Nonfoods

A slow economy, growing national chains, and a dire need for differentiation have retail executives looking favorably on store brands.

PHILADELPHIA - Responding to customer criticism and a decline in its market share, regional chain Genuardi's has launched an advertising campaign to apologize for changes made in its stores after Safeway Inc. acquired the company 21 months ago, the Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

VANCOUVER, British Columbia - LML Payment Systems Inc. announced that its subsidiary LML Payment Systems Corp. has successfully rolled out both electronic check and traditional recovery services to Grocers Supply Co. Inc. and 49 multi-lane grocery stores with 268 locations in the Houston, Texas area.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - Winn-Dixie is launching a new Baby Rewards Club that offers discounts on merchandise, entries into sweepstakes, and other special offers and incentives.

DELRAY BEACH, Fla. - Leading office products retailer Office Depot Inc. on Thursday said it plans to open shops inside some Stop & Shop Supermarket Co. stores.

CHICAGO - Wal-Mart Stores Inc. increased its lead over Safeway Inc. in the 2002 Power Rankings, a key performance survey that examines how retailers and manufacturers rate each other in areas that are most important to their ongoing relationships, such as strategy, service and profitability.

WASHINGTON - The Food and Drug Administration issued an alert Monday on cantaloupes imported from Mexico after four Salmonella outbreaks in the last three years were traced to the fruit.

NEW YORK - More than 130,000 visitors from across the globe embarked upon Paris last week to attend SIAL 2002, a biennial trade show for food industry executives.