Nonfoods

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- As dollar stores and other small-format value retailers continue to expand geographically in the next decade, the leading players among them will have to contend with growing pains, a new Industry Outlook report from Retail Forward suggests.

WASHINGTON -- The Food Products Association, a science-based food trade group here, said yesterday it has named Jenny Scott v.p. of food safety programs. In her new position, Scott will direct the association's food safety activities on issues including food inspections, HACCP, and crisis management.

NEW YORK -- Gristedes Supermarkets here continues to broaden its national e-commerce presence, most recently with Cubans--sandwiches, that is, in partnership with Freeport, N.Y.-based Roadhouse Foods.

EMERYVILLE, Calif.-- Peet's Coffee & Tea, Inc. here owes much of its robust sales growth to the supermarket sector, which is proving to be a lucrative venue for its branded premium coffee and tea sales, said the company yesterday.

RUTLAND, Vt. -- Vermont's biggest food show, the 71st annual Vermont Grocers exposition, hosted by the Vermont Grocers' Association (VGA), will take place Friday, Sept. 16 to Sunday, Sept. 18 at the Wyndham Burlington Hotel in Burlington, Vt. and the Robert E. Miller Exposition Center in Essex Junction, Vt.

EDMONTON, Alta. -- Planet Organic Health Corp., based here, which owns and operates large natural food supermarkets under the Planet Organic Market banner, in addition to a chain of natural health outlets across Canada under the Sangster's Health Centres banner, said yesterday that it has completed its acquisition of health food store chain Newfound Health, also based in Edmonton, which has 14 franchise locations in the province of Alberta.

BOISE, Idaho -- Adding more firepower to its premium store brand mix, Albertsons based here is rolling out Wild Harvest all natural ground beef products in its Philadelphia-based Acme Markets and Chicago-based Jewel-Osco divisions.

ZAANDAM, Netherlands -- Ahold will acquire up to 67 Julius Meinl supermarkets in the Czech Republic for an undisclosed sum, the global retailer based here said yesterday. As its first acquisition since embarking on its "Road to Recovery" three years ago in the wake of a major accounting scandal, the deal will increase Ahold's store count in the Czech Republic to about 300, and in Central Europe to approximately 520.