Center Store

HARLEYSVILLE, Pa. -- Retail sales within the consumer packaged goods health and wellness industry reached $68 billion in 2004, according to findings from the Natural Marketing Institute's annual research study of 2,000-plus U.S. consumer households.

WASHINGTON -- Food Marketing Institute (FMI) yesterday unveiled details of the 2005 FMI Show, which will be held May 1 to May 3 at the McCormick Place Convention Center in downtown Chicago.

HOWARD, Wisc. -- Discount store operator ShopKo Stores has officially entered the big-box drug business here with the grand opening of ShopKo Express Rx, a neighborhood drug store featuring pharmacy and typical front-end categories, as well as an expanded food assortment several non-traditional special services.

LEEDS, United Kingdom -- In an unusual move, Asda, the U.K. grocer owned by Wal-Mart, is lowering prices on selected fruits and vegetables in an effort to make healthy fare more affordable for budget-conscious shoppers.

GREENSBORO, N.C. -- The Fresh Market, a fresh-focused, privately-held food retailer based here, is embarking on new territory next month, as it enters the Indiana market on Feb. 2 with a new location in Carmel.

CARTERET, N.J. -- Pathmark Stores, the Northeastern retailer known for its commitment to urban marketing, has opened a second supermarket in New York City's Harlem neighborhood. The new store, located at the intersection of 145th Street and Bradhurst Avenue in Central Harlem, comes just over five years after Pathmark built its first store in East Harlem, located on 125th Street.

NEW YORK -- Retailers plan to focus on supply chain efficiency in order to stay competitive this year, according to new research by the NRF Foundation and BearingPoint, Inc., unveiled yesterday at the NRF Annual Convention & EXPO here.

ORRVILLE, Ohio -- J.M. Smucker Co. said on Friday that it has agreed to sell its U.S. foodservice and bakery products business and Canadian Gourmet Baker locations to Value Creation Partners, Inc. of Columbus, Ohio for $43 million.