Equipment & Design

WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, W. Va. -- The Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA) and A.T. Kearney yesterday released "Insomnia in the Corner Office," a white paper that defines the challenges and opportunities facing CPG executives. The survey found that nearly 30 percent of all respondents said their existing business models are the main barrier to growth.

QUINCY, Mass. -- Faced by days of record rainfall and what's being called the worst flooding in the region in 70 years, Stop & Shop, based here, has remained a steadfast presence: Not one of the retailer's stores have closed since the downpour started, the company reported.

NATICK, Mass. -- Food sales continue to help boost the bottom line at BJ's Wholesale Club, Inc. here, which yesterday posted March 2006 sales increase of 7.3 percent to $712.7 million, from $664.2 million in March 2005. On a comparable-club basis, sales grew 3.1 percent, including a contribution from gas sales of about 0.9 percent.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Winn-Dixie Stores, Inc., based here, and Sara Lee Food & Beverage will join forces with the School, Home & Office Products Association (SHOPA) Kids In Need Foundation to present the students of Greenlawn Terrance Elementary School in Hurricane Katrina-ravaged Kenner, La. with prepackaged boxes of school supplies.

TORRANCE, Calif. -- First the British, via Tesco, and now the Japanese; actually the Japanese were here first. Famima Corp., a subsidiary of Tokyo-based convenience store chain FamilyMart Co., Ltd., said yesterday it would launch the third of 20-plus high-end specialty stores in the Los Angeles area in 2006, as part of a planned major U.S. rollout.

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.