Trading Partners

ROCHESTER, N.Y. ¿ Wegman's Food Markets, the family-owned 66-store supermarket chain that's a pioneer in the movement toward data synchronization, recognized business integration provider Sterling Commerce for its role in synchronizing item data with more than 100 of the retailer's suppliers.

MINNEAPOLIS - Supervalu, Inc. yesterday confirmed that it will continue to operate its Tacoma, Wash. distribution facility to support its strong base of independent retailers and extensive military business served by the Tacoma location.

SALISBURY, N.C. - Food Lion Supermarkets has signed a partnership agreement with Chicago-based CoolSavings, Inc., an online direct marketing and media company, to join the latter's Grocery Solutions Network, an Internet-based distribution network for printable and electronic coupons, as well as requested product samples.

WASHINGTON ¿ The Grocery Manufacturers of America (GMA) yesterday said Patrick Lehman has joined the trade group as its new director of federal affairs. Lehman will focus on a variety of issues, including food safety, appropriations, the security of the food supply, commodity programs, and other areas regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. He succeeds Dave Stafford, who left GMA to become a writer at MSNBC.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. ¿ The WorldWide Retail Exchange (WWRE), an Internet-based business-to-business exchange for retailers and suppliers, yesterday launched its data quality program in partnership with ACNielsen, a provider of marketing information and data quality/alignment services, and UDEX, a provider of product data cleansing and data quality services.

MATTHEWS, N.C. - Family Dollar Stores, Inc., the fast-growing North Carolina-based discount store chain, opened 44 stores during the four-week period ended July 31, bringing the chain's total to 5,358. Next month the value retailer will open 109 stores -- the most ever opened by the company in a single month.

IRVINE, Calif. - The recent headline-grabbing food-tampering incident at a Ralph's here, involving baby food adulterated with a potentially deadly substance, has sparked consumer fears about the safety of products on grocery shelves, but retailers operating in areas close to the affected store are quick to reassure the public that they're serious about keeping such already rare incidences to an absolute minimum.

As more retailers put loss prevention at the forefront, they'll need to rely on a mix of new technology and basic training -- with commitment from the executive suite down to the checkout line.