Real Estate

LEEDS, U.K. - Wal-Mart owned Asda on Tuesday announced plans to open 10 new stores in 2003. The expansion, including extensions, represents an investment of 360 million pounds ($574 million).

Employee ownership and a culture of excellence keep the Florida retailer on everyone's short list of best supermarket companies.

AUSTIN, Texas - Leading natural and organic foods retailer Whole Foods Market Inc. this week said sales for the first quarter ended Jan. 19, 2003 increased 18 percent to $924 million.

ASHEVILLE, N.C.,-Ingles Markets, which operates 199 supermarkets and 77 neighborhood shopping centers in six southeastern states, today announced that its Board of Directors has declared a cash dividend of $0.165 per share on all its Class A Common Stock and $0.15 per share on all its Class B Common Stock.

Bank of Montreal,Canada's fifth-largest bank, is seeking a partner in Quebec and the Maritime provinces to expand its chain of branches in grocery stores, says Robert Pearce, head of consumer banking.

DALLAS - Fleming Companies Inc. on Wednesday announced that it has entered into an agreement with Albertsons for the sale of five Fleming stores.

LONDON - Retail tycoon Philip Green has formally submitted his bid proposal for UK supermarket Safeway Plc, the Office of Fair Trading said on Tuesday, showing he is serious about joining the hotly contested takeover battle.

MONTVALE, N.J. - A&P on Friday announced separate agreements for the sale of nine supermarkets in northern New England, to The Stop & Shop Supermarket Company and Big Y Foods. The company said the transactions are part of a larger divestiture of operations in northern New England.