Trading Partners

BENTONVILLE, Ark. -- Further legitimizing its commitment to supplier diversity, Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. said it will invest $25 million to establish a private equity fund that will directly issue equity investments in up to nine women- and minority-owned business enterprises. The world's largest retailer unveiled the new fund on Monday at the 2005 National Association of Investment Companies (NAIC) conference in San Diego.

TAMPA, Fla. ¿ Paskert Distribution Co., a family-owned ethnic and specialty food distributor based here, has expanded its distribution area to include the greater Miami market, including Publix¿ conventional units, as well as its Hispanic format, Publix Sabor.

SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- Green Hills Farms plans to launch a biometric payment system with enhanced loyalty functionality. The system, called SmartShop, powered by biometric solution provider Pay By Touch, San Francisco, Calif., uses a finger scan not only to pay but also to access customized coupons, promotions, and rewards from an in-store kiosk.

GRAND RAPIDS, Michigan -- Meijer here named Highline Mushrooms, one of the largest independent family-owned grower/shipper of fresh mushrooms in Canada, as its produce vendor of the year.

BENTONVILLE, Ark., -- Wal-Mart customers found items they wanted in stock more often due to the retailer's use of electronic product codes (EPCs) powered by radio frequency identification (RFID) technology, according to an independent University of Arkansas study's initial findings.

The inaugural Hispanic Retail 360 Conference instructed retailers on how to target, segment, and grow with this major, complex market.

Retailers are likely to bag extra dollars like fallen leaves, if they capitalize on an especially rich harvest of timely fall promotions this season.

As consumer tastes go upscale, sales of premium assortments of wine, beer, and spirits soar.