Perimeter

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Food/beverage/grocery online sales are expected to reach $6.2 billion this year -- a 17 percent increase from 2005, according to The 2006 State of Retailing Online, the ninth annual Shop.org study of online retailing conducted by Forrester Research, Inc. That gain is part of a larger trend that will see online sales will top $200 billion this year, Forrester said yesterday.

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Private label sodas from two supermarket chains were among the soft drink products tested over a number of months by the FDA that were found to contain the cancer-causing chemical benzene in some soft drinks, but not at high enough levels to cause harm, the U.S. agency said last Friday.

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.

Varieties and packaging options keep the tea category steeped in sales.

CHICAGO -- A panel of culinary chefs from the Illinois Institute of Art here selected the winning recipes from among eight finalists vying for top honors in IGA's Hometown Holidays Recipe Contest.

Cramming higher quality, fresher foods, and better shopping into efficient footprints -- today's best c-stores are proof that good things come in small packages.

Manufacturers weigh in on the big ideas driving deli/bakery department progress.

It pays to check whether ethics policies are ingrained in your culture, day in and day out.