Center Store

LONDON - UK retailer Tesco has introduced life assurance policies in 10 of its stores in Ireland as it expands in the personal finance market, the Irish Independent reports.

WASHINGTON - Nearly half of respondents (49 percent) to a new survey by the Grocery Manufacturers of America said a familiar brand name was the first or second most important element when making a purchase in the supermarket.

WILLIAMSVILLE, N.Y. - Frank Curci, president and CEO of Tops Markets LLC, and Rick Cohen, CEO of C&S Wholesale Grocers Inc., jointly announced on Tuesday that their companies have signed a letter of intent to enter into a distribution agreement.

MIAMI - Farm Stores Grocery Inc., the nation's largest drive-thru grocery, has completed the conversion of its 43 Miami-Dade stores to Express Markets.

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. - At its annual meeting on Friday, Wal-Mart Stores Inc. highlighted plans for the coming year, including a strategy to reach customers with deeper pockets and expand its offerings for young and trendy shoppers, The Associated Press reports.

WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, W.V. - Increasing product availability on the store shelf can boost retail sales by three percent or $200,000 annually per average supermarket, according to a study released today from the Grocery Manufacturers of America.

NEW YORK - PepsiCo Inc. today announced several management changes that follow the creation earlier this week of a new division combining Pepsi-Cola, Gatorade, Tropicana and Quaker Foods in the U.S. and Canada, The Associated Press reports.

DALLAS - Fleming on Thursday announced the company has been selected by Produce Warehouse Inc. to supply five supermarkets that serve central Long Island and Queens, N.Y.