Supermarket & Grocery Industry News

SPRINGDALE, Ark. -- The chief executive of Tyson Foods, Inc. based here said the company's "Powered by Tyson" marketing campaign has raised consumer awareness of its branded products.

SCHAUMBURG, Ill. -- ACNielsen U.S., a subsidiary of VNU, parent company of Progressive Grocer, said yesterday that it has acquired the assets of Fairfield, N.J.-based Beverage Data Network (BDN), the leading supplier of wholesaler sales data to the wine and spirits industry.

TORRANCE, Calif. -- First the British, via Tesco, and now the Japanese; actually the Japanese were here first. Famima Corp., a subsidiary of Tokyo-based convenience store chain FamilyMart Co., Ltd., said yesterday it would launch the third of 20-plus high-end specialty stores in the Los Angeles area in 2006, as part of a planned major U.S. rollout.

NEW YORK -- Featuring workshops and roundtable sessions to foster knowledge-sharing among attendees and an emphasis on best practices, the second annual Hispanic Retail 360 Summit promises to be the premier educational event for retailers looking to maximize their business with the growing Latino consumer market in the U.S., said organizers at the Retail Group of VNU Business Media.

CAMDEN, N.J. -- Campbell Soup Co., the world's largest soup company here, yesterday unveiled a major initiative to cut sodium in its soups and beverages. The company will offer new versions of its top-selling soups and reformulate some of its existing soups and beverages with less sodium.

DES PLAINES, Ill. -- Executives from Ahold USA and General Mills will lead an interactive discussion about Sarbanes-Oxley compliance, at the first annual Coupon Industry Conference, to be held March 27-29 in Washington, DC.

QUINCY, Mass. -- In celebration of Black History Month, Ahold USA and the Stop & Shop Supermarket Co./Giant Food, LLC will be hosting their inaugural Supplier Diversity Luncheon at the Quincy Marriott here on Feb. 22. More than 150 minority and women-owned Enterprises will be represented.

CINCINNATI -- The Procter & Gamble Co. here has filed a lawsuit against Vi-Jon Industries, a private label manufacturer of health and beauty products, alleging that Vi-Jon infringed and diluted the unique trade dress of P&G's Crest Pro-Health antiplaque/antigingivitis oral rinse, and also engaged in false advertising of its mouthwash product. The Vi-Jon product is sold in retail stores under store brand names.