Ahold Delhaize

Ahold USA said yesterday that Rick Herring has been promoted to the position of division president of its Giant-Carlisle division, which consists of 152 stores in Pennsylvania, Virginia, Maryland and West Virginia under the names of Giant Food Stores, Martin’s, Food Markets and Giant To Go.

The latest iteration of Food Lion, LLC’s continuing commitment to environmental sustainability took shape with the opening of the grocer’s — and the state of South Carolina’s — first environmentally friendly grocery store in the Summit Commons Shopping Center.

At its annual analysts’ meeting this week, international retail conglomerate Delhaize Group unveiled a new strategic plan for the near future emphasizing accelerated growth, increased efficiencies and stronger intra-group integration.

Thanks to a season that runs from August through March, complementary to that of California avocados, American grocers are now using the Chilean Avocado Importers Association’s (CAIA) in-store promotional materials and comprehensive marketing program to boost Chilean Hass Avocados — and subsequently overall produce sales — significantly.

Ahold, an international group of leading supermarket companies in the United States and Europe, yesterday extended its relationship with HP by signing a new seven-year infrastructure and applications services agreement.

Retail conglomerate Delhaize Group has completed, through its subsidiary Alfa-Beta Vassilopoulos, the purchase of 11 stores and a distribution center operated under the banner Koryfi.

Undeterred by a $425 million offer made last month by rival Southeastern grocer Food Lion, Bi-Lo, LLC is determined to forge its own path, as shown by the reorganization plan it recently filed in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of South Carolina.

In its interim report for the third quarter of 2009, Royal Ahold posted a sales increase of 4.3 percent to 6.0 billion euros (US $9.0 billion) (the rise was 2.6 percent at constant exchange rates), an operating income bump of 1.5 percent to 265 million euros (US $396 million), net income of 238 million euros (US $356 million) and volume growth in all markets.