Trading Partners

LANDOVER, Md. ¿ Giant Food of Landover's new Nature¿s Promise line of health-oriented private label products was created specifically to address Giant Food shoppers' demand for a better value offering in organic and natural foods, the chain said yesterday.

Wild Oats' new Holistic Health Centers make it easier for mainstream customers to try unfamiliar products.

TOPEKA, Kansas - Effective Oct. 1, the state of Kansas will put in place streamlined food safety licensing and inspection processes for grocery stores and other licensed food processors and vendors.

DEERFIELD, Ill. - Leading drugstore chain Walgreen Co. said yesterday it achieved record sales and earnings for the fourth quarter and fiscal year 2004, ending Aug. 31. In addition, Walgreens announced its 30th consecutive year of record sales and profits.

BRISBANE, Calif. -- In an unprecedented effort to communicate the facts about its business and employment practices, Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. yesterday delivered an open letter to the citizens of California.

SALISBURY, N.C. - Responding to an urgent need in flood-ravaged western North Carolina, Food Lion and its vendor partners are donating and delivering a truckload of cleaning supplies and food to an Asheville relief organization.

COLTON, Calif. - Stater Bros. Markets in Colton, Calif., has added 20 tractors to its transportation fleet. The rigs were supplied by Sterling A-Line, a Willoughby, Ohio-based truck manufacturer that now accounts for one-third of the chain's fleet.

CHICAGO - Sales at the nation's restaurants and bars will improve moderately next year, but rising costs will temper the impact on profits, according to a leading forecast recently issued by Technomic, based here.