dec. 9, according to the Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA).

Exclusive-brand programs in fresh categories are paying off for retailers that have a clear, premium point of difference -- but they've got to hit the mark.

In a retail world of seemingly infinite choices, any channel is a viable option for the food shopper. Here's a look ahead at some of the most viable.

NATICK, Mass. ¿ BJ's Wholesale Club, Inc. yesterday said that its sales for August 2005 rose 12 percent to $598.0 million, from $534.1 million in the same period last year. On a comparable-club basis, sales grew 5.6 percent for the month, including a contribution from sales of gasoline of about 3.4 percent, and healthy comp increases of food.

General merchandise and HBC have gone from grocery's stepchildren to leading players in Stop & Shop's prototype format.

NATICK, Mass. -- Due in large part to robust private label and high-margin fresh food sales, BJ's Wholesale Club, Inc. yesterday posted a positive second quarter performance, although tempered on the income side by lower than anticipated profits on fuel.

NATICK, Mass. -- BJ's Wholesale Club, Inc. yesterday reported that sales for July grew 9.3 percent to $582.3 million from $532.6 million in the year-ago period, with grocery categories playing a significant roles in the gains.