Strategy

The purchase of O'Malia Food Markets by Marsh Supermarkets Inc. is now officially complete, according to Don E. Marsh, chairman, president and CEO of the acquiring food chain. O'Malia's will continue to operate under that name as a separate division of Marsh Supermarkets.

Furrs Supermarkets announced today that the sale of stores to Fleming Companies Inc. is projected to close onFriday, Aug. 31.

workers at Rice Epicurean Markets walked off the job and marched in picketlines Monday after contract negotiations with the supermarket chain collapsed.

Ahold, the international food retail and foodservice company, todayannounced its intention to appoint Dr. Cynthia P. Schneider, the former U.S. ambassador to The Netherlands, to its SupervisoryBoard. An Extraordinary Shareholders Meeting will be convened on Sept. 20, 2001, during which stockholders of Royal Ahold willhave the opportunity to approve the nomination.

Delhaize Group (Euronext Brussels: DELB; NYSE: DEG) will release its second quarter earnings on Thursday,September 6, 2001 at 2:00 p.m. CET (8:00 a.m. EST) for the thirteen weeks ended June 30, 2001. Immediately following, Delhaize Group will conduct an investors'conference call at 3:00 p.m. CET (9:00 a.m. EST) on Thursday September 6, 2001. The Delhaize Group management team will be discussing the financial results forsecond quarter 2001.

Flooz.com, a purveyor of online currency used as electronic giftcertificates, officially ceased operations over the weekend,according to its chief executive, Robert Levitan. It fell victim to asoftening economy and a sour investment atmosphere. But Internetfraud may have sped its demise, a person close to the company said.

HOUSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 27, 2001--Industrialinfo.com (Industrial Information Resources Inc.: Houston, Texas)confirms that Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (NYSE:WMT - news; Bentonville, Ar.) plans to open approximately 210 new discount storesand supercenters domestically in 2002.

The Kroger Co. (NYSE: KR - news) today said it is cooperating with a ground beef recallannounced by American Foods Group, Inc., a wholesale meat supplier based in Green Bay, Wisconsin.American Foods announced the recall as a precautionary measure after the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) detected thepresence of Escherichia coli O157:H7 (E. coli) bacteria in a sample of beef processed by American Foods.