Trading Partners

El PASO, Texas - Big 8 Food Stores is participating in a one-year pilot that will test the use of new smart cards on IBM point-of-sale systems to conduct electronic benefits transactions for participants in the U. S. Department of Agriculture's Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) Program.

STOCKTON, Calif. - Wal-Mart opens its first supercenter in Northern California at 8 a.m. today. The store, on East Hammer Lane here, features more than 100,000 products, including general merchandise and a full line of groceries.

CHICAGO - Wild Oats Markets, Inc., a national natural and organic foods retailer, and Peapod, Ahold USA's Internet grocer, are now offering more than 200 Wild Oats branded to Chicago-area shoppers on the Peapod online grocery site.

Coast to coast, chains are vying to leave no Hispanic customer behind, but for the independents it's second nature.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. - Raley's will begin offering 100 percent certified organic ground beef in 118 of its stores next week.

Using a suite of hosted management tools, Pro & Sons Ranch Markets found integrating POS systems as easy as flipping a switch.

QUINCY, Ill. - Rich Niemann Sr., c.e.o. of Niemann Foods, Inc. here, has received the annual Varsity I award from the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana for his company's efforts in raising more than $1.1. million over the past decade through sales of vendor product at Niemann Foods' County Market stores.

Two tales about doing retail right, by differentiating.