Ahold Delhaize

SCARBOROUGH, Maine -- Hannaford Supermarkets here said it is heating its Camden, Maine store with biodiesel fuel during the 2006-2007 winter season, in keeping with a long-term commitment to sustainability practices at retail.

BRUSSELS, Belgium - Global retailer Delhaize Group, parent company of Food Lion, Kash n' Karry/Sweetbay, and Hannaford in the U.S., said yesterday that its U.S. banners experienced strong comparable store sales growth in the fourth quarter and for the year, although its fourth-quarter net profit dipped 2.2 percent to $161.63 million because of the weak dollar.

AMSTERDAM -- The Institute for Investigating Corporate Information, which serves as the disciplinary board of the Netherlands' Institute for Registered Accountants, has formally censured Deloitte & Touche accountant John Van den Vries for failing to fulfill his professional duties during the accounting scandal at Ahold's U.S. Foodservice division, according to published reports.

MONTVALE, N.J. -- The Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Co., Inc. confirmed at a press conference yesterday that it would indeed buy Pathmark Stores for $1.3 billion in cash, stock, and debt assumption or retirement, in a transaction expected to close during the second half of A&P's fiscal 2007 year.

SALISBURY, N.C. - Smart financial moves have earned Delhaize America, Inc. here an upgrade from Standard & Poor's Rating Services, which Friday said it was revising its outlook on Delhaize America to positive from stable.

LANDOVER, Md. and QUINCY, Mass. -- Giant Food, LLC and the Stop & Shop Supermarket Co. rolled out lower prices on bleach, laundry detergent, fabric softeners and other cleaning supplies Friday, in the latest phase of the Ahold-owned banners' Value Improvement Program (VIP).

LANDOVER, Md. and QUINCY, Mass. -- Giant Food, LLC and the Stop & Shop Supermarket Co. rolled out lower prices on bleach, laundry detergent, fabric softeners and other cleaning supplies Friday, in the latest phase of the Ahold-owned banners' Value Improvement Program (VIP).

SALISBURY, N.C. -- Last year was another period of abundant giving for Food Lion here. The Delhaize-owned chain, and its Food Lion Charitable Foundation Inc., raised and donated approximately $9.25 million for non-profit organizations in 2006.