Sampling

WEST BRIDGEWATER, Mass. - Shoppers can go to Shaw's Supermarkets here to get some food for thought, now that the New England retailer offers two magazines, one dealing with healthy lifestyles and the other offering advice on wine.

MILWAUKEE - Miller Brewing Co. will host off-premise promotions starting in January for its Miller, Miller Lite, and Fosters brands.

WASHINGTON, D.C. ¿ Plans are currently underway for the 2005 Annual Meat Conference, which will take place March 6-8, 2005 at the Caribe Royal Resort & Convention Center in Orlando, Fla.

NAPLES, Fla. - Delhaize Group subsidiary Kash n' Karry is debuting its new retail concept, Sweetbay, here on Saturday. The new banner will eventually replace all Kash n' Karry stores in Florida.

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. - Regional grocery and general merchandise retailer Meijer will be giving away thousands of diabetes education kits this weekend, as the company kicks off a month-long focus on the chronic disease that affects at least 17 million Americans.

A retail guru urges retailers to focus inward to make their greatest gains.

YONKERS, N.Y. - To celebrate the one-year anniversary of the Broadway musical "Wicked," retailer Stew Leonard's will hold the first annual "Wicked" Day Block Party on Saturday, Oct. 30 from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. outside the Gershwin Theatre at 222 West 51st Street, between Broadway and Eighth Ave. in New York City.

CARLISLE, Pa. - Shoppers at 17 Giant Food Stores in the Harrisburg, Pa. area will be eligible for rebates on selected healthier foods and other products bought between Oct. 24 and Dec. 4. Additionally, members of the HealthAmerica and HealthAssurance health insurance plans will receive a gift and be eligible for prize drawings when they buy rebate-eligible products.